left-behind feline.

So there's this apartment in my complex, it's on the first floor right next to the stairs that go up to the tennis courts which lead to the pool, etc. - a path often traveled. This apartment was particularly interesting because of how well they had decorated their quaint little patio with plants, outdoor storage, weird iron wall plaques, etc. Not only this but they had 3 cats and a big golden retriever, all stuffed into one small apartment. It was these animals that I'd always see passing by on my way to the gym, sometimes one cat in particular was out - a orange tabby cat - and it would meow at me sometimes and I'd pat it's head and continue on my way. These cats were free spirits, they did what they wanted.

Then one day I went to the gym and the wall plaques and elaborate storage devices were gone. The family of pets had moved out. My heart sank a little, but rested assured that they had moved onto bigger and better things.
And it was later in this same day that as I was getting out of my car just home from work I noticed a orange tabby cat sitting on those stairs that lead to the gym. The cat looked at me and meowed super loud multiple times. I thought, 'Could it be that this family of pets has left one lonely cat behind because he was out and about and missed the moving process all together??' I walked over to pet it and it sort of shunned away from me. This made me think this was not the same cat I had grown to love all those gym-filled mornings and I continued on my way. I told Robert about my encounter and that I thought I should leave some tuna out or something but he didn't believe it could be the same cat, and the more we talked about it, so did I.

Until within one week I saw that same loud meowing cat about eight times...and soon I started seeing cat food piles hidden in bush corners or at the top of the stairs. It seemed I wasn't the only one who thought this cat was alone and most likely starving. I felt satisfied in other's achievements of sparing some cat food for this left-behind feline.

I hadn't seen the cat in a while until this morning as I was walking to the parking garage. It trotted by me with a dead mouse hanging from it's jaw, the cat looked skinny and ramped, but still friendly somehow. He walked right past me like something out of a movie, like we were the same him and I. And I couldn't help but chuckle to myself and think, good for him.

the end.