I have been cat-sitting the past two weeks with my grandkitties. Since we have our own shysters, I took a vacation with the grand kitties and dad stayed home with our own mischievous felines.

People laugh when they hear that we cat sit and spoil our own shysters. We do. Our empty nest is less empty with the pitter patter of cat feet on our floors.

My grandkitties are special too. Cats are resilient and can be left to their own devices for days at a time unless they have special needs. Both of our grandkitties are rescue cats. Giles is almost 13 years old. He was adopted the first year of his life. In the time before he was adopted something happened to him and he was afraid of people, especially men. After all this time he still scares easily but adapts well and is loving to those in his home, but takes a while to trust those who visit. He must observe for days before he comes around, if he does. Giles is a grazer when it comes to food. He eats a little at a time.

Buster was left in the cold to freeze. He was rescued and adopted by my daughter. Buster is trusting and loving. When he was left in the cold he lost part of his tail, part of his paw and part of an ear. He has the cutest lop-eared look. One of Buster’s problems is he doesn’t have a switch to turn off his appetite. He eats and eats and eats until he gets sick. His food is on a timer and measured out so he can only eat what is there.

Unfortunately, it means food cannot be left out for Giles, the grazer, because Buster, the binger, would eat Giles’ food. That is where the grandparents come in. We make sure our grandkitties are fed.

I also get a list of orders, the same as when I watch my grandchildren. No spoiling, only a certain amount of treats and no new toys. According to their parent, they have enough.

I made it exactly one week with the no spoiling, but their cute meows and kisses on my nose in the morning broke me down. Buster and Giles enjoyed their time with me on the screened-in porch. They didn’t appear to have ever been out there before, so please don’t tell their parents. I almost wasn’t able to keep it a secret when a wasp found its way somehow through the screen on the porch and Buster was about to find out what the sting of a wasp felt like. I rescued him in time, so I didn’t have to explain to Buster’s parents that I let him investigate the porch and the wasp. It wouldn’t have been a secret for long ­— they would have found out by the vet bill in the mail.

I also concluded they didn’t have any fun toys and I couldn’t find any in the cupboards. Have you seen the new Friskies Pull N Play? My cats love it, so of course, I had to buy one for Giles and Buster. They were impressed, especially Buster, because there is food inside.

Giles was trying to play with a string on my purse, so I bought some crinkle balls for him to play with and a mouse infused with catnip. If my grandkitties loved me before, they think I am top grandma now.

I never thought I would be as much of a cat lover as I am now. My heart melts while I am cat-sitting when Giles, who is so shy, has accepted me so much he wakes me with a nose kiss in the morning and cuddles up and wants to be hugged. And he remembers me if I don’t visit for a long time. I didn’t know cats have such memories.

Sitting on the couch in the evening there is nothing more relaxing than Buster giving me a nose nudge and then a lick. He too trusts me.

I miss my own cat family but I know they are taken care of, and spoiled by my husband.  People may see cats and dogs and other animals as creatures that are expendable. They don’t see the depths of feelings these animals have, or the loyalty they give to their owners.

The fact these two grandkitties of mine can show trust after their early beginnings where they may have been abused, says so much about the animal spirit and forgiveness.

Animals show their fear when they don’t understand or when they are hurt. Some lash out and inflict pain; some that have known cruelty treat humans cruelly. They bite, maim, scratch and attack. Some can be rehabilitated and some, when they have been taught to be mean, cannot be saved. Think about it, they display many of the same traits humans do.

When we are afraid we lash out, we don’t trust, we attack with words or physically hurt someone. Or we run and never look back. We too, may hide out and not be a part of society.

With animals and with humans we need to concentrate less on our differences and more on what we have in common. We need to see beyond the behavior and look into the eyes of those who seem lost because of their behavior, and find what we all share, the ability to hurt, feel sadness, love and all the other emotions that make up who we are. That is perhaps the key to peace in our world.

 

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send email to her at hermionyvidaliabooks@gmail.com. Her Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/julie.