The neighborhood cat has taken up residence on or near my deck. That had been going on for months – long enough that he seemed to deserve a name – Tommy. Weeks, maybe even moths later, we began seeing a smaller edition of Tommy. She (he?) would maintain her distance but knew when to come around for food.
I had been feeding supper table scraps to unknown animals under a tree at the end of the house. I never saw the animal but the food always disappeared overnight. Finally, I surprised the wildlife and saw, not wildlife in terms of raccoons or others, but a cat. That was Tommy’s first showing of himself.
Now, months later, I no longer feed the wildlife under the tree, but Tommy makes himself at home on or near the deck and is faithfully fed at sometime during the day. This is not my doing, but my roommate’s. She began buying cat food at the store. At first, it was dry food but then it escalated to canned cat food. Tommy was thriving.
Then, we began to see two cats! Neighborhood cats, you understand. Nobody seems to lay claim to them. The second appears to be younger, smaller, but carries some of the same physical traits as Tommy – his offspring, no doubt.
That cat also got a name – Tippy – since his markings include his pretty soft gray coat with about an inch of orange tiger on the tip of his tail.
One day, I mentioned that Tippy was getting fat. Then in a couple of days, “he” didn’t seem to be so fat any more. How naive can one person be? Still, it was probably three weeks before he (oh, no, she!) brought her three kittens out from under the deck to be introduced and admired. So now there is a whole family.
So far the “outside only” rule stands. Though Tommy does scoot in on occasion when he is on the deck when I come home carrying groceries. He quickly checks Bebe’s food dish for any leftovers and is willing to go back outside.
Now, I have nothing against cats! In fact, I usually look at the deck first thing in the morning to see if they are there. But they must stay outside. We’ve had our problems with indoor cats! No more!
It’s interesting that our heavenly Father provides for the animals’ needs just as he does for us. Sometimes, I keep Him so busy I wonder how He has time for any one else, but He cares for each and every one of us and the animals, too!
What a God we serve! If you don’t know Him yet, there’s no better time than right now. Just open your heart’s door and invite Him in. He is eagerly awaiting your invitation.
