Rescue Mission Update

Since I last wrote (On A Rescue Mission), I ventured out in my winter gear a few more times today to try to entice/coerce/rescue this wayward cat of ours. Keep in mind, I’m not sure it ever got above zero degrees here today. The worst part was the wind. It was raw. The only part of me exposed to the elements were my eyes. I tried a few more of my ideas, including offering her bacon (really, who doesn’t love bacon?), yet nothing seemed to work. As soon as she spotted me each time out, she would run away toward the evergreens. (I imagine how scary I looked, all bundled up with only my eyes showing! I probably would have run away too, if something like that was coming towards me!)

My neighbor, Virginia called after reading my post on Facebook, asking if we wanted to borrow their pet carrier. She had the great idea of putting tuna in it and once the cat would go inside, I could close the door and take her in the garage. I thought it was brilliant! I needed to make a trip to the post office this afternoon, so I stopped at Virginia’s house on my way in.

Returning from my trip to Virginia’s and the post office, I pulled the car back into the garage and noticed the litter box was getting a little full. I set my things down inside the house, and set up my tuna/pet carrier trap in back of the house. Back in the garage, I began to clean out the litter box. Something made me think to count the cats. I don’t know why, but as I was scooping out the box, I counted and recounted three times. I couldn’t believe it…there were 10 cats! (There were only 9 before.)

I couldn’t hold back the smile from my face. Here, all this time, I was doing what I thought I needed to do to get that cat inside and to save it’s life. Our wayward cat must have come in as I was either backing out of the garage or driving back in from my trip to the post office. And if you know me, I always seem to find some “spiritual significance” out of every situation. It would be just like God to allow it to happen this way. After all my praying and pleading with God, and the prayers of others today to help me get this cat in, He did…without any help from me. Sure, I opened up the garage door twice, but if the cat wouldn’t have been in the location to hear the door, it wouldn’t have come in. And if I wouldn’t have had two Mary Kay orders to mail, I wouldn’t have had any reason to open the garage door today. (I had to chuckle as I thought about the tuna still in the pet carrier behind our house. I’ve since brought it in and given the tuna to the 10 cats. Thanks, Virginia, for the great idea!)

Call it what you will, but I call this God answering the prayers of those who prayed for this little wayward cat…in His way, and in His timing.

And I couldn’t be more thankful. My heart is no longer burdened, and I’ll be able to sleep much more soundly tonight, knowing this cat is safe in the garage with the rest of the clan. (The picture to the right was taken last spring.)

It’s always quite an adventure with these farm cats of ours. I’m sure I’ll have another story involving them to tell again soon.