Page 49 of Resistance Training
“Okay, I’m gonna back away slowly and bring you something to drink, because it’s important to stay hydrated. All right? If you aren’t here when I get back, then I’ll assume you went somewhere else and you’re fine. Deal?” It hisses at me again, very vampire-like. “Right on. Deal.”
When I return with a bowl of filtered water, the cat is right where I left it. “Okay, buddy,” I say, softly. “Not going to touch you. Just leaving this bowl of water right here.” I put it down on the ground, about four feet away from it. “I’m gonna go see if anyone else knows about you, but I’ll be back to check on you, okay?” It hisses again.
I don’t look back as I walk away. I knock on my neighbors’ doors and find that none of them know anything about the kitten and none of them have seen any other kittens around either. When I return to the garage, the kitten’s still in the same corner. I check the water level in the bowl I left, and it does look like it drank some of it. That makes me feel strangely excellent. “Okay. Good for you, buddy. We did something good for your body.” It hisses at me, and I don’t even reach for it.
I don’t actually have an appointment later today, aside from the standing appointment I have with myself to not have sex with Vivian Sparks, so I guess this is what I’m doing. Figuring out what to do with a feral kitten. Which is not ideal. I don’t love how this thing just showed up out of the blue, and I can’t change my life to accommodate it. But I have a couple of hours to spare on my weekend off, I suppose.
But fuck.
I literally can’t think of one person to ask for help with this aside from Vivian Sparks.
And it’s not because I’m always thinking about Vivian Sparks.
It’s because she’s the only cat person I know right now.
I step away from the kitten, still facing it, and pull out my phone. I don’t think it likes the sound of my voice, so I’ll text first.
ME
Hi. Are you still at Powell’s?
I have an angry kitty emergency.
That’s not a euphemism. There’s a feral kitten in my garage and it doesn’t want me to pick it up. There aren’t any other cats around. No one here will claim it. I don’t know what to do.
I wasn’t sure who else to ask for help, but you’re probably busy. Never mind.
VIVIAN
Oh no, please. A big, strong man who’s afraid of a tiny kitten? This requires no explanation. Of course you need my help.
ME
I am not afraid of the kitten. I do not want to scare the kitten with my big, strong man-ness.
VIVIAN
I’m going to need a little more information before I proceed to save you from this tiny animal. Can I call you?
I call her, watching the kitten, who hasn’t taken its big eyes off of me since I walked back in here.
She answers on the first ring. “Hi. How old do you think this kitten is?”
“I have no idea how to answer that. It’s not a baby. It looks pretty healthy. It’s just scared, but it also isn’t going anywhere.”
“Awww. Sounds like it wants to be rescued.”
I sigh. “Should I call an animal shelter or something? Is that a thing?”
“I mean. What I would do first is take it to a vet, probably the nearest animal hospital to make sure it doesn’t have a microchip, and then we go from there.”
“Okay. And how would I do that?”
“You’ll wait for me to show up with a cat kennel that I purchase on my way there. I’d bring Hairy’s, but his smell would probably make the kitten nervous. Do you have time for this? You said you have an appointment.”
“Yeah, that’s not for a while. I’ll take it to an animal hospital. Doyouhave time for this?”
“I do. Text me your address. Also, get a towel to wrap it up in. I’m in line to pay for some books, and then I’ll stop by a pet store and come over.”
