Blogging from A to Z: Grace

Grace comes to us in many forms. Several years ago, a small gray and white cat showed up at our door with three kittens. She was barely larger than her kittens and I was surprised she was a momma cat. She was obviously putting everything she had into raising her kittens.

I put food and water out and this enabled her to wean her babies. She showed up like clockwork for breakfast and dinner. Although she didn’t let me pet her, she started communicating with me through “meows” and body language. She’d become playful after dinner, chasing grasshoppers and rolling over on her back. One day she arrived with just two kittens. I hoped that the neighborhood fox or coyotes hadn’t gotten one. There was little I could do as the kittens were even more afraid of humans then their mom. I named her Gracie because her visits added warmth and joy to my day. I also felt she had shown up at our home because she needed a little grace, too. She’d obviously had a hard life.

I went out to my car to go to work one morning and Gracie was waiting for me. She was very vocal and kept looking at me and then walking a few steps down the driveway. When I didn’t follow, she’d repeat her actions. I put my purse in the car and walked down the driveway. When I stopped at the end of the driveway, she started meowing and walking down the gravel drive, leading to the street, and rental houses. I followed.

She stopped at the first rental house. She stood outside the garage door and meowed. I hadn’t met these new neighbors and 7:30 in the morning was probably not the best time for introductions, but I couldn’t leave Gracie in distress. I wondered if one of her kittens had gotten trapped in the neighbor’s garage. I rang the front door bell. A woman answered and she was verbally impaired so it took a few minutes for us to communicate. At one point she held her finger up and went to get her husband.

He came to the door in his pajama bottoms and tousled hair. I apologized for waking him. I introduced myself and asked if he would mind opening his garage door, as I feared that one of Gracie’s kittens was trapped (Gracie was sitting on the sidewalk so it wasn’t completely farfetched). The guy looked at me as if I was a loon but agreed. After about 10 minutes of coaxing, and Gracie finally entering the garage, out came a black and white kitten from unpacked boxes and lawn equipment. They exited together and I thanked the man for being so nice.

Gracie continued to bring her kittens by for meals and one day appeared by herself. I wanted to get her spayed so she wouldn’t have more kittens so I borrowed a metal cage, put it on the porch and began putting her food in it. On my day off, my husband, Joe, came in to wake me up with, “I have a surprise for you!” He had captured Gracie and I was able to take her to the vet. She had never been handled so I can only imagine how they got her anesthetized but she came home to recuperate in our guest bedroom.

Gracie at home.

I thoroughly intended to put her back outside but my heart had other ideas. She has become a family member and although I still can’t pick her up, she loves to be brushed, likes treats and will let me pet her, if she’s in the mood. Ollie and Tike like having a girl kitty to adore them and she’s happy finding a nice spot of sunshine to lie in during the day.

Joe and I somewhat jokingly say that if we ever sell our house, that Gracie needs to be part of the contract. I have no idea how we’d ever get her into a carrier to move with us. Thank goodness she’s been healthy and never had to go to the vet after she was spayed.