62 COUNTRY-MAGAZINE.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018ANIMAL TALESOur Miracle Cat
W
hen I was about
9 years old, a
beautiful white
cat showed up
at our church.
The pastor’s wife left food out
for the stray and named her Snow
White. The cat had such a sweet
temperament, and it soon became
obvious she was pregnant.
Not long after becoming an
inside cat at the parsonage, she
gave birth. Snowy, as we called
her, and her babies then moved to
our house to live with my family.
As much as my sisters and I
loved her, we already had several
pets and would have to put the cats
up for adoption.
It was quite a drive to the shelter.
We got the kittens out of the car.My family wasn’t ready for another pet, but after
Snowy was lost, we couldn’t imagine life without her.
This beautiful stray
cat sought refuge
at our church.BY RICHARD E. GEUL IV St. Petersburg, Florida
WORDS of WISDOM Fragrance lingers on the hands of those who hand out roses.But because Snowy was considered
feral, my parents were unsure if the
shelter would take her. As they
discussed the situation with the
staff, Snowy bolted from Mom’s
arms and ran away.
My family kept in contact with
the shelter, since Mom and Dad
were determined to keep her if she
was found. Shelter workers said
they saw her sometimes in the
evenings, raising our hopes. We
hung posters and returned with
her favorite cat food to call her.
After three weeks, our optimism
began to fade. The cost of frequent
trips to find Snowy was adding up.
Mom and Dad decided that we
would look one last time.
A couple in the area said they’d
seen Snowy behind a restaurant.My sisters and I went to look for
Snowy and brought some food.
We called for her. Sadly, again
nothing happened.
As we were pulling away, we
saw a cat on top of a stack of pipes
behind a chain-link fence. Her
white coat was streaked with dirt,
and she’d lost so much weight that
she looked like a kitten. We didn’t
mind her bedraggled condition.
We had found our cat!
Snowy eagerly rubbed up against
us as we rode in the car. Our hearts,
once hopeless, rejoiced.
I’m now in college, and Snowy
is still a much-beloved part of our
household. We’ll always treasure
our miracle cat. The experience
taught us that love always finds
a way home.