Mama Cat

It is hard to believe about me.

I used to hate cats.

I went to a slumber party in high school and this teacher has this gigantic siamese cat who stalked me and another gal. We slept in another room. We spent a fair amount of time talking about how evil cats seemed.

Then my junior year in college, there was this pregnant black cat. Slinking around the trailer park where I lived.

I made a tuna casserole one day. It was gross. I tried to doctor the bad taste by adding peas, I don't know what all I added until I, my roommate, her boyfriend pronounced it totally unfit to eat.
I saw the starving black cat. I put the casserole out for her.

As hungry as she was. She sniffed and took a pass.

Constantly the moocher, later that night she was a pest at a neighbors hibachi.

I told my dad about the hibachi and the cat. He said, they should cut her off a piece.

Somehow that translated, I should buy the cat some food.

I was prepared to leave the last day that rent was paid. My mother came in the 63 chevrolet impala because it could hold all my stuff.

My suitcase was packed and open. The door was open. I came back into the room and mama cat had put her three kittens in it. Then she laid down and looked at me like a cat would.

When my mother saw her and the kittens, the we don’t need any more animals speech did not happen. Kittens were packed in a pasteboard box. Mama Cat road in my lap.

We gave away two of her kittens. The beautiful tabby grew into an eccentric that only liked blondes. My small sister was his true love.

Mama cat had a broken motor which purred in fits and starts but never continuously. She had one more litter of kittens before she was spayed.

 I've owned a cat since.