We have a visitor at our home.
It's a cat.
Every morning when I go to my garage I see its dainty footprints in the snow; they disappear at the small space under my garage door.
One morning when I opened the door, I heard a faint "Meow" from somewhere within the garage. "Here, kitty-kitty-kitty," I implored, in my best cat-seducing voice. "Come-come!" I made the high-pitched chirpy sound that momcats make when they return to their kitten-nest, that I have always found to be a good icebreaker with strange felines: Meh-eh-eh-eh! The meowing stopped. But I did not see the cat.
I don't think it's feral. We have quite a few neighbors with cats, so I suspect it's one of those, slumming at our place. Our garage attracts an assortment of small critters each winter that I'd just as soon not have there, so if the phantom feline is enjoying midnight mousesicles and chipmunk tartare, that's fine by me.
But I'd just like to see it; talk to it; let it know that I'm one of the friendly humans; maybe even dare to run a finger down its spine, if it deigned to come that close.
The hidden cat reminds me a little bit of the God who often remains hidden -- Deus absconditus. Every so often you perceive a hint of this God's presence, like the cat's disappearing pawprints and quiet mew. The possibility that it may be at home in your home, this unexpected visitor, makes you happy. You want to see it and hear it and touch it, you try to engineer an encounter; but the unseen one is really in charge of your relationship; it'll show itself when it's good and ready, and quite possibly when you least expect it.
8 comments:
Holy Cow! Some of you churchy folk will turn everything religious, even a neighbourhood cat hiding in the garage. An unseen cat reminds you of the hidden God? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar ;-)
LC is NOT religious! She is a Christian ;)
I liked the analogy of a hidden God, with clues for us. Why ever not?
And cats aren't cigars, or is that a joke from across the pond??
I love it, LC!
We have two cats. Mom cat showed up under our porch, starving for food and attention. We took her in, and she returned our affection by having six kittens! We kept one and found homes for the others.
Moral? I'm not sure there is one, except that our generosity has been rewarded by Mom cat's affection for us and obvious gratitude at finding a home--still, two years and a cross-country move later!
God, too, sneaks into our hearts before we're quite aware of it...
I love the analogy LC. I've often said that at the lowest points in my life, the only indication I had that God was anywhere was that my cats would still come and cuddle with me when I slept. When the rest of the world seemed to have abandoned me (they hadn't, it just felt that way), the cats were always there. Kind of like God.
But now I'm obsessing about your garage kitty. I'm worried that he/she is hurt or lost. Have you tried putting some tuna out -- that just about always works to lure out a frightened kitty.
That reminds me of my older cat, when I brought him home from the shelter.
He was so shy and scared that he hid under a couch in the basement every day for about 3 months. He'd only come out at night to eat the food I'd left him on the landing, and he'd sneak upstairs to lay down and snuggle next to me while I was sleeping. But I'd never, ever see him out and feeling safe.
Then I finally got the bright idea that I should sweet-talk him, and give him treats. So I got down one day and talked to him under the couch, and gave him a few nice pieces of catsnacks. He came right out for good and has been hanging around with me ever since.
What was I ever thinking? And who would ever know that a cat could be so shy?
;-)
And sometimes Tom a cigar is the firey phallis of God, a cloud of smoke by day and a pyre of fire by night leading the People through the waters into the promised land.
Seriously though, that "least expect it" bit is epiphany. When you finally meet the cat face to face it is so much more than pawprints or pieces of mice, its a real living breathing cat.
Everything in our life can point toward the divine if we let it!
Peace,
Chris
Hmmm...maybe that's why I've never wanted to smoke a cigar...
Anyhow...I have to admit that an ulterior motive in making friends with my hidden kittycat is to possibly find a friend for my dog. I think a friendly but assertive fellow four-legged in our household might help his separation-anxiety issues. (The fact that he hates cats is just a minor, temporary glitch in my long-term plan.) The downside of this, of course, is that another dependent (relatively speaking) being that eats and poops is just about the last thing I need in my household.
Well, the assertive part is pretty funny around here.
The dog likes and is interested in the cats - and they hate his guts. When he walks by, they smack him and howl.
He seems to like it quite a bit though, so give it a try at your house, too! If nothing else, it's hilarious for you.
;-)
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