Member-only story
My Cat Loved My Dog
But then, Everyone Did
Not a Barn Cat
About three years ago, we got a call from our friend, the farm lady.
“Would y’all like a cat?” she asked. “She desperately wants to be a house cat.”
The lady ran a local organic farm with her family. They also rescued feral cats.
The strays would be spayed or neutered, given their shots, and given shelter in the barn. They would nest in the loose hay. Every morning the farm lady’s children would fill their food and water bowls.
Most of the rescued cats were content. Born wild, they were aloof. Some deigned to be petted. A few sought human contact but only to the extent of a quick rub against a leg. For the most part these cats wanted to be left alone.
Opal is different.
The farm lady’s daughters had named her for a gemstone because she is pretty. She’s got crystal clear ice green eyes and soft, plush fur striped in gray, rust and cream.
She’s also extremely people oriented, which is rare in a feral cat.
