The Stray Cats

Loss & Grief
Pets & Animal Companionship
Change & Transformation
Grandma Stella reminisces about the dwindling number of stray cats she’s been feeding over the years, until realizing they might have been poisoned. Distraught at their disappearance, she is overjoyed when one, Timolena, unexpectedly reappears on her back stoop one morning.
Author

Stella Tawfik-Cooperman

Published

January 26, 2020

There are a few stray cats that I have been feeding for years. I used to have about ten of them. During the past two years they dwindled down to two, Timolena and Angelique’s Baby.

Recently l noticed that the food I was putting out was not being eaten. I commented about that to someone, and she said that someone in the neighbourhood was putting poison out to get rid of the raccoons and killing the cats as well. I got upset. Each morning I would put out their food and call out their names. To no avail. I was sad and angry at whomever was killing the cats and raccoons. I would put out the food in the morning and bring it back in at night. Last night l brought the bowl and put it away.

This morning I was getting ready to leave. I opened the back, and there was Timolena sitting on the back stoop!

“Meow! Meow! I’m hungry! Did you forget me today?” she asked petulantly.

You never witnessed a happier pet mom.

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