CAT

One early Fall morning, Alan was asked by a friend to take on an abandoned female kitten.  He was reluctant, being a single man, and not really wanting to take on the responsibility of caring for a pet.  It was a commitment he was not sure he could adequately fulfill.

But the all-white ball of fluff, with black facial markings suggesting the Phantom of the Opera, was playful, and frisky, clamoring over everything.  Alan decided to give it a whirl.  He took her home, bought a litter box, and set that up in the corner of the bathroom.  He got advice on the kind of food to buy for a kitten, went to the local pet store and picked out a few toys he thought she might enjoy.

Naming her was his next task, and he couldn’t decide right away.  Not wanting to make a snap decision on such an important issue as her name, he just called her Cat.

Cat roamed around the spacious apartment, exploring, and climbing and getting to know her new home.  She was friendly, and curious, and soon content enough to rest easily in his lap as he read in the evening.

Not a week after he brought her home, she was leaping about and jumped hard onto a wicker folding chair, which collapsed with a bang, breaking her leg.  Alan was beside himself, not even knowing the name of a veterinarian.  He called a friend, got the name of one, and rushed Cat in for treatment.  Surgery, of course, was required, and a pin inserted to secure the leg and insure full use of the leg after healing.  The tab for the surgery was $2000.  Alan felt terrible, though he knew he probably couldn’t have prevented the accident.  He also wasn’t thrilled at the expense; Cat was costing him a bundle.

The next day, she seemed okay, able to hobble about on her little cast.  As Alan was preparing to go to work, he watched her for a while, and she was listless, and uncomfortable.  He had given her the medication the Vet had ordered which seemed to be effective; but Alan decided to stay home a while with her, just in case.  He laid back on the bed fully dressed, and tucked Cat in with him; both fell fast asleep.

He awoke some time later to the ringing of his telephone.  It was his mother, breathless and frantic.  “You’re at home, You’re at home.  Oh Thank God!!!!”   And she began to cry.  He told her why he had stayed home from work, and she told him to put on the television.

The date was 9/11

Alan worked in Tower One of the World Trade Center.  Cat’s name is now Angel.

Alan’s mother bought her a sterling silver water bowl.

Angel is now twelve years old, and the love of Alan’s life.