I knew it was going to happen. I was ready.

She came into our lives just as quick as she left. I was outside on our porch and I saw a black creature next to the cars parked down below. I knew the familiar shape and movement: a cat. All black, scrawny, no collar. I told Stefan to come here and we both gazed upon its likeness towards Luna. After several minutes of just staring and the cat looking back at us, I decided to go get it. I wasn't sure what I would do with it, but I just wanted to get it.

I went down there with some food that Stefan put in my hand, looking for it but it must've went away. I went back upstairs, and saw the cat again down below. I rushed down there as Stefan was feeding it cat food from the balcony. I finally got down there and spotted it eating the food that he had thrown down. I crouched down and held out my hand showing the food I had. It come towards me, timid.
A resident below us saw what I was doing and she gratefully got us some cat food and water from her apartment. I thanked her as she could clearly see the cat was hungry. I told Stefan to come down here and look at how friendly the cat was. I noticed that it was a female cat, had claws, no collar and seemed personable. Stefan and I spent a good hour down there just petting the cat, feeding it and loving it. I felt like I needed to take care of it, an instinct to take care of one of the animals of the earth.
Stefan was wondering if we should keep it overnight. I wanted to, but something in my stomach told me not to. Partly because I was thinking of Luna and I would feel like I was betraying her if I did bring her in. It's been forever since I've seen Luna this happy and comfortable, NOT around other cats. I just couldn't bring her up. It was a weird sensation, to NOT want to keep a cat overnight. I just had this feeling that it was going to be ok and that it was grateful for the humans that showed such kindness. It was a rewarding experience that I knew was going to happen this week.

My father saved a turtle from highway this past Sunday. He saw it crawling around on the edge of the road and he knew it was going to get disoriented and head into traffic. He wanted to go save it. We parked, ran to its help and my dad picked it up. It was a little box turtle, about the size of my hand. He was heading straight into traffic and my dad ran out in the road to save it. There was a grassy area about 100 ft ahead and we placed him there to get out of harms way.

My sister aparently had a happening that weekend that a kitten was left on her doorstep, stranded. How could someone do this??? She of course took it in and saved it from the outside. She brought it back all the way to Wisconsin, saying she knows what's happens in the pound. Certain death.

If my dad could save a turtle, my sister could save a cat then I knew I was next. An animal was going to seek me out and I it, and I would have to rescue it. I knew it was going to happen. I was ready. Perhaps I'm going to have another one this week, for the incident with the cat was not nearly as heroic, but if you saw how hungry this cat was, you would think I did save it. Either way, as my dad would say, "Your Aunt Nell would be proud". It really does run in the family.

I never really knew my Aunt Nell, and what I do remember is her crazy windblown hair, her love for animals and mean bite to her voice. My dad says it's a shame that I remember her that way, and I think so too. From what he says of her, she's just the type of person that I would want to be. Sorry Aunt Nell, for my thoughts and memories of you, I know you were a good person. I hope our family has made you proud.

As for the cat, Stefan and I decided to call it Buffet. For I would put little piles of food all over the road down below, trying to get it to eat more. As soon as we sat down, it would just go pile to pile eating, as if it were in a buffet line.

I could get used to this feeling of being one with animals.