amStrand:catstory

unless cats pass out & recover from oblivious unconsciousness like humans do, the black street tom is dead. i'm

not 100% certain yet, because i stopped short of prodding the prone,
still body... i was at the end of a good if draining, sweltering 50-minute run when i found him, & i jogged in

place at close proximity & gave a couple of shouts...
this is the third feline companion i've lost in a year: putxo disappeared as holiday season approached in 2001-

just about a year ago, actually; txori ran away as i tried to carry her
from my car on the last few steps to what was to be her first visit to the vet- last may if i remember right...
this nameless prowler- i would address him sometimes as 'negro', sometimes 'feo' or 'flaco'- had originally

started coming by to court txori & steal her food. sometime after txori's flight, el 'flaco' turned up again,

begging in a penetrating, high-pitched fake-kitten whine.
having a fair deal of catfood left & figuring a cat's presence would at least keep the threat of mouse & rat

infestation- always a concern- at bay, i fed the guy...
he was something of a nasty piece of work- sometimes giving my hand a few gouges even as i'd finish laying food

out for him...schizoid street dude...
cut to the chase: seems somebody buried him under a mound of sandy soil right where he fell, & my neighbor

confirmed he had stumbled on the lifeless body, so that's that...
strange thing, dr.dad's own long-haired black tom- 'lucho'- got into a serious scrape right about that time. he

only survived after massive doses of antibiotics: an infection got into his ear canal & his balance seems to

have been permanently impared & his head now lists to
one side- his handsome looks damaged, his self-possession & proud bearing gone...
a little sad...jeanette th cat healer- dr.dad's friend- has ended up taking him under her
wing (??) -of course, it was thru her auspices that lucho first came to keep dr.dad
company right about th same time that ulda & javier brought putxo to the beach house...
& so/this is christmas...war is over/if you want it, to quote th late lennon...
...to all a good night- the very best in th new year & huggyhugs-
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