I think that every
living being, holds a sense of deep love and compassion and I do believe that we
must make a conscious choice to be cruel or vile.
Max was our large, 5
year old Shepherd mix dog (those who know about dogs will know that a five-year
old is an almost mature, middle-aged dog; something like 45 for you and me)
when he adopted the orphaned scrawny female kitten with the long tail we named
Shawna. Our son had discovered her asleep, and curled-up in a fetal
position below our wrap-around porch steps; perhaps someone left Shawna
deliberately, or maybe her mother was hit by a car and Shawna wandered up the
hill, towards our house.
When Max came out to
see the reason for our son’s excitement, I think he recognized Shawna’s immediate
need for attention, and like any caring human would do, he set out to watch
quietly at first, observing us while we bottle-fed her. That same evening, Max
was ‘picking up’ the kitten in his mouth and for months thereafter he protected
her, pending her ability and maturity to look after herself.
Max became a totally absorbed
and dedicated ‘Daddy’; Shawna even shared his warm bed and when her teeth were
sharp enough she curiously and brazenly ventured to eat from his bowl. Their relationship
matured into one of unconditional love and trust.
We grow up thinking
that cats and dogs can’t be friends; nonetheless, these two had a perfect
relationship going; they were nurturing friends, they played or sat quietly on
the porch steps watching the world go by.
Max and Shawna lived in
harmony for many years; in fact, Shawna licked Max’s stitched wounds from a car
accident, and constantly sat next to him during his recovery time. And when she had her first litter of 4
precious kittens, you’ve never seen a prouder grandpa!
Max is gone now, but
he lived to be almost 12! Unusually quiet and fatigued, Shawna stayed indoors
for almost a week after Max’s death, pacing around the porch often, perhaps
hoping to see him one more time.
Shawna has also now passed
on, her first and only litter made her a joyous mom; you should have seen her
relocating those babes from porch-to-garage-to-bedroom closet, wherever she
thought they’d be safe and out of harm’s way.
Once those kittens
found new homes, and her time with Max had passed, Shawna settled into her new-found
patrician lifestyle, sprawled on top of the upright piano -- her long tail
alongside the Chinese pot of cascading ivy -- dappled in the sunshine coming in
through the French doors of our music room.
Animals, much like
people, prosper and grow from responsive and treasured relationships. Max and Shawna shared a mutually caring
friendship, free of prejudice and brimming with love ©ESW@1989
