Chicken’s Corner: A Commingling of Paws

These two cats. There is nothing better than two cats, that is the good stuff of life. What is a single cat but a lonely traveler along the dusty road? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken, and I am the third, willingly intertwining myself in this love story.

We had always contemplated getting a second cat for Chicken, but we had balked at the impossibility of having one outdoor cat (Chicken) and one indoor cat (whoever the new cat would be) so it was just a brief dream in the wind I enjoyed every once in a while, like sitting in a shady pergola or having children who listen to you. I don’t know if it’s certain cats or all cats, but once you start letting a cat out, you cannot ask it to then start watching the world from the inside, certainly not without good reason.

But Tuna! How did he know he was just what we all needed, that his stripes were the missing ones. Jon says not to get too attached to this cat, but it’s too late. How do you unattach yourself from some grey purring thing lounging on your bed? Licking your orange cat who has his eyes closed, pretending like he doesn’t know it’s this intruder, this invader, doing the licking? Chicken prefers to get along on his own and Tuna prefers to get along wherever Chicken is getting along and sometimes they have little spats and usually Chicken is trying to saunter or slink away and Tuna is confused and hurt and baffled and wounded but mostly just confused. Are they not brothers? Possibly twins, in fact? Is it because he is not wearing socks?

Everyone has been asking for a Tuna update, and well, I would also like one. I would like to know exactly how many days Tuna has left on this planet. Tuna was given a couple of days to a couple of weeks to live, and here we are still getting check ups and blood draws and visiting the expensive specialists and the vet techs have said he’s been a bit feisty, a little spicy in the back, which is so unlike him, but I have to laugh because he is taking after Chicken, and what is life without spice, chicken without a bit of paprika? Actually the internist vet at the VEC downtown said his prognosis may be not bad, however his most recent bloodwork is concerning, livers and kidneys being somewhat important, and I am back to my spiralling.

Every once in a while Chicken and Tuna are forced to interact in adjacent spaces and their paws touch and their fur is all furry together and I know that the world has a small sliver of hope in it.