I cuddled a kitten today. “Dean”, named after my grandfather, is the new fuzzy feline child of my cousin. I didn’t expect this to happen soon after squelching my way into a tight parking space. Fourth avenue can be difficult, however, I was determined to return a vintage family pie basket to my cousin and visit for a spell – in the middle of a ridiculous heat wave.
My car tires melted their way into that space – an area just a few feet longer than my car. An area, mind you, I missed by one block for a good ten minutes thinking I needed to be on fifth avenue. My cousin’s new house is next door to my aunt’s house in which I’ve entertained thoughts and actions for years. Yes, years. Why the sudden lapse in memory? I don’t know. I do have a higher awareness of all the alleys and streets around that neighborhood than ever before … so, all isn’t lost here. Mental note: fourth ave., not fifth.
… And I’ve always been about dogs, not cats. Maybe it was the ninety-plus degree heat I’ve had to grill behind, or life stuffs being jammed into my already over-filled cranium can that exhausted my defenses? Perhaps shuffling into a welcoming kitchen after 600 seconds of alley Twister and re-routing replays, while sweat-swearing, changed my mind about small, cute cats. Whatever the cause, the end effect was my cuddling a kitten. Oh, and I liked it. A lot.
Dean purred quietly against my chest and closed his eyes for a minute or two. Resting, sleeping, relaxing … whatever his state of being for those few moments, it mattered not to me. There was trust in my stranger-ness and that’s what panged my soul. Total trust. Complete engagement in the time together. I never believed this to be a connection available between a humanoid and pesky feline. Dogs? All day long. Cats? Whelp…
Granted, Dean is very young. A kitten, by the very definition a sometimes sleeper, right? This could have been one of those times. I may be looking too deep into this from a kitten’s perspective here. That written, from my view, I know what my take-away was as he gently asked to move forward into another new, fresh experience. I obliged by handing him over to his mama.
During my decades of life, I haven’t held many kittens. Plenty of puppies along the way, but a scant number of young, fluffy soft young-uns. Yes, a barely adequate amount of cat-cuddling has embraced my petable world. I believe I need to Tom-tilt my thinking and consider sharing dog spaces in my life with cats. Not completely, of course, but a nudge here and there is certainly warranted.
I mean, look at that face! Really. What contentment and peace?
Oh, and then check out Dean’s!
One has been passively enjoying life – getting all the attention from two loving individuals while experiencing “new” things every day.
The other? Just thankful to finally remember the freakin’ address and be inside – away from the oppressive, heavy, blasting heat pounding down as if the sun god himself was hammering away on my every last fifth avenue nerve. Ok, so a bit dramatic, but you would’ve used the same language I used – now and at the time – being ever so close to a goal you could not achieve: a house and a pie basket in danger of never intersecting due to my brain’s unwillingness to connect with reality.
Unknown to me ahead was a cute kitten and cuddle time. Had I known, that space I eventually found after ten minutes of spin-and-say would have been less a disgruntled acceptor in my eyes and more a pleasurable place to park my worries.
Ahead may be a kitten for you. I sure hope so. I’m not jumping off the chair here to adopt one anytime soon, though. Within the space of my crowded life, I don’t have time, energy, or the lifestyle for one now. Knowing Dean is only a few minutes drive away, I can visit whenever convenient for my cousin … and this is perfect for what I need to bring the love of cats into my life.
That is, if I can still remember how to get there. Geesh
DougHugs 