Daily Photo: Happy Orange Cat

It’s always a good day to post a photo of a happy orange cat dozing in the sun without a care in the world. This is Allegro from the early 90s having a good snooze in the afternoon sun shining in the dining room window. Allegro was a very simple cat, and did one thing at a time: he napped, he ate, he focused a toy, he sat and focused on forming a thought and apparently he could not walk and think at the same time because he’d often stop in the middle of the room and sit down and look contemplative. To entertain him if I need him to keep his paws out of what I was doing, I would draw a simple one-inch line on a piece of paper and give it to him, and he would try to swat that line to make it move and try to pick it up for a good ten minutes. Allegro wasn’t the brightest bulb on the string, but he was just about the happiest. This is an older photo, and I filtered it with a texture because it wasn’t as clear as I’d like it.

Tissue alert…

I think about him often but I’m remembering him today for another reason. I happened to find an orange cat on the street today, in the slush during our snowfall. The cat was young and very pretty, all over a rich red-orange, a dark pink nose and pink paw pads, long legs and well-built. I have no idea if the cat belonged to someone, so I moved him off the street to the edge of the nearest yard. Along with all my groups and rescuers I contacted the police in that community and they let me know I could also contact animal control by calling 911, and the service would pick up the cat and scan it for a chip. I’m glad for that. It’s forecast to keep snowing, and the cat would be covered up. If it didn’t belong to anyone it might remain there, but at least it was taken care of. I will remember this cat each time I pass that spot, which is frequently enough. Another friend found a tuxie cat the other night and many of us commiserated with her sadness. It’s important to give these cats and other animals the dignity of caring for their remains.

Allegro also escaped one morning and I had no idea at all where he was, and considering he could only do one thing at a time I was very concerned for his ability to survive on the streets. I did find him a few hours later running along the railroad tracks below our house, frightening enough, but at least no vehicle traffic. But if something like this had happened to him, I would want for him to be treated with dignity, and so I will do this for others I find, like Mr. Mistoffelees. And I thank the many people who are bringing cats in from the cold and providing food and safe shelter to help keep them from running off to areas where something like this could happen.

Click here to find out how you can help homeless cats this holiday season!

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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