Family
PAWPRINTS ON MY HEART.
“Mummy have you phoned Cat Care yet?” Mandy asked.
“Yes I have and Lynda has a kitten.”
“That’s great” replied Mandy excitedly.
Her beloved Sammy had died a few months before and the time had come for her to get another cat. I have always loved animals, but dogs were my thing. We always had cats around but I found them aloof and preferred the inaction I had with my dogs.
Saturday finally arrived and off we went to get the kitten. Mandy fell in love with her instantly. The drive home was a nightmare as she protested the whole way. We named her Chloe. When we arrived home, I was a bit wary of the dog’s reaction. We needed to be careful.
Captain, the German shepherd, was the alpha dog in the house. He ruled supreme. Sheba, the collie, was his obedient slave. I knew she would be fine. Captain ran up to greet us, stopping short when he saw Chloe in Mandy’s arms. Chloe took one look, hissed and spat at him. Completely taken by surprise he advanced towards her. That was it. She put out her claws and scratched him in the face. Yelping he retreated!
Chloe ruled the house from day one. She loved Mandy with a passion but when Mandy went off to work she would seek me out.
Captain and Sheba were always at my side so the three of them became firm friends.
She loved being with Captain, who became like putty in her paws. It was amazing to watch this huge dog with this tiny kitten. She imitated the way he slept, and would lie alongside him stretched out in full. He could lick her, swat her with his paw and she would come back for more. The sweetest thing was to see her fast asleep in his paws. It was very touching seeing his huge head and her tiny body.
One morning I heard a terrible commotion outside. Captain and Sheba were barking like crazy. I ran downstairs and into our garden. There was Chloe stuck at the top of a tree. There was a strong westerly wind blowing. The tree was swaying with her clinging on for dear life, meowing pitifully.
I grabbed the swimming pool net to try to catch her. Captain and Sheba stood by barking encouragement.
‘Come on jump. You can do it’ they barked in unison.
‘Help me’ she screeched back at them.
‘Jump, mother will get you’ they barked back.
“Chloe come” I pleaded.
Finally she did and all was well.
When we moved homes Chloe loved her new surroundings. The bush and riverfront were her domain. She would go and hunt in the bushes, then come in through our window leaving muddy paw prints all over my cream duvet! Same thing at night, I considered getting a black duvet. When the dogs and I went for a walk she would sneak along, hiding in the bushes. All I could see was the tip of her tail sticking out. Her best was cooked hake. She could be anywhere in the garden or the bush, but would know as soon as I started cooking her fish.
Their best time of the day was late afternoon when I played ball with the three of them. Chloe would hear us with the ball and race to join in. To watch them play was awesome. She always got the better of the dogs. What cat doesn’t?
Slowly this little lady crept into my heart. Her zest for life and her love for the dogs had to be seen to be believed. I often think she
thought of herself as a dog. She was totally fearless, even surviving an electric shock from a neighbour’s fence.
Sadly when she was two and a half she died. We were aware that she had the leukemia virus but thought she had longer than she did. Our vet tried everything possible to save her, yet this was one fight she couldn’t win. Mandy was devastated, yet I was unprepared for how it would affect the dogs and me. They refused to play ball for a week looking under all the bushes in our garden for her. On walks they looked in the bushes expecting her to run out. Watching
their searching saddened me more.
Chloe, you were special. I loved you deeply, not only did you leave paw prints on my duvet, but also all over my heart.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
Lovely and touching story. I like particularly the way you described Chloe's behavior and her moments of sweet rest in Captain's paws. Your description is very vivid and I can imagine the touching scene of the huge head and the tiny body.
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 1521 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Norma-Anne Hough or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 1521 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.