The Gift That Keeps on Giving
How many of you have seen National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? I’m pretty sure most of you have seen it. Do you remember when Clark Griswold’s Christmas Bonus turned out to be a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club and Eddie quipped, “That’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year”?
I didn’t get a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club, but I did get a special gift last Christmas and it turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving.
No one gave me this gift, it just crawled into my garage a week before Christmas… as I wrote then…
It was a week before Christmas and there were no sounds in the house, when suddenly from the garage door came a squeaking – like a mouse. I searched the garage for wild creatures that sometimes come looking for food in winter. But I saw nothing – yet I could still hear the little squeaking sounds coming from somewhere in the garage. Try as I might, I could find not a single critter in the garage – I could only hear its faint squeaking.
Frustrated at not being able to find the source of the tiny squeaks, I went to bed and thought no more of it as I drifted off into sleep.
Truffle on January 16, 2023.
The next morning arrived quickly as next mornings too often do. I had almost forgotten the little squeaks in the garage. I opened the door that led from the house to the garage. Three steps lead from the house to the garage floor, and as I looked down at the foot of those stairs I saw a tiny little kitten – shivering in the cold. It was a pitiful, heart-wrenching sight. A tiny kitten barely old enough to be separated from its mother – was now cowering and shivering in the cold in my garage.
Well, now four months have passed, and that tiny, dirty, stinky, shivering kitten has grown up into a loving and beautiful can who has somehow stolen my heart.
Now my house is full of cat toys, and my pantry is full of cat food and cat treats. The other night I couldn’t find her. It was late and she was nowhere to be found. She almost always comes when I call her and if she doesn’t, she always comes when she hears the word “treat”.
Calling out “Where are you, Truffle?” “Truffle!” “Truffle”? Searching the house in every room under every bed and every piece of furniture turned up nothing. I didn’t know what to do. It was then I realized how much I care about that cat. In just 4 months she has become a part of my home and a part of my life.
I was so worried about her that I couldn’t go to bed. Finally, after searching every room I looked in the garage and there she was. She had somehow managed to push the screen door open and meander into the garage.
Cats, however, are finicky. This is one of the things I like about them – because they can be challenging. They can be aloof one minute and hungry for attention and love the next. She sauntered into the house from the garage – reluctantly- and after rubbing against my leg looked up at me as if to say… “OK… where’s my treat?”.
Guess what? I gave her a treat, she climbed up on the back of the couch, took a bath, and fell asleep. Just another day in her life.
And now when I leave the house, I think about her and wonder how she’s doing. When I go to the grocery store, I always buy her something – a treat, a toy, a new kind of food.
I think back and remember how she came into my life on a cold winter day and how I called the animal shelter to see if they would take her. She was a dirty, stinky, little stray cat that I didn’t want to keep.
I cannot tell you how glad I am now that the animal shelter had no room for her.
I still think an angel sent her to me. I needed something like Truffle in my life.
Truffle on April 17, 2024.
She was a Christmas gift, I am sure of it. I don’t know how I got so lucky. I’m so grateful she wandered into my garage at Christmastime. She really is the gift that keeps on giving.
I watch that movie at least a dozen times a year. I remember the comment from Eddie. What a movie. Why can’t we have more like that one. I love cats and had a Himalayan for 16 years. He was a very special kitty and would sit on the arm of my recliner waiting for me to sit down then he would jump in my lap facing me and just purr loudly. Then he would curl up and snooze. He was my buddy!!!
I love pets of all kinds, but remember one thing
Dogs, birds etc have owners.
Cats have servants !!
Good one
Congratulations on being officially owned by a cat! It is a high honor, indeed 😊. She is lovely! I have been privileged to be owned by a great many of them over the years. They truly are gifts, and can be our gurus, teachers, friends, and “babies”. My love for my cats has always made them the center of my world and my heart. 🌏🐈💓
Lovely story, and lovely cat. Blessings.
When we moved from Ohio to AZ back at the end of January 2008, my wife and I, traveled in two separate cars, each with a dog and a cat. It took us 4 days and nights and we had to find “pet-friendly” Motels. On the last night in a Motel, Kali (a Calico cat) somehow slipped out when we went for dinner. As we were returning to our room, there
was Kali under one of our cars. Thank the Good Lord and Shepherd, and St. Francis of Assisi she was OK and didn’t wander off. Back in Ohio, we had 7 acres with woods, a double pond, and a barn with horses, and barn cats – to keep the “Rodent” population in check and keep the “varmints away from our vegetable garden (next to the barn).
Kali was rejected by her mother and it was wintertime. Donna found her by the Tack Room almost dead and decided to bring her in and place her on a heating pad so she could pass on in warmth. Well, we ended up bottle-feeding her until she could eat on her own, and live long enough to make the long trip to AZ.
As a final note, we still have her ashes and Salty’s (the other cat) ashes.
The two dogs that made the trip were Sir Knight and Ziva. They also have passed on to The Good Shepherd’s Pasture, and their ashes are buried in our Church’s “Pet Cemetary” which is a section of our Meditation Garden in the back portion of our Church Grounds.
My apologies for being so wordy, I must have learned from TC.
Rich⛪🙏🙏🙏
Rich
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
You are so lucky that Truffle chose to adopt you!
I too rescued a barn cat Pippy (Pip Emma). Just a big bundle of furry love.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was no xenophobia. Content with the knowledge of being with.
Humans need to learn.
Nice essay.
Lovely story. We have had up to 7 cats/kittens at one time. All our half wild from our woods. Love them all. We know have 4 that are litter mates that were born under our very large hosta plant. All our cats have been house only & after a while don’t even try to leave. Don’t know what we would do with out them.
Thanks for you wonderful story.
Isn’t that a wonderful feeling to feel so loved! They are so intelligent also. Thanks to the Gods for giving you a new view on life and love!!
Dawn.
I am so glad Truffle came into your life, I am happy for you both.
What a great essay. It is so touching and thought-provoking. You are so lucky to have found a new friend for life. I love this story.