Cica was a tiny brown flash of hunger as she would dart out to grab the turkey left by the ladies at 'Zumbalicious' gym. She lived in the supermarket parking lot after her mother was killed by a car. Her siblings didn't survive long after their mom had died. That was for the best. Cica ate bugs and roamed away from their nest whimpering for days.
Finally, a little boy saw her. He grabbed her spike of a tail and pulled her towards him. When the boy's mother saw what he was doing, she yelled loudly, "Jasper, leave that kitten alone!." Well, Jasper knew STOP when he heard it and let go of the kitten's tail with haste . Cica ran so fast into the bushes, her little heart felt like bursting. Then she ran right into a building. When she hit the building she saw stars for a few moments. She watched them twinkle and roll all around her. She was too exhausted to catch them, but put one tired, little paw up in a futile attempt. She never felt the touch of a human hand before. If she wasn't a true feral then, she was now. Not only did this first touch frighten her; it was downright painful!
In front of the Zumbalicious classroom there were many humans; mostly small ones with all manners of skin and hair. They saw Cica one evening and cooed "poor little thing... Marquenta, do you have tuna? We need water too."
Because Cica would come only as far as the median that was between the gym and the parking lot, the ladies took to feeding her in two plastic bowls. When they left, she would run out from under the cars in the lot to the tree planted on the median, to the bowl, grab some turkey or tuna and run back under a car tire!
One day, a new lady joined the zumba class in full anticipation of joyfully shedding years and pounds over the next few months. Instead, as she zumba'd here and zumba'd there to the infectious music in the room, she spied a small gray and gold critter running back and forth from the median out front to the parked cars. The lady couldn't believe that a kitten that small could manuever around the moving vehicles so well.
"What's that?" she yelled as she zumba'd to the front door pointing at Cica.
"Oh, our little kitten. We would've caught her, but nobody can. She is too quick! She's been out there on and off for months. This is the first time we've seen her for weeks."
The quick-thinking lady, who just happened to be an ace animal rescuer, said "I can get that cat". In a blink of an eye, the lady took some turkey from the dish and made a trail to her lovely new car.
Cica never took her eyes off this creature who was stealing her food. But, Cica noticed she also had more food and it was fresh! So began the cat and mouse game Cica and the lady played as the women tantalized the kitten with one piece of food tossed closer and closer to her car.
The lady noticed the kitten was shaking. She must be starving, the woman thought. Cica began to take the food as the lady spoke to her in gentle, soothing tones. A piece was gobbled down, and just a few inches away, another piece would appear. Cica, not knowing for sure what to do, let her stomach lead the way. She followed the trail . Little by little she found herself at the door of the Mercedes. The woman was still as she watched the tiny kitten take that final leap into the car.
With movements as quick as cat, the lady shut the door and watched as poor Cica flew from window to window, claws out, crying hysterically.
"Looks like ya' got her!" one Zumbalicious lady giggled while rolling her eyes, "Now what!".
The woman gave a knowing smile, "I guess that was the easy part!" The ladies all helped the woman get into the car, guarding carefully to be sure the kitten stayed put. All the woman could hear was fsist and HAA! HAA! from the kitten. These were not messages of joy!
As she drove home, the woman began to smell the poop. It was inevitalble. Some things were just too frightening for some critters. She smiled, and then laughed! New car, new kitten! A car can always be washed.. but, a kitten.. they are one of the most precious creatures around.
Little did Cica know, Magikys Cigany, Maggie for short; the Abbottsford cat whisperer was her benefactor. Her life on the streets was over.
She was now an Abbottsford Cat.
"Cica, the Wild One"
Photo Art @2011 Kim Yvonne Cady
Photo Art @2011 Kim Yvonne Cady
