More Great Cat Stories by Roxanne Willems Snopek

Author:Roxanne Willems Snopek
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-926613-71-0
Publisher: Heritage House
Published: 2011-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

7

A Real Man’s Cat

“When you’re special to a cat, you’re special indeed . . . she brings to you the gift of her preference of you, the sight of you, the sound of your voice, the touch of your hand.”

–Lenora Fleischer

Deep in Alberta's east central farmland, 35 kilometres east of Edmonton, rests the little town of Ardrossan. The town boasts a colourful mix of those who make their living off the land as well as others who simply want to escape city life—professionals who are also hobby farmers, specialty livestock breeders, and woodworkers, office workers who ride rodeo or herd sheep on weekends. It’s tough country, filled with resilient people who take pride in their ability to roll with the punches of a rich land that rewards muscle power and sweat.

Dave and Liz Hargreaves lived on a small country acreage in Ardrossan, where Dave worked as a senior technology analyst who acquired and managed state-of-the-art computer systems for Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation. Dave’s daily life revolved around the technology with which the department maintained some 30,000 kilometres of provincial highways and over 137,000 kilometres of municipal roads. He dealt with everyone from politicians and corporate officials to farmers, ranchers, and construction workers. He knew about troubleshooting and problem solving. He understood the concrete, tangible aspects of day-to-day life. Then, in the fall of 1995, a certain little cat wandered into his life and introduced him to another side of himself.

“One warm October evening,” says Dave, “we were enjoying a hamburger supper on our patio when I looked over to see this face staring at me.” It was a stray cat, one they hadn’t seen before. She was a pretty, multicoloured cat with dainty white paws. She delicately picked her way toward them with movements as precise and graceful as a dancer’s and as Dave watched her, he felt something shift and stir inside him. Without even having touched her, he’d fallen under her spell.

Their own three cats, George, Torte, and Pussy Willows—a.k.a. PW—were not so enchanted. They immediately let the stranger know this was their territory and she was not welcome. But Dave and Liz, a palliative care nurse, felt sorry for her and suspected she was hungry. “We offered her some hamburger, but she shied away, because of the other cats,” he says. Finally, despite PW’s disgusted growls, she accepted a few bites of food. “I said, ‘I think this cat’s staying.’ Liz said, ‘I think so too.’”

But four cats? They already had more than enough cat hair in the house. What were they thinking? Their practical objections, however, couldn’t compete with the sense that this was a cat that belonged with them. “There was something about her that pulled at my heart,” admits Dave.

This was also a cat, however, who had learned the hard way to be cautious. After politely accepting the small meal, she deferred to the hostile glares coming from PW and disappeared into the night. Dave and Liz watched for her, secretly hoping she’d return, and a few days later she reappeared at the patio door.

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