Friday, March 29, 2024
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Saying Thanks (Almost) Before Every Meal

gray cat on bricks
Moses’ sweet face and verdigris eyes, about age 17.

Eager for her bowl at each mealtime her humble and reserved personality had other cats served first, but that gave me the opportunity to appreciate the anticipation on her face as I lowered her bowl to the floor in front of her, as if she still couldn’t believe she was actually getting another bowl of food, just for her. A starving feral kitten, probably a day or two from death, Moses never forgot her beginnings.

All of her 19 years I watched Moses lean into her food to excitedly nibble here and there, and thought of this gentle creature still frightened to be picked up and held, uncertain about sitting on my lap, even being petted with two hands, yet when I gave her the space to make her own decisions she came to me with trust, fervently purring and gazing at me with slowly blinking eyes and such love as I have never known and don’t feel entirely deserving.

Then after her first bite of food satisfied that deep-seated fear of hunger it was as if she remembered her manners, my quiet and refined gray kitty, and lifted her face from her bowl, pushed herself with some difficulty back up to a sitting position and looked directly into my eyes, purring as I saw the fur on her throat gently trembling, and gave me a long, slow blink of her soft verdigris eyes.

“Thank you,” she said, every meal, every day, all her life, then went back to eating as I often brushed back tears at her honest pronouncement.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends, and it’s always time to celebrate the gifts those senior felines, the rescues, the ferals, the fosters and visitors have brought to our lives.


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

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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.

15 thoughts on “Saying Thanks (Almost) Before Every Meal

  • Pingback: The Creative Cat - Rescue Story: Murphy, and the Happy Entanglement of Rescue

  • debbarnes

    Beautiful… we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Purrs from the Zee and Zoey Gang!

    Reply
    • Thank you, Deb, and to you and your human and feline family as well!

      Reply
  • Nancy Blue Moon

    Bernadette..your beautiful words touch my heart and bring back memories of so many kitties I have loved..I give thanks for them all and for wonderful people like you who spend their lives helping kitties I will never have the pleasure of knowing..Bless you and the gang & an extra prayer for sweet Emmie..

    Reply
    • Nancy, thank you. I always hope to encourage others to take on the more difficult ones. Thanks, too, for the prayers for Emmie.

      Reply
    • Thanks for visiting, Texas–I saw earlier you and K are still sleeping off your thankfulness!

      Reply
  • What a beautiful story… Thanks so much for sharing. Moses really loved you.

    Just a quick story… One dry hot summer day when cleaning out some old property for my parents, a cat came walking into the yard and kept eyeing my water bottle fervently… “Oh hello there,” I said to him. “Are you thirsty?” He meowed his version of yes. I found some container I had with me to put the water in… He was obviously very thirsty. He watched as I poured the water into the bowl for him… But as thirsty as he was, he didn’t drink. He rubbed my legs in thank you so furry much. Then ran to the bowl and drank and drank and drank… Finally he walked away from the bowl and looked back at me again… Then he casually sauntered back to where ever he came from. I never found out where. I always remember the bible verse… give a cup of cold water to a little one, and you will not lose your reward… Purrz and Purayerz on Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. -Katie Kat.

    Reply
    • Katie Kat, that is a lovely story! Aren’t animals amazing? The cat not only knew who to trust, but also had good manners. Not only that, but he could communicate at a very high level. They all have their lessons for us.

      Reply
  • Moses knew the true meaning of gratefulness.
    Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at ManxMnews.
    *Angel*Abby, Ping, Jinx, Gracie, Boo & Mom Debra

    Reply
    • She did, Angel Abby, and every time I was thankful I’d rescued her. Happy Thanksgiving from Mimi and the Fantastic Four and Lady Emeraude.

      Reply
  • Beautiful post! May this and all days be full of light.

    Reply
    • Moses had many lessons for me, and this was one. Happy Thanksgiving to your household, Cats!

      Reply

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