11:59 A.M. - Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009
For the love of cat�s
I have always had a deep love of the animal kingdom�this stems back to my childhood. I haven�t a clue why I have always felt such a bond with critters that allow us to share their world. I recall reading every book I could find in the school library that centered on animals. A diary I once kept�you know the ones with a tiny key to keep prying eyes away� was written to my childhood dog, �Duchess.� Every entry for the five years I wrote in it started with� �Dear Duchess.� When I wasn�t adding to the pages of my diary I talked to my dog�she listened as I shared many of my pre-teen fears and joy�s.

Horses were and still are closest to my heart, even as the time I once shared my life with them has become a distant memory, I continue to have dreams of riding through fields or across the sands. These are peaceful dreams and at times so real I often feel as though I have visited a distant place during the night.

All my life I had a dog at my side but after losing my husky pup �Baby,� I have yet to find another to fill her void. She shared our home for almost seven years. During her final years she lost her sight. Pain of losing my constant companion was so devastating I have left dog rearing to those that have more time.

Three cats share their world with us now; they are basically nocturnal and have little ways to let us know if we invade their space.

I believe these magnificent critters are at times better judgment of character than many of us. When someone comes to visit our two older cats run and hide�they have better things to do than analyze the intruder, however, our baby boy Zeke, who is fast approaching nine years old will find a place to perch eye level and watch every movement of our visitor. If someone invades his space his ears lay back and he has been known to take a paw swipe at the passer by. He has been guilty to hissing at those that reach out to pet him. First he demands a �smell� of ones hands and maybe if they are lucky they can gently touch his silky fur. He was nicknamed �demon cat� by my granddaughter when her attempts to negotiate a warm up was met with razor claws filling the space between them. It didn�t help she brought with her the smell of her two cute little mini pups.

Zeke has also been called the assault cat�the sign on our door once read, �This home is protected by an attack cat,� it was just to warn against any one attempting to invade our world.

When it comes to hubby and me, he can be a nuisance, but we love him dearly. When we are sitting at the table and the room fills with conversation he demands to be on one of our laps and most often tries to bury his head under our chins while his paws are wrapped around our necks. Husband is his human of choice because he supports a beard that Zeke can hide in. After husband�s surgery the final day of December, Zeke found the brace around husband�s neck fascinating but for a few weeks he would sit on the table and just stare.

I had a few doubtful/depressed days during some icy road travels and found myself once again falling into pity party mode as I was the one that had to brave the snowy roads going from work to home. I was taking care of all the daily chores. Racing here and there and working solo. I tried with everything in me to trust once again when trusting felt futile as the past had the feeling of merging with the present.

This neck surgery was an absolute necessity to enable husband to continue working�two disks had collapsed and was pushing against the nerves on his left side. Husband all but lost use of his left arm and muscle mass above his left elbow giving his left arm an eerie skinny appearance. The surgeon had to remove the disks, replacing them with artificial ones and placing bone between them, a few screws were added to keep things in place. (I have on my list of questions for the Dr�.where did the �extra bone� come from?) It cost him a night�s stay at the hospital but I was able to stay in his room. His anticipated recovery time�four weeks. He goes back for his final visit this coming Tuesday and the brace comes off.

During one of my late night drives home I was filled with anxiety concerning his recovery. I felt weighted down by life�s uncertainness. I was quiet as I came through the door ready to talk about my misgivings, my fears, everything I had bottled up fearful of expressing my innermost concerns to anyone.

I kicked the snow from my shoes and sat at the table gearing up for �the talk.� My camera was close and when I allowed my eyes to met husbands�all I could do was smile. I was able to capture a few moments in time�it was Zeke that quieted my fears. It was our �angel� cat that kept me from voicing any hurtful statements.

After all�he is an awesome judge of us humans. I learned much that night and haven�t had an ill thought after that late snowy night. All bills are paid, husband starts back to work next week, and our move to the house is fast approaching.

Did I mention how much I love that cat; our other cat�s, and husband too?

Sandyz

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