Ark Valley News - Hope and hilarity

Hope and hilarity
By Chuck Terrill
Last Updated: January 22, 2015

Anyone want a free cat?

I guess I am an old fashioned pastor. I still visit with church members in their homes and I enjoy it. I can be in someone's home for only a few minutes and know one thing about them for sure: whether or not they own a cat.

Within two or three minutes my eyes will begin to itch. My nasal passages will begin to clamp down. My cheeks and neck will begin to turn red. Ten minutes into the visit tears will begin to form. If I remain in the home for 30 minutes I will leave with tears running down my face, unable to breathe well, and with a bright red face and neck. I am not a cat person.

So, I wasn't too thrilled during the last bitter cold snap to see a big black cat crawling in and out from under our overturned blue plastic kiddie pool in the back yard. It was about 13 degrees, and the kiddie pool and yard were covered with ice and snow. The second time I saw the cat he was carrying a little mouse he had captured. It didn't look like much of a meal. I knew that he was a feral cat, and that mouse would be his only food for the day.

It was so cold. The cat didn't look too good. I bought a small bag of Meow Mix and set out a bowl full for him. It disappeared immediately. I felt a little better about myself, despite my lack of love for cats. I couldn't believe what happened next.

Turns out the cat was not a "him." I saw a kitten emerge. Black like her momma. And then another. A little later another one showed himself! I now know, for sure, that I am feeding at least four black cats! Who knows? There may be more! And all of them are growing fast.

My wife told me, "You do know, don't you, that by late spring, those four cats could turn into about 20 cats." That sobered me. I guess that is the way it works. Twenty cats in the back yard is not a great scenario for a guy who doesn't like cats. I don't know what I am going to do, but for now, I'll keep feeding the cats. I just picked up the biggest bag of Meow Mix money can buy.

If you should need a barn cat, please let me know. I will put on a suit of armor and try to catch you one.

Ephesians 4:32 says: "Be kind and tenderhearted to each other." As for now, I guess I have to extend that grace to cats. But I don't like it one bit.

Chuck Terrill is pastor of Valley Center Christian Church. He can be reached at chuck@valleycenterchristianchurch.org or 755-1233.