We looked carefully through each condo. All the cats looked well-adjusted, but while they were cordial, none responded to us with enthusiasm. Disappointed, we were about to throw in the towel on the whole idea, when a staff at the front desk told us to check out the Animal Care & Control next door.
I noticed her right away, even locked up as she was in the dark, dank, cage-like cell behind a steel, wired gate. She was sleeping on an old metal chair, a tattered cardboard box, layered thinly with litter, nearby. Her intake sheet indicated that she was a stray. She had no known name and was estimated to be somewhere between 3 and 4 years old. Given her mysterious past, she had no medical record or known habits. It was a terrible resume.
She stirred when she heard us and jumped off the chair. The way she frantically scratched her ear with her hind leg left no doubt that she came with a lot of fleas.
She was beautiful though. Svelte and petite, she was a princess of Siam. Her large, clear blue eyes were set on a small, delicate face, triangular in shape, accented with a proud nose. She had shiny whiskers and rich chocolate fur that grew darker on her legs, her pointy ears, tail and face. She reminded me of a seal pup.
“Oh,” I said, barely whispering. We stood still. My husband felt it too. There was something about this cat.
Then she said hello.
“Annh-aaaa. Aaanh-aaaa.” She said, insistently. Instinctively, I took a step back, disconcerted by the sound she made. It was nothing like a cat’s meow.
“Annh-aaaa. Aaanh- aaaa.” She said again, slinking towards us. She may have sounded broken, but she moved like jazz. I put my fingers tentatively through the metal gaps of the gate, and was half scared; half delighted when she rubbed her face against my fingers.
I wanted to get to know her better, but my husband noticed a litter of five kittens and drew me away. The kittens were a playful bunch. A black kitty with a naturally missing tail tip was especially sweet. She made eye contact with us as she meowed (normally). Then she rested confidently on my husband’s palm while he stroked her gingerly with his other hand. Her brothers and sisters tumbled around nearby.
