Mostly they're non-approachable, long and lean, wary and suspicious of humans, gradually turning feral. A few of my neighbors regularly leave food out for them, some try and trap them, but on the whole their presence is accepted and ignored, just a small, sad part of the city landscape. Like the poor, they are always with us, throwaway animals that survive the traffic, the weather, the hunger, and even the owners who turn them out or leave them behind. If I could, I would feed, shelter and love them all - they've done nothing to be treated so cruelly.
As it happens, The Cat Who Lived in the Garage has not gone terribly far - the little dachshund is an intrepid escape artist and if I'm not watching carefully, will tunnel under the fence or squeeze through an impossibly small opening - as he did this afternoon when I turned my back to unload the washing machine. I tracked him to the adjoining yard and discovered him exploring my neighbor's back porch while a familiar grey and white cat observed him, unnoticed, from the safety of the back fence. She gave me a careless glance then without a sound, gracefully descended onto the yard and indifferently strolled past both of us and into the neighbor's utility shed. The little dachshund never had a clue and when I called, he trotted right to me, perfectly willing to give up his temporary adventure in favor of the promise of an early supper - he likes to escape and explore but shows no interest in wandering very far - even so, I scold him gently before blocking off his latest escape route. He pretends not to notice what I'm doing and I pretend that he won't do it again.
“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
Kurt Vonnegut
As it happens, The Cat Who Lived in the Garage has not gone terribly far - the little dachshund is an intrepid escape artist and if I'm not watching carefully, will tunnel under the fence or squeeze through an impossibly small opening - as he did this afternoon when I turned my back to unload the washing machine. I tracked him to the adjoining yard and discovered him exploring my neighbor's back porch while a familiar grey and white cat observed him, unnoticed, from the safety of the back fence. She gave me a careless glance then without a sound, gracefully descended onto the yard and indifferently strolled past both of us and into the neighbor's utility shed. The little dachshund never had a clue and when I called, he trotted right to me, perfectly willing to give up his temporary adventure in favor of the promise of an early supper - he likes to escape and explore but shows no interest in wandering very far - even so, I scold him gently before blocking off his latest escape route. He pretends not to notice what I'm doing and I pretend that he won't do it again.
“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
Kurt Vonnegut
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