![]() Cat Center - Act 1A Story by Connor Shane![]() This is part of a multi-step journey that has no particular end in mind. It shall be focused on many different kitties, from all walks of life, all of whom come with their own stories!![]() Cat Center - Act 1 Hoi!
I don’t really recall having much human
interaction before I got here, honestly. Sorry if I’m being a bit random and
on-the-spot here! As you can see, my muzzle is currently in the spot that it
loves the most- the food bowl! It’s the most delicious, scrumptious, and
wonderful place! I’m a simple gal in that sense, you know? Some cats are too
scared to really eat when they first come in here, I guess. I’ve heard some
“veteran” cats tell really scary stories of conflict with other felines and
even with some awful humans who really didn’t get the memo of the Golden Rule… Although, I suppose I’m not sure what exactly
constitutes good human behavior… or even what makes a good cat, really. I just
know I have to finish this food real quick, so please hold tight. I’ll play with ya in a second! … Okay! I think I can tear myself away from the food for
a bit :). I hope you realize the magnitude of this action. I don’t dare walk
away from free food for just any no-good reason! Also, there’s this human who’s
been staring at me for a good while now, and it’s really making me feel
something. This kid has funny-looking glasses, frizzly hair, and a lot of acne!
Dang. Must be sick or something. At least cats have all this lavish fur to
cover up any blemishes! Since if you can’t fix it, might as well hide it, right?
Well, maybe not hide it. At least, not unless you’re
gonna get hurt if you don’t. That’s what
I had to do, back before I came here. Hide myself while the evil was near, and
not come out until the coast was at least mostly clear. If you don’t already know, I was a stray back in
uh… Los Angeles, I think? Not very angelic, if you ask me! Lots of garbage,
nasty alleyways, and people rushing about for some reason! I just wanted to
live with someone and be happy together, you know? What was everyone always
rushing around for, trying to accomplish a million different material goals
that probably don’t matter in the end… But I was just on the sidelines, watching it all
happen, I suppose. I was tired of playing by myself one day, and I guess I let
myself get caught? My deep, soothing blue eyes captivated many passers-by
during my time as a stray. Wasn’t there a game called stray? Or am I being
forgetful again? I thought I saw someone playing it through a window, but then again,
I did see a lotta strange things through windows… and even through open doors.
They say life is about opening doors, but I saw a lot of loud and angry things
through open doors that I’d rather have left closed. Is that just me? I dunno.
I’m just a baby. Anyways, I’m getting scared of all these random
humans who just came storming into the cat lounge. Where do they all come from?
I came from a particular place, a place I know about, but all these folks? Even
the cats come in seemingly at random, all with their various stories and
temperaments… It’s too much to handle at times, you know? I just wanna hide
away and relax for a bit, so that’s what I’ll do right now! … Well, this glasses-wearing human followed me into
the backrooms. I guess it’s not a bad thing, perse. I
suppose it’s just a bit disconcerting since I can’t remember when a human
followed me back in LA for any reason other than to do not-nice things to me…
Well, okay, no. “Not-nice” is a bit of a stretch, I can admit that. I don’t
really know what any of them wanted to do with me, or why people would
keep on calling me to come get into these black and grey cages they would put
on the ground and place juicy-looking food into. Other times they would just
jump at me, as if that would catch me! Some people are real
stupid-heads, you know? Then again, I suppose I am writing this for
humans to read. Or whoever, really. I feel like good literature is one that can
be read by both humans and cats- and everyone else! But the point is, I am not really sure what this
long-legged white kid wants from me. White? I mean, I’m white too, sort of.
Colors are bizarre. I’m glad cats don’t really care about ‘em! I think. Or do
we? Maybe if it’s red… Anyways, I’m now inside of a cat carrier in the corner.
It tends to feel chill in here, like a cozy spot to just hang out and sleep the
day’s stressors away. Wonder if humans ever do that? So busy and sweaty-looking
all the time, maybe they don’t. Oh? Curious. The humans has sat down in front of
me. Do they want pets? I try to pet humans, but they get all scared and shove
me away… So why do they come near me? Making noises is cool and all, but if we
can’t communicate in the same language then why does it matter? I think
I’ll try physical communication. Seems to be the one method of
discussion that works. At least, sometimes it works. Sometimes. Oh, wow. See? I just came out of my carrier to
look at this human boy a little closer, and this happened: Isn’t this something? I once heard a cat who had
just come in from the Outside talk about how they had PTSD. Not sure if that’s a
real thing, since after I got tricked by a cat named Razzmatazz I vowed to
never fully believe word of meowth ever again. I mean, Razz literally told
me that the things in the tray were definitely chocolate candies and
nothing harmful. It took me too long to realize what they really were. I was disgusted
by litter boxes for like a week after that! Wow, this human’s hand feels very nice. Rubs are
the best- if they’re done properly! Everything has technique, of course! I
guess I was just saying how PTSD or whatever it is makes me almost worry about
the chance of having to fight off a hand that wants to strangle me. I escaped
once or twice from a hurtful human that forced me into a cage and tried to put me
into a weird-looking facility. Some shelters just aren’t right, I swear. Or,
maybe it’s the people that aren’t right. That’s why I like this place. This
cat lounge treats us as living people. I like that! … Now, I face a weird quandary. It is this: Do I jump? In spite of my intense contemplations, this human
just seems to sit here and ask me for something, possibly. Do I want to risk
it? Gosh, I wish I could just ask you, dear human! I hope you have nothing
malicious behind that bearded smile of yours! Human faces are so freaking
weird, man. They contort their facial features all over the place! Why? They
look like a monster at times, I swear. I think this predicament of “Do I jump?” is
rather comical. I mean, who the heck cares what a tiny little she-cat
does? I figure it won’t save the universe, right? Oh wait, I don’t even know
what the universe really is. I think it’s just the size of this lounge, really.
Other places are just kind of non-existent now, you know? I’ve started thinking
that I’ll live here in this place forever, so… Why consider anything else? … Well, here I am. I am right here: That door in front of me… The sense of how the
light pours in so heavily from the Outside, combined with the dirty whiteness
of the building across from me, and the smell of garbage upon garbage that
radiates out so horrifically into my nose… Almost lets me forget that I just took the risk.
The human’s lap is very, very comforting, and I’ve decided I shall never
leave. Unless I find a reason to leave, of course. The kid now strokes my head
and back, sending vibrations of happiness into my soul. Is that dramatic? I
dunno, I’m not a poet or anything. Macaroni and Cheese is a seriously wonderful
writer cat, so go to them for nice stanzas! I’m just here, looking
outside… Do I remember what’s out there? I guess I do,
since I was just telling you about my time in LA. Although, how much of that is
still true and how much is muddled in my furry mind is something I can’t say. I
just know that it felt like I lived through it, all the fear and days
spent hiding near garbage cans… I do think it happened, so I guess
that’s proof enough. Maybe. Regardless, I do indeed enjoy this position.
Having my body massaged so lavishly while I contemplate the fate of existence
and what may lay outside this gate in front of me. It’s a nice thing, really. I
mean, of course that anxiety about maybe getting mauled to death by this
human is still there, lingering and leaving droplets everywhere in my mind.
It’s really freaking annoying! The funny thing is, I don’t know if I care as
much about that fear right now. Maybe it’s the euphoria of how well this kid can stroke, but I really am enjoying
this. I really am! … Okay, I’ve decided. If I am to truly stay here and live my life out
in this cat lounge, then I am happy to do so. This is why: I guess this feeling is what the other
cats were trying to say when they talked about finding a real family. Maybe I
won’t get taken home by this human, but even so, I’m starting to get that
thought again. It’s really powerful in my mind now, and I don’t think it’s just
superfluous fluff or anything. The idea that maybe, just perhaps, a
family of nice humans isn’t too much of a stretch? I’ve seen some other cats get all excited about
some humans who would come visit them habitually, and then the cats would one
day be gone. “I’m finally gonna have a good life, guys!” is what they
would say before they go. A good life? I was so confused before. If we were all
living here in the lounge, with just our fellow cats around (mostly),
then why did we need to instead live with a bunch of long-legged humans? I guess this is what those cats were
trying to say. This: Perhaps if this is what I can hope for,
then perhaps I can give some more humans a better chance. I mean, they still
can’t smother the breath out of me whenever they want, but we can work on those
things. I think for now, I’ll try to find more humans who can be like this one.
Quiet, kind, patient, and caring. I like that word, “caring”. It’s a sweet kind
of deal, ya know? I think I remember feeling some sort of caring back when I
was a small, tiny kitten. Back when I had a family of my own, I guess… But now, maybe that can happen again? I dunno,
who knows. Could be the euphoria of the strokes talking again, but oh well. It feels
right, ok? It just does. Feels like if this moment could be real, then some
other moments could be too. In some way, shape, or form. Does that make any
sense? Maybe not. I have no clue what this kid is even doing this for. I
can hope that he wants to love me forever, but who knows. Who freaking knows! … I think I’m done writing this. I’ll give this
writing device to another cat at some point. I just want to end with this quote
that I remember hearing from a cat a few days ago. I think it fits in this
moment. They said something like, “All that stuff you want? It can happen. Even if
it won’t be now, or later, or later later, or later later later, it will happen.
All we gotta do is persist.” Who said that? No clue. I don’t even care. Same
as it is during my time with this human right now, actually. I just like it! FIN (NOTE: The cat named
Play-Doh, as depicted in this story, is based on a real cat that, at the time
of writing this, is living at the La Jolla Cat Lounge and Rescue Center. She is
available for adoption at the time of this writing. The characterized version
of her in this story is NOT meant to be wholly representative of her real-life
personality and history. The images were taken by me. The La Jolla Cat Lounge
and Rescue Center staff gave their explicit permission allowing me to publish
this story with the images included. Please support the La Jolla Cat Lounge and
Rescue Center by visiting their website here: https://thecatlounge.org/home
. Thank you!) © 2024 Connor Shane |
Stats
25 Views
Added on July 4, 2024 Last Updated on July 8, 2024 Tags: Cat, Love, Fear, Anxiety, Connection, Family, Friendship Author![]() Connor ShaneSan Diego, CAAboutConnor Shane is a big writer and reader, but can’t help gaming every now and then. Besides school, his main hobby is writing, such as longer short stories, poems, and flash fiction. Other than w.. more..Writing
|