A Hideaway Cat, Meow

 

 

 

In the middle of winter.

 

When the snow lay on the ground.

 

In the very first month of the year – in January.

 

There was a stray cat who wandered around.

 

This cat – who may be a he or she – is a very fluffy cat.

 

With white fur on each paw.  And a black – triangle – nose.

 

With eyes and fur that match.  In streaks of light and dark gray.

 

Have you no home to stay in today?

 

Asked the lady, who stepped out of her house to say hi to the cat.

 

Would you like a warm place to lay?

 

Well, the cat never replied.  He just looked at her with sad, yet wondering eyes.

 

But then, seeing she was friendly, through a crack under her house the cat

 

made a little shelter.   And why not, as many mice ran underneath this house!!

 

And soon the cat looked fat – not thin.  And if no mice were to be found.

 

The birds in the trees, nearby, would appease a hungry appetite.

 

Now, this lady decided to buy a food dish for the cat.  And she placed it just outside

 

her door.  Each day she filled the dish with fresh food.

 

And the cat would climb up the four front steps to reach the dish.

 

But it was not allowed to visit inside.

 

Even though the cat’s eyes, said, “can I come in – inside your house.”

 

“I haven’t had a place to stay in a very long while.”  You see, this cat was feral.

 

Feral is another word for wild.  And means, after defending itself for a long time,

 

all alone, outside, it had become mean.

 

And the owner of the house had a yellow Parakeet to worry about.

 

She loved her bird and the bird loved her.

 

Often her bird would chirp and sing.

 

What would happen if the bird saw the cat and the cat saw the bird?

 

This bird could have a heart attack.  No – no it would not survive.

 

Or, the cat could claw and pull out all of the bird’s green and yellow feathers!

 

Two Guinea Pigs – only three weeks old – also lived in the house.

 

Guinea pigs are timid, gentle, quiet creatures.  And they are easily frightened.

 

And an aggressive animal would pose a real threat to their safety.

 

These guinea pigs eat alfalfa hay and food pellets.

 

That helps them grow into healthy pigs.

 

These two are multicolored.  Their fur is a mix of black, brown and white!

 

Luckily, the owner’s young son takes good care of them.

 

He cleans their cage and gives them lots of love and hugs.

 

But the stray cat outside.

 

It’s a sad cat.  A mad cat.  An angry cat.

 

A bad cat.  An, I can tap on my feet, cat.

 

But not an, “I’ll lay on your lap and snuggle cat.”

 

It’s a very lonely, lost cat.

 

A wild – furious, fluffy gray cat.

 

A cat who say’s, ‘I’m free – I’m free.”

 

Sometimes those eyes say, “just let me be.”

 

If another cat decides to try and fight.

 

Then it becomes a protective – this is my hideout not your – cat.

 

If and when another cat comes along to steal its territory.

 

This cat, it once was a pet before abandonment.

 

If you can’t keep a cat, should you just walk away?

 

Why not, then, find them a better place to stay?

 

But this gray cat has found a place where it’s welcoming.

 

There’s a food dish, on the steps, that is red.

 

A makeshift bed, under a ladies house, is a good place to rest and eat.

 

When winter comes, it’s so cold outside.

 

Good thing this cat has a place to hide – goodbye.

 

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Tags: Abandoned, alone, cat, feral, fluffy, lost, poem, poems, Poetry, poets corner, stray animal, Wild, winter