A CAT NAMED BOOTS essay

Returning from holidays, our neighbor said, “Bad news, Boots was killed by a car this morning. He’s on my porch.”

“Oh…No,” my wife and I answered. Our one-year old cat, faithful companion to our seven-year old feline, JC. Gone.

“JC’S fine, been moping since her pal got hit.”

Boots always teased JC, especially when she tried to sleep. Often he rushed to JC’s food dish like a football player, using her litter box, even wrestling away the best spot beside me on the bed at night. My wife chuckled at how those cats fought over me.

We’re sure Boots knew JC loved the attention. Boots shared JC’s rug by the fireplace, even though he kept closer to the warmth. But he did acknowledge JC as the leader.

He allowed her to lounge on the higher stairwell step. He even followed her along trails in our three-acre backyard.

One day, with urgency in her meowing, JC led us into the woods then stared up. There was Boots on the tallest branch, swaying like a kite. After climbing down my ladder with him cradled in my arm, Boots quickly leaped free and headed off for new adventures.

My wife and I buried Boots at the base of that same tree, his spirit released to roam the woods he loved. JC continued to take it hard, losing her young friend so suddenly. No, Boots was more like a son to the older cat.

For about two weeks, JC often lay across the mound of dirt, which was Boot’s resting place. We never did coax her away.

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(c) Richard L. Provencher 2007
All Rights Reserved

Richard & Esther Provencher invite you to visit the URL below, re three books co-written during the first several years while Richard was recovering from a stroke, which felled him in 1999. He is still recovering.

URL for Richard L. Provencher
http://writers.ns.ca/Writers/rprovencher.html