Beowulf

Our animal buddies

A favorite house spot

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Some years ago, my sister, Mary, rescued three feral cats in her neighborhood. They’ve moved with her from house to house. I met them in 2019, I think it was, black and white beauties as fleeting as magic. Here one moment, gone the next – into the cellar rafters, the hidden pockets. Only one of them warmed up to me during that first meeting, a gorgeous guy, Beowulf. He has these turquoise and dark chocolate eyes, not visible in this photo, and a face that melts your heart every time he lifts his head to look at you.

In the fall of that year, my sister and I met in Orlando and I officially adopted Beowulf. I drove him back to South Florida in a carrier and he meowed and complained the entire three hours in the car. When I released him in the house, he ran and hid under a bed and stayed here for the next 10 days. He came out to eat, of course, but only when he was sure no one was looking.

Gradually, he emerged into this new world, warmed up to Nigel and Nala and Nika, He does this kind of endearing thing when he meets a new animal – he rubs his head against some part of their anatomy – head, belly, nose, ear – a gesture that says, “Hey, I’m a friend. I don’t want any trouble.”

Eventually, he ventured outside, into our backyard, and caught his first lizard, which he proudly carried inside. The lizard escaped. Next, it was a mouse that he caught and brought in to show everyone – and the mouse also got away. For awhile, we had an infestation of mice.

He’s now very comfortable here. He’s also really vocal about going out. His idea of paradise is to spend the beautiful nights outdoors. If it rains, he prefers the back of the couch. In the evening if we sit outside with the dogs and toss Nigel his ball, both Beo and Nala join us. They’re good buds. Whenever she sees him she rubs up against him, sniffs him, purrs at him. He reciprocates. If they hadn’t both been fixed, they’d be lovers.

Of the two cats, Nala is the most domesticated. Our neighbor fostered her and she’s used to being stroked and hugged and invited to share a pillow at night. But she also loves her life outdoors with Beo.

So Beo, a cellar cat for at least five years, has issues about freedom. Then again, if I’d been confined to  a cellar – even a large cellar with places to hide, with food brought to me – I’d have issues too. Welcome to the free world, Beo. Yeah, it has its perils, but considering the alternative, it’s a paradise.

Nigel says: “Beo is somewhere in the bushes. Wait! There he is! His favorite outdoor spot.”