“Kitty, Kitty mama” said Lucy, Jack and Rebecca’s daughter.
“That’s right sweetie, kitty. Which kitty do you want honey?” Rebecca cooed at her young toddler.
“Baby do you really think this is a good idea? Lucy’s barely two she doesn’t even know what’s going on.” Jack said hesitantly, glancing at all the felines perched in their thrones.
“Jack she’ll love it,” she reassured to her husband, “What about that one honey, he looks really sweet.”
“What do you think Lucy?” He asked his little girl with a smile.
“Kitty!!” Lucy shrieked with excitement.
“Have you found a furry friend you’d like to take home?” asked an enthusiastic employee.
“We sure have,” Rebecca beamed, “This handsome fella right here, Sebastian.”
“Perfect! We’ll get him all set up to go, have you sign some papers and you’ll be good to go.” He said with a smile and disappeared into the cat filled room. As he reappeared he held a fluffy, orange and white cat to show to the interested family.
“He’s just darling!” Rebecca said as she softly pet his back
“Kitty!” said whined, reaching up to touch Sebastian.
“She wants to touch the kitty baby, help her up.” Rebecca said to Jack. Jack lifted her up.
“No going back now,” Jack joked to his wife, “She’s hooked on this cat.”
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Day 1: The tall, fleshy, hairless creatures have taken me from me people and placed me in a new environment. I scanned my perimeter and cannot locate any efficient way to escape, I can only assume this is some sort of prison but the accommodations seem fairly adequate so I shall make the best of the situation until freedom is opportune. These beings are always hovering over me, I am constantly under surveillance and occasionally they try to touch me but luckily I manage to evade any tactic they attempt to use upon me. Looking on the brighter side they allow me roam around this giant box and lay on almost anything. In such circumstances I find sleeping helps the time pass but there is a small creature very similar to the tall ones, I’m assuming a form of offspring that wails and screams consistently; a maddening form of torture indeed. As the light of the sun fades so does my hope but I cannot give up, I shall see my people again and we will all be free.
Day 30: The creatures have branded me with some sort of identification; they force me to wear an object around my neck that jingles incessantly as I stalk around. All sense of surprise and mystery in my actions are now gone, I wonder what else is to come. The meals they serve are the same each time, a bland mushy mixture that smells of my own vomit but it is an adequate form of nourishment for now. I shall continue to consume it in fear of having all rations taken away if I do not. At night the tall beings are inactive which gives me an opportunity to explore every crack of my enormous cell to abscond this place of confinement. I don't know why but every so often the Captors will deliberately annoy me with an assortment of strange dangling objects that they wave about in front of me. When I reach out for them they snatch them away, what sort of behavior is that? My situation could be much worse I must admit, my kidnappers seem fair tempered and haven’t reprimanded me yet for my defecation on the floors. Although they did try to bathe me in the most ungodly manner, I’m perfectly capable of bathing myself from here on. As of right now all is well and I shall continue to survive in my predicament.
Day 165: The little one whom they call Lucy is very affectionate and sometimes unintentionally cruel. I do not know how to communicate to it that the yanking of my tail does not feel pleasant, I have tried the biting method but I was scorned with the wet mist in my face. Today has been mainly devoted to working out what on earth the box full of grey gravel is, that has been left very close to my food in the room with all of the white machines. If it is what I think it is, and for the moment I think I will keep my thoughts to myself, then it could be described as being ‘too’ close to my food, but that thought is too terrible to think. This confinement is infuriating, so much so that a squirrel on the outer world has taken a habit to taunting me from a far. So close but yet so far behind that invisible shield that stand between me and freedom. Escape seems futile anymore; I am destined to be here until the end of my days. What have I done to be taken to this place?
Day 395: What am I? I thought Jack, Rebecca and Lucy were my wardens and I was a prisoner but they are always kind and loving. They let me lounge where ever I please and treat me with food that does not come from my bowl for no reason. I don’t know why I am here or what I am to them. I am so very confused because I am increasingly growing fonder of them, I even let them caress my fur and hold me without struggle to avoid their touch. They let me into the outside world to roam by their side, escape has crossed my mind but it seems unnecessary. The more I am around them the happier I am to have ended up in this place, this home. They had taken me from the cynical world of feline and embraced me into their family. Was I imprisoned or was I actually saved?
Day 625: I am home where I belong. Jack and Rebecca loved me and cherished me for so long; I no longer have to wonder why I am here. I am here simply because they wanted to love me and in time I have come to realize that love is what I needed. Love is what every creature needs. I have seen Lucy grow up in more way than I could ever have imagined, I love her so much. I love them all so much. How could I have ever known a life before this home, before this family? What would have become of me had they not taken me in with such open arms?
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Twelve years later Sebastian lay on the table, wrapped in his favorite blanket taking in slow shallow breaths. He looked up at his family who gently stroked his fur with love.
“I’m afraid he doesn’t have much time left… I’m sorry. We’ll try to make him as comfortable as possible but there’s nothing more we can do for him…” the somber veterinarian said to Jack who held onto his wife and daughter. Tears flooded from Lucy’s eyes as the man excused himself from the room so they could say their goodbyes.
Don’t cry Lucy… Please don’t cry… Everything going to be okay… Sebastian thought. Slowly Lucy kneeled down next to the table upon which her oldest friend laid. Rebecca and Jack stood holding each other, tears freely flowing down their aged cheeks.
“Oh Sebastian, it can’t be your time to go yet… Who’s going to be there to cuddle with me at night? Whose wet nose is going to wake me up in the morning?” Lucy said brokenly.
Oh Lucy… I’m so sorry… Sebastian looked at his family then and wished so badly that he could tell them how much he loved them, how grateful he was to have been a part of their family. He looked into Lucy’s tear filled eyes and realized she already knew, they all knew how much they meant to him and in that moment he realized how much he meant to them.
“We love you buddy…” Rebecca wept burying her face in Jacks shoulder. The doctor came back in with a syringe full of liquid.
“Is it going to hurt when he…” Jack whispered painfully.
“No, he’ll just slip away he won’t be in any pain.” the vet explained. Jack nodded as the vet approached Lucy and Sebastian.
“It’s his time sweetheart… it’ll be alright.” the vet reassured. Lucy gingerly planted a kiss on top of Sebastian’s head and started to stand.
“Goodbye kitty…” she whispered achingly and walked toward her parents. Sebastian looked at his family one last time and felt the pain subside in his heart.
Thank you… he thought as he slipped away filled with peace, gratitude and eternal love.