January 25

“I’m saying flat out you’re the biggest chunk of fur on the farm.”

This altercation was quickly over and the cats settled back down: Marigold, Hayes, Brodie and Raspberry returned to sharing the sunshine and each other’s warmth.

The existence of the family ‘felidae’ depended on behavior like that just exhibited by the Mooner cats.  Certainly there were fights, but it was an aberrant animal that seriously hurt another.  As Mama Pedgie had observed, cats were independent creatures living cooperatively. Their species had succeeded for over 20 million years.  They had an ancient creed: “Respect for Self, Respect for Others, Aware of All, All Part of the Whole”.  This doctrine explained not only their ability to live harmonically with each other, but the cats’ respect for totality: understanding that all things are connected.  Few humans recognized this concept, and those that did rarely applied it to their lives.

As if the windowsill weren’t already overcrowded, a leap added T. T. Homes to the pile. “Thaws to your claws!” he greeted, and the group shifted irritably beneath him.

“Freezing furcicles!” shouted Hayes, his head squashed under T.T’s rump, “Can’t you give us the Carrier news from down there on the floor?”

“Not as much fun,” T.T. winked, as usual, at Raspberry.  Berry’s response was what humans call a “meow” or a “roar” for larger cats.  Actually, every cat greets another with “raaw”, an acronym of their ethos: respect-awareness- all-whole”.  

 T.T. lifted his leg off Hayes’ ear.  “The herons are on schedule for a March 3rd return.  Quim reported that T.W. Verne was seen in Perrypark Reserve; that means Verne’s reputation for being the first spring robin to return to Shenango remains unchallenged.” (Local opinion was that “T.W.” stood for “travel-weary”).

“Love those birdies!” Brodie licked his whiskers, anticipating Marigold’s teasing shove.

“Old Gus’ humans think he’s suffering from liver disease and will die any day, and tomorrow is Zoe’s birthday…her eighth, I think.  She wants a red yarn catnip ball.”

“Just give her an old plastic bag,” Hayes snorted.  “She loves to lick ’em, you know.”

“Beamer found homes for seven kittens in the past two days,” T.T. continued.  “He said that’s because going through the blizzard made humans around here keenly aware of what being safe and warm really means.”

“Something should have,” Raspberry whispered, the others nodding.

“And most of the idle machinery on Long View Road ended up with frozen fuel lines, so the destruction there has been postponed yet again!”  T.T. was always delighted when his Carrier news ended with cheers.