Chapter 1 - THE HUMAN ELEMENT
A Strange Thing Happened on the Way to Julian
Date: Saturday, November 6
From: Cathy C. To: All My Friends
The last three days have been a struggle. So much loss. I felt as if I got hit by a car and some part of me got severed. And then a very strange thing happened yesterday. As you 
know, we are dog people. I have never had a cat nor have I ever wanted one, especially with a dog.
The caretaker on our property, a lovely Hispanic man, has a nine year old daughter that had four kittens, now four months old. I worried about them because they were outside and not even named. In their culture, as far as animals are concerned, they believe in the wisdom of nature. As an animal nut that is not okay. So I bought an insulated little place for them to sleep in, tuna fish and canned food and milk, and went to look out for the kitties every week end. Last week we decided to give them a name as it seemed so strange that the little girl hadn't even named them. They were all Kitty. We discovered there were three girls and a boy. The boy became Henry and the girls had other softer names.
Henry was a bold little kitty. His first time in the house ever he walked right up to Dolly and put his little nose to hers. It was a tense thirty seconds and then he rubbed against her paws and started to purr. Dolly didn't attack, she was curious and at one point they lay down on 
the couch together. I was relieved but not sure we would risk it again as Dolly, in playing, could really hurt the kitty. I have attached a picture of Dolly and Henry before the accident. We went up to Julian yesterday and three out of the four kitties came running up
to us. I asked where Henry was and the little girl said he
was in the cat house; she thought he had broken his leg. We ran to get Henry who had been hit by a car. His front paw was just dangling. The nerve was cut so he was in no pain. His eyes told us there was a concussion. We put Dolly in the house and ran to the vet with Henry. He was affectionate and purring on his first car ride. As I looked at him I saw myself, very wounded but still available for life and love. The vet confirmed that the front leg would have to be amputated at the shoulder, which meant it could not be an outdoor cat. It would be very expensive, first they would treat the concussion and then if he was fine, amputate on Monday or Tuesday. We sat in the car with Henry looking trustingly into our eyes. We finally decided that we had no home for him so we would have to put him asleep. Neither of us could do it, so we went back in to get some of the tests started.
While there, a woman and her little girl looked at Henry and fell in love. The woman had just had her beloved cat put to sleep the week before. If we paid for the surgery, she was willing to take him, but she had to ask her husband. We took her number, felt incredibly lucky and told the vet to proceed with treatment and we would pay the bill.
We went back today to visit Henry. The vet tech fell in love with him and he immediately ran to me and got in my lap and just stared into my eyes. He spent the next hour in my lap and
Donna's lap--looking at us, cuddling up, and finding his way into our hearts.
There was something strange about this wounded animal. It was so full of life and love and so trusting when the world had just practically killed him. We went on some errands and came back because the tech said she was going to give him his first bath. Cats hate water. Henry just lay down and purred during his first bath. When we returned he was clean for the first time in his four months and limped to us and jumped back in our lap, his front paw dangling. I swear this cat was saying I am here to remind you, you can't give up no matter how bad you are hurt. They can cut you off at the knees but you have to crawl back. Love, in the end, will win.
So, against all of our logical energy, we are going to get Henry after the amputation and bring little tripod home to live with us. The woman who wanted him was disappointed but we said we were going to try it postoperatively and see how it worked because we had never had cats and we had a dog. She said if it didn't work out, she would take Henry.
It was all incredibly unlikely, but I felt part of a weight lift and got back a little of my spirit. We are wounded, deeply, but we have to reach out to each other with love.
By the way, there is one of Henry's sisters that is up for the taking, no amputation but very cute. Let us know if you want a sweet pretty little girl and we will send you a picture and get you Henry's sib. Take care and know that Donna and I love you. Tomorrow Donna will be 71, I guess Henry is her birthday present.
Love Cathy along with Donna, Dolly and Henry