Doing Good. For Ourselves

HAD ANYONE ELSE done what I did, I would call the person a hero, which, admittedly, is a term we tend to throw about a bit brazenly and superciliously these days. f nothing else, I would call that person a good citizen, a kind hearted soul, or a damned good cat lover. The United States, like most countries, is run amok with stray, homeless cats, as many as forty million, or half the nation's cat population. In many countries, particularly Islamic countries, cats are regarded as sacred creatures, and are treated accordingly, stray or not. In an Islamic country, if you do harm to a cat, you are in serious trouble, maybe even put to death. But not in America, where they are largely ignored, except when public service announcements beg us to do better, and kind hearted souls chip in with food and adoptive measures. When I built my house, I was so taken with its beauty that I had no thought of acquiring a pet. The furniture was new, the carpet was new, and my pride reigned supreme. Then, a cute female appeared in my yard, daily, and all bets were off. Her daily persistence lured me into befriending the feral beauty, we slowly became friends, and into my abode she came, and remains to this day. Then another, and another, almost as if they regarded me as a potential replacement mother, if a very ugly cat. That arrangement persisted for several years, me an my three indoor babies, until two beautiful white females showed up, looking underweight. the rest, you can surmise. Having gained my love and their trust, they belatedly they brought their litters to me, precious little ovals clinging to their bellies. I fed the mothers and the mothers fed the kittens, and the kittens grow and flourished in the safety of my house. Here they remain, two indoor and seven outdoor angels, the outdoor angles living in my garage, replete with food, water, baby beds, and electric blankets, cat trees, a small cat house, heated, the works. I can't do enough for them, and the more I do, the greater my joy. having nine cats spayed, neutered, and vaccinated is expensive. Once upon a time I had a retirement savings. No matter. As Neil Diamond crooned: "money talks, but it don't sing and dance, and it don't walk." I c an only implore all kind hearted citizens to do something to help homeless cats and dogs. Cats in particular can thrive rather well in the wilds of suburbia and in rural and urban areas. They ar made to hint and fend for themselves. Dos, not so much. Millions of us can attest that to adopt a shelter animal or a homeless cat is among the most rewarding behaviors one can ever experience. Ultimately, we do it for ourselves, not for them.