A CAT NAMED BEAUTY

"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to
overlook an offence."  Proverbs 19:11

      It seems that God keeps using animals to teach me important lessons.  Take this encounter with a cat named Beauty.  I've been wanting a cat as a companion for several years now.  Many of my friends insist a cat would keep me from being so lonely.  When we lived in Wildomar, California we always had at least one cat around, especially while Audrey, our youngest child, was growing up.

      The cats had the run of two acres, spending most of their time outdoors.  So when I moved to a tract home where animals are restricted I hesitated about getting a cat that would have to stay in the house all of the time.  Finally I made the decision to try living with a house cat.  That was step one.  Step two consisted of buying all the paraphernalia required for keeping a house cat.  I thought step three would be the most fun, looking at prospective cat companions.

      On a Saturday morning I decided this was the day to go to the pet store where cats for adoption are displayed in cages.  While there I met my grandson Tyler and his mother Dina.  Dina said, "We're adopting a cat today.  Since Nanners died the house just isn't the same.  We had that cat for eighteen years and she was part of the family, always there to greet us whenever we came home."

      I recalled the time when I was sick and stayed at their house.  Nanners use to come into my room, jump up on the bed and lie down beside me for a while every morning.  I thought that was her way of comforting me.

      As I studied the cats in the cages I said, "Well, I'm not sure I'm ready to share my life with a cat, so today I'm just looking."  Just then Tyler's dad, my son John, came in the store and saw me looking at the cats.  He said, "Mom, why don't you take a cat home and see how you like it.  Here's a nice brown and orange cat.  Her information card says she is named Beauty and she's one year old and very gentle.  If you don't like her you can exchange her for another cat."  Julie took Beauty out of the cage so I could hold her.  I said, "I guess I can give it a try."  So I paid the adoption fee and drove home with Beauty.

      She didn't like being confined in the small closed-in carry-box or the ride home, protesting all the way.  I took the carrier in the house and let Beauty out whereupon she stealthily crawled over into the corner by the fireplace and lay down under the TV table.

      After I set up the litter box and her food and water dish I carried her to the litter box and set her in it so she'd know where it was located.  She immediately jumped out and ran back into the corner.  After a bit I picked her up and put her on my lap.  She began to purr as I talked to her quietly.  I noticed that her body was unusually hot.  Soon she jumped off my lap and ran back into the corner.  Then I noticed a spot on my pant leg where her stomach had been, and it smelled like something rotten.  I realized that her incision from getting spayed had been right over the spot on my pant leg.  It must have been draining, I decided.

      In a few minutes she ran across the carpet and vomited near the hallway, then ran into the hall and vomited again.  After that she ran into the front room and lay down in a tight little spot on the floor at the end of the sofa.  I cleaned up the vomit but it left an orange stain on the carpet.

      I had to go to the store for milk and thought I'd better go while Beauty was laying quietly by the sofa.  When I returned and drove the car into the garage and hurried into the house to check on the cat I saw that she was no longer by the sofa.  I searched everywhere and wondered if she'd run out through the garage while I was driving in.

      I called John and reported, "Beauty has escaped somehow.  I've looked everywhere."  John said, "Don't panic, Mom, she's probably hiding someplace.  Just go about your usual routine and she'll turn up sooner or later."

      While searching for Beauty, I discovered that she'd had diarrhea in a corner of the front room.  I managed to clean up that mess without vomiting and sat down on the sofa to think over the day's happenings.  The house smelled bad, the cat was missing, and I was exhausted.  I was beginning to wonder why I ever thought a companion cat was a good idea.

      About seven o'clock that evening my daughter Peggy called from Oregon and I told her about my misadventure with Beauty.  I said, "I wouldn't care if that cat did run away.  Good riddance!"  No sooner had I spoken those words of disgust when there was a movement in the small space along side the VCR.  Beauty was backing out of the cubicle, her bushy tail swishing about.  She looked around and then ran under the coffee table and vomited.  I hung up the phone and started toward the kitchen to get some paper towels when the phone rang again.

      John inquired, "Did the cat come out of hiding yet?"  I replied, "Yes, she was hiding behind the VCR and just now threw up again."  John said, "Call Julie from the adoption agency and tell her the cat is sick."  I called Julie and said, "That cat I adopted is sick.  She keeps vomiting and has diarrhea and her incision is draining.  I think she has a fever because her body is hot."  Julie, said, "Beauty wasn't sick when she left here.  I don't send out sick cats!"  I insisted, "Well, this cat is certainly sick."

      Julie said, "Call Laura who gave Beauty to me just this morning.  Tell her to come and get the cat as soon as possible."  While talking to Laura, the cat vomited again under the coffee table.  Laura said, "She wasn't sick when I gave her to Julie this morning.  Spread some newspapers in the shower and put the cat in there for the night.  Give me your address and I'll pick beauty up first thing tomorrow morning."

      Beauty remained quiet until the heater came on at 5:00am, then began meowing loud enough to wake the neighbors!  I turned on a music tape and went back to bed.  At 8:15am Laura came and took Beauty away, much to my relief.  By now I was sick of cats in general and wondered what ever possessed me to consider sharing my life with a house cat!

      I sat down and looked at the ghastly stains on the carpet and wondered if I'd ever get the stains and odor out.  Julie mailed my adoption fee back to me and five days later called and said, "Would you please return the cardboard carrier and folder of adoption papers?"  I inquired, "How is Beauty?"  Her rather sharp reply was, "There is nothing wrong with Beauty!"

      When I hung up the phone I felt offended by her inference that Beauty had never even been sick.  She had said she doesn't sent out sick cats.  But I know Beauty was sick and I felt accused and it bothered me.  I was offended and angry.

      A few hours later I recalled a teaching by Joyce Meyer about offences and what they do to us if we hold them in.  Immediately I prayed, "Lord, I ask You to take away these feelings of being offended.  You know the truth and you do not accuse me of wrong doing.  I give this offence to you and I forgive Julie for insinuating that I lied about Beauty's sickness.  I am free of this burden because I give it to you now.  Amen!"

      I felt the burden lift and I rose up praising Jesus.  Then I asked the Lord to help me recognize offences as soon as they occur.  I can think of many times I have let offences fester in my mind until I become furious about them.  I did not know how destructive these thought are to my well-being.

      So ends my story about offences and the lesson learned.  But the subject of house cats is far from closed.  In the meantime my interaction with cats will be confined to admiring the little felines on my wall calendar!