Cats & Daughters by Helen Brown
Author:Helen Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Citadel Press
Published: 2013-03-25T16:00:00+00:00
Dysfunction
A taste of liberty is better than none.
“He eats rubber bands? And merino wool?” said Vivienne.
Jonah arched his back sensually as she ran her hand over his spine. She was the first female visitor he’d really approved of. Watching how she handled him, allowing him to make the advances and give affection on his own terms, I liked her even more than the first time we’d met. Her hair was dyed purple and scraped back in a ponytail—not a look that would suit many women over thirty-five, but purple was her color, and a perfect match for her brown eyes. There was softness in those eyes, especially when discussing animals—a sparkle of humor, too.
“He likes alpaca wool as well, but more for sleeping on than eating,” I replied. “Though come to think of it, he did chew holes in my alpaca cardigan.”
“That’s pica,” said Vivienne.
“Like what pregnant women get when they want to eat lumps of coal and stuff?”
Vivienne nodded.
Uncertain I could trust her diagnosis, I asked if she had a cat. Her eyes lit up. She had nine.
“Nine?!“ I echoed, barely able to conceal the fact that my opinion of Vivienne had just changed from “unusual” to “mad cat lady.” I’d seen a television program about women who couldn’t stop collecting cats. It’s a psychological disorder.
She asked if I’d like to see photos. While I had no desire to inspect pictures of poor mangy things clambering all over her house, I didn’t want to cause offense. Vivienne reached into her surprisingly organized purple handbag to retrieve a pocket-sized photo album.
“These are your cats?” I asked, turning page after page of glossy coated, well-fed felines. Every one of them was a supreme example of a loved and pampered animal. “How do you do it?”
“Not always easily,” Vivienne laughed. “They’re all rescue animals. Zoe was left on the side of the road when she was a kitten. Igor lost one eye and his owners didn’t want him anymore. Sally was abused. They’ve all had a rough time.”
I felt humbled. Any frustrations we had wrestling with one cat’s lion-sized ego evaporated alongside the challenges of nine live-in felines. Vivienne might be mad about cats, but she was no mad cat lady. No wonder she hadn’t been perturbed when asked if she thought she could look after Jonah and Ferdie at our place for the wedding weekend.
Intrigued, I poured Vivienne a glass of wine and delved discreetly into her background. Not only was she a qualified cat behaviorist, she was an animal activist. Having never met someone who fought for animal rights before, I realized my prejudices were just as inaccurate as they’d been about mad cat ladies. I’d always imagined animal activists were on the loony side. But when I learned about the work Vivienne and her friends did, I was abashed.
One of Vivienne’s friends had recently received a tip-off that the council was planning to trap some wild cats in an old bus depot and take them away to be destroyed.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Breeds | Care & Health |
Training |
Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard(2630)
Grumpy Cat by Grumpy Cat(2464)
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle(2369)
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith(2340)
Tippi by Tippi Hedren(2092)
End of Days by Sylvia Browne(2047)
Total Cat Mojo by Jackson Galaxy(1915)
Backyard Chickens Beyond the Basics by Pam Freeman(1849)
The Animals Among Us by John Bradshaw(1751)
The Ultimate Pet Health Guide by Gary Richter(1680)
Vet in Harness by James Herriot(1610)
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot(1610)
Doggy Desserts: 125 Homemade Treats for Happy, Healthy Dogs by Cheryl Gianfrancesco(1588)
Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan(1582)
Dog Years by Mark Doty(1568)
Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover's Soul by Jack Canfield(1548)
Walking with Peety by Eric O'Grey(1503)
Dog Training 101 by Kyra Sundance(1503)
Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds by D. Caroline Coile Ph.D(1388)
