Another Cat That I Have Loved

I've said for a time that I had 2 and a half, or 3 and a half cats. How does one have a half of a cat? (sounds gross to me)

Max was a big black cat that actually belonged to my across-the-street neighbors. But he spent plenty time at my house, even sleeping many nights on my couch. Hence, the half of a cat, he was a half-time resident.

When my family moved into the house and got our own cat we started having cat visitors, namely the big black cat whom we called for at least a year "Black Kitty". He would show up in the back yard to eat Spicey's food. He would bully her away from it and clean out the bowl. After watching that for a time I decided to do something, so I collected a few small pebbles and waited. When he boldly started to eat Spicey's food (with me a mere 6' away) I tossed a pebble toward him. I meant to bounce it in front of him but it ended up smacking him right between the eyes!

As much as I regretted doing that it worked. He would come and if Spicey was eating he sat and waited for her to finish, then went in to clean up the leftovers. He had become a gentleman!

Soon we learned that he belonged to the people across the street and that his name was Max.

Max crept into our lives stealthily, even my animal-hater ex-husband learned to love Max.

Every morning after cleaning up some kibble he would go out into the woods and hunt. He was good at it, he nearly always came trotting back with a fairly large critter, bigger than a rat even. I don't know what they were but apparently they're plentiful. Once I was working in a garden and Max brought his catch near me and proceeded to devour it within my earshot. The crunching and ripping sounds were disturbing but when he was done and I went to clean up the leftovers I was relieved to find none, he cleaned up every bit of it! Another day he evidently took his catch home as a gift for mom. I heard her as she approached her front door with Max right there on the front porch, proudly holding up his thick, short tail, waiting for the door to open when she shrieked "Oh, Max!"

I like to have company during the nice weather. Max realized this and would always take advantage of the extra bodies parking themselves around my yard. He would show up and meander. He would test people out, rubbing and observing. Then he would make a choice and jump in their lap! When a 15 pound, solid muscle, all black, cat decides he wants to sit in your lap - YOU OBEY! Actually, he was so endearing no one could turn him down.

Most cats have their odd food craving and his was as odd as they get. Corn on the cob. He wouldn't eat it as niblets, it had to be attached to the cob!

Shortly after 9/11 he came to visit me. I was sitting at my computer and he got in my lap, faced me, put his paws on my shoulders and proceeded to rub his face against my neck and chin until I was itchy. He was just loving me up and I loved being the focus of his affection.

That was the last time I saw Max.

A couple weeks later I was out in my yard raking leaves and the man of the house that paid Max's vet bills, Dave, came over to ask if I'd seen Max. I relented that I was afraid Max was gone for good. He told me that his family had searched the woods and found nothing. We talked about pictures, did we all have enough, we'd share if needed, we were co-owners after all, or is that we were co-owned? Anyway, I told him I cried every night, missing the sweet guy.

He said, the man of the house in a house composed of big macho males (and one female):

"Tell me about it"

Max was one in a million and knew how to spread his love.