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Cat Anecdotes

Cindy had a key to my apartment and could bypass the various security buzzers and phones and TV cameras most people had to go through to get into my building. So thirty minutes later, I heard my front door open. When I came out of the bedroom, Cindy was standing by the door, grinning happily.

I went to kiss her.

"No," she ordered. "Stop."

I stopped.

"I have something to show you."

"You do?"

She nodded.

"Do I have to go to the hallway to see it?"

"No," she said, still with the biggest grin I'd ever seen on her face. "Stay there. Close your eyes. I'll tell you when."

I stayed, I closed my eyes. I heard her "when" and opened them.

Cindy was holding a little ball of fur in her hand. One hand. It was so small, for a moment I thought she'd brought an extremely well-behaved mouse back from California.

But it wasn't a mouse.

It was a tiny, tiny gray kitten with a round head and funny-looking ears that folded forward and down. The kitten was sitting up in her palm, boldly swiveling his head around, gazing at all the sights in my loft apartment.

"You got yourself a cat?" I stammered weakly.

The kitten stopped swiveling his head, now stared directly into my eyes, and mewed. A quiet little mew right at me. And to this day I swear that he smiled.

"No," Cindy said. "He's not for me."

"Who's he for?" I asked quietly.

When she didn't answer, I said, again quite softly, "Cindy ? Who's the cat for?"

When she burst out crying, I had a vague suspicion I knew the answer to my question.

Peter Gethers, The Cat Who Went to Paris

One foggy night two vessels came into collision in the English Channel, and one of them rapidly filled and sank in consequence. The other ship, which was less injured and remained afloat, lowered boats immediately to save, if possible, some of the unfortunate crew of the lost vessel who were struggling in the waves. Having rescued, as they supposed, all the survivors of the wreck, the sailors returned with them to the ship. After they were safely aboard of her, they were astonished to hear, as if from some distance, the loud mewing of a cat. Amazed, they looked into each other's faces, wondering how a cat could possibly keep its head above water long enough to continue mewing in that doleful manner. But there was no mistake about its doing so; for louder, and yet louder, across the waves came the yells of the poor animal, as if imploring assistance. So puzzled were the ship's crew by sounds so unusual at sea, that some of them at length determined to lower a boat once more and row to the spot whence they seemed to come. Judge of their astonishment when they came upon a cat seated on the head of a floating human body, while it poured forth piteous cries! Poor puss and a man in an insensible condition were both speedily hauled into the boat, and afterwards received into the ship. The poor fellow had not been seen by the sailors who rowed about picking up drowning men after the collision, and but for the mewing of the cat he must inevitably have perished. She had clung to him and sat upon his head to save herself, and her cries of distress were the means of rescuing him from a watery grave. When he recovered consciousness, grateful indeed he must have felt to the animal to whom under God he owed his life.

from Pets and Playfellows by Mrs. Surr

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