Every Cat Has A Story: True Stories Exploring the Spiritual Connection of Felines with Their Beloved Owners. Jasmine Kinnear
stories over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the synchronicity which compels them to enter my life. I’ve confided to my husband that when a story touches my heart, as did The Cat in the Woods, then I hold on to the memory for all time.
I hope to use the other stories gathered over the years in the second volume of Every Cat Has A Story. It was not from a lack of interest or importance, but rather due to space restrictions which my publisher deemed necessary for this volume. Therefore this is just the beginning. The first 16 stories within this volume vary from my personal experiences to those submitted by writers in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
I have been delighted with the quality of stories submitted by other writers. Reading Nick L. Sacco’s story about the Blue Angel, I’m left with a lump in my throat and a desire to know more about this gentleman. I sense his life’s travels have provided him with a compassion not always accessible in every man. I would enjoy reading more of his experiences and other stories that have inspired him in his journey through life.
Recently pet owners were dealt a severe emotional blow of possibly purchasing and feeding tainted food to their pets. I too worried through the pet food scare and researched every morsel my cats consumed during the period of contamination. In reading the story True Reflections, I understood the need which compelled Sande Kay to share her own personally intimate True reflections.
Just as we are all born uniquely different, so are the felines that enter our lives. There are a thousand intimate moments which create the loving bond that exists between a cat and their person. Whether that feline is introduced as a small kitten or adopted as an adult, there are lessons to be learned by both as the relationship evolves. Time plays a great factor when bonding, as some relationships will simply taking longer than others. In circumstances of Universal intervention, it’s the cat who displays great excitement of an instantaneous recognition when first encountering their new owner. Each relationship is an exceptional experience and as the stories in this book demonstrate, forms a spiritual bond between a cat and their person. In Mia and Catherine’s story this became their experience as they reconnected in Finding Karma at the SPCA.
Discovering the idiosyncratic nature of your feline’s personality is one of the more endearing aspects of a new relationship. The lessons of love coupled with the individuality of your union are distinctively personal. My kitten Caterina and I may have experienced a delay in bonding, but I will be eternally grateful for the Universal intervention which enabled our paths to cross. Upon our first meeting we failed to recognize each other, but to my great fortune she was simply the last Seal Point Himalayan female available in her breeder’s cattery. As the years passed though, I have accepted this precious girl to be an extension of myself in the form of a cat; for we grew to understand each other intimately and she will forever remain my Feline Soul Mate.
Some stories required hours of interviews, with days and weeks to complete them. Great care has been taken to ensure that I was respecting the unique bond shared between an owner and their cat. As these stories have originated from all over the world, to alter a phrase I believe would also alter the integrity of the story. Therefore whenever possible I have attempted to maintain the dialect of the cat owner because I believe much would be lost should their story not be written using their own words.
Readers have asked which of my personality traits best contributes to my writing. The answer is obvious, especially for those who know me well. “It’s my sensitivity,” I will respond, however I then feel compelled to admit that unfortunately that same sensitivity is also my greatest obstacle to overcome while writing. One roommate sadly confided that my preferences in both literature and movies were simply too heart warming for her tastes. The fact that she said this with the same expression as one sucking on a sour lemon was food for thought. Nevertheless to thine own self be true, for this is the essence of who I truly am.
You will also find a multitude of compelling cat quotes scattered throughout these pages. Emma, as featured in The Mysterious Miss Kitty, once gave me a small desk calendar filled with cat pictures and quotes. Until that time I wasn’t aware of the many cat quotes that had been written by the famous and yet to be famous ailurophiles. As there are surely other feline lovers who have yet to be exposed to these wonderful quotes, they have been placed throughout this book when the words met the intention of the story. One particular favourite quote of mine is:
Cats won’t lie on a book that isn’t well written.- Harold Weiss
I will never claim to have written a book that is completely free from grammatical errors; however this is a book that honours all cats. One reviewer, upon reading my first book, went so far as to claim that my love for cats “seeps through the pages.” I was grateful for her insight for she identified the essence which is my personal truth and may become evident to you as the reader of these pages.
Therefore should your cat select this book to rest upon, I will then consider it a great compliment. For although it may not be due to my writing ability, possibly your cat will sense that a profound affection for felines resides within, and indeed seeps through the pages. My hope is that you will enjoy these stories, and may that enjoyment compensate grammatically for whatever may be missing.
Perhaps cats and writers simply go together because the cat is the perfect companion for the solitary, sedentary artist.- Linda Sunshine
The Blue Angel & Her Garden of Pets
- by Nick L. Sacco
Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives. - Albert Schweitzer
As volunteers with a cat rescue group, my wife and I have often shared our most celebrated success stories with others. An abandoned litter saved, a kitten finds the perfect “forever home,” another nursed back to health from the brink of death.
Unfortunately, along with the many stories of success there are all too many stories of sadness. Sick cats left on a doorstep with little chance of survival, pets who have served much of their lives giving unconditional love only to be abandoned in shelters and on the streets, innocent unwanted creatures abused and neglected in innumerable and unfathomable ways. We watch too many of these broken hearted cats simply pine away and die; sad, alone, confused, wondering what they have done to deserve this fate.
A particular story comes to mind that is at once sad and inspiring. We had taken in an abandoned mother and her sick kittens that were no more than three weeks old. Despite our best efforts, within three days two of the three had died and by the third evening we knew the same inevitable fate would claim the last. Though serving my country as a Marine coupled with a career in law enforcement has toughened me in many ways, I tend to be a soft hearted person when it comes to these moments and I take the death of every kitten probably even harder than my wife who fights so hard to save them.
Late that night as I watched this kitten lie there nearly motionless in its cage, clinging to the last bit of life, I could just not bear the thought that this kitten would leave this world alone. I wrapped the dying kitten in something warm and cozy, and carried this precious baby up to bed with me and, keeping it cupped in my arm, lay down with it. The next hour seemed like an eternity as I prayed silently in the dark, listening to the baby struggle and fight for life, jerking every so often and letting out with a small, sad meow. I knew its life was ebbing away as these little gasps at life became fainter and weaker. In my prayers I repeatedly asked God, “What happens to the kittens when they die?” As a Christian I understand the concept of salvation and heaven, but I had to wonder about these innocents? What happens to them? Where do they go? What awaits them?
During my vigil of prayers, still holding this nearly lifeless kitten, I drifted off to peaceful slumber surrounded by my thoughts and prayers. I awoke sadly, immediately sensing the kitten was gone, but still feeling a presence of sorts filling the room. As I sat up and allowed my eyes to focus I was surprised to see a woman standing near me at the foot of my bed.