Thursday, March 28, 2024
animal welfarebackyardcat photographscatsferal catsphotographs

Pawprint

pawprint in ice with snow
Pawprint

Not a photo of my cats today but evidence of one of my neighbor cats, just a perfect pawprint frozen in the ice on one of my steps. The fact it’s frozen into this ice means the cat was outside walking around during the rain-sleet-snowfall overnight when the wintry mix turned slushy on every surface, thickened enough to hold the shape of anything impressed into it, and then quickly froze. The poor kitty’s paws.

My cats are lucky, but many cats are not. This may be one of the cats who has a home somewhere in the neighborhood, or it may be one of the cats who I know was left behind when someone moved out at the end of last month, or the month before or even earlier. I see them all the time around the neighborhood and often they end up in my yard, the little refugees from households who decided the cat didn’t belong anymore. It happens all too often and while I try to give people the benefit of the doubt—the cat got out while they were moving, perhaps, or it got out and got lost, no one knows where to look—I know that’s usually not the case.

There are better alternatives to this.

Bernadette

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

5 thoughts on “Pawprint

  • Susan Stoltz

    It’s so sad to see those prints in the ice and snow. I have a small igloo outside with a nice fluffy pillow inside but all the orphaned kitties seem to go under my front porch.

    Reply
    • I think they feel a little vulnerable in a space they can’t easily exit. Mine don’t even stay in the yard usually, and I think it’s because there are just too many animals in this small space.

      Reply
  • It breaks my heart to see this. This morning there are pawprints all over my back yard. I may be fostering a lot of kitties the coming spring and summer.

    Reply
  • It’s a beautiful photo, Bernadette, but your words tell the heartbreaking story behind it. Poor little kitty…

    Reply
  • Good post, Bernadette — both the that single telling photo & your words should make people think, especially given the horrible weather we’ve all been having this winter.

    Reply

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