A Pet Adopting

"Meow"

If they think that this cage is so much better than being able to run around outside then they ought to come live in here, thought FM 1854. FM 1854 lived at 1855 Windish Drive in Galesburg Illinois from October until December of 2000 and he was one of many young to old aged felines that were there. Unlike the dogs, the cats rarely got outside much and were confined to an eighteen by twelve enclosure that was jokingly called a sanctuary. For FM 1854, he wondered what this so-called sanctuary was from because he missed being able to run around doing whatever he wanted.

FM 1854 put his best show on, even though, the nice people at the Humane Society had seen fit to send him on a trip. For a young male, FM 1854 didn't understand what was going on at this place. The nice people would come in and give them food and water every day. They came and cleaned out the litter boxes every day. They even sent him to see the nice doctor and his balls were clipped off. What nice people, thought FM 1854.

There were only a couple that ever came so he missed out on being a kitten for a couple of months, not getting much of a chance to run and play. Even though the older cats were sticking to themselves, they seemed to keep the best hideaways all to their own. The bigger three had cornered the room and made it impossible for any privacy.

FM 1854 thought they were just bullies. They never shared with the younger three and he was a kitten. He was the youngest of the bunch.

It had only been ten days since kissing his "boys" goodbye. FM 1854 had to figure out a way to get himself out of that dreaded cage. The floors were clean but the concrete stays cold. All the bigger cats were taking the warmest places to hide. He would have fought them for better but the big cats were all old.

Hey, thought FM 1854, those two ladies look like they need to be picked. FM 1854 laughed in his head. The new ladies looked like easy marks for a young cat looking to adopt a family. They looked and they looked, overlooking the smallest of the cats, the little FM 1854.

"Meow, Meow, Mau, Mau," he kept saying to them. But they didn't understand.

Fine, thought FM 1854. He circled back around the habitat, trying to find a spot to sit. FM 1854 wondered to himself, is this everything, is this it. Right after those two old cat ladies left, a new person came in.

"Who's that guy?" FM 1854 thought to himself. I'll pick him as my friend, that little kitten decided. As he watched the big guy, dressed in his black jacket and jeans, FM 1854 realized that he could easily paw him at the knees. He stuck up beside him. The guy was looking around. The big bald guy looked everywhere, everywhere besides to the ground.

"Meow," FM 1854 said, as loud as he could. That cat just kept thinking he'd pick that guy if the guy would take him to a different hood. "Meow," he said again, putting his paws on the leg of his potential friend.

Ooh, he's looking at me, thought FM 1854. Yes, pick me up. Of course, that is what I want.

The big guy picked him up and held him like a baby. FM 1854 didn't really understand what he was saying. He seemed to like FM 1854 and that was what mattered. FM 1854 began to purr his little heart out. Wait, what's happening, he's putting me down.

FM 1854 didn't like where this was headed. Trying again, he pawed the man's legs, until he smiled back down at him.

"You want to get the hell out of here...don't you little guy?" the man said as he knelt to the ground again.

"Meow," FM 1854 knew the guy didn't understand him but gave him that friendly catcall.

The man picked him up again and gave him a good once over. He knew the kitten was young having been around them before. There was something about this little one. He didn't know what it was. This little one was practically talking to him. He held his little paws, noticing something special. The man thought, hum, six paws. You're a polydactyl. He looked closer at little FM's face. The man noticed that one white whisker and that FM 1854 had eyes like something from outer space.

FM 1854 felt the man standing up. His heart raced. His thoughts swimming with excitement. He'd picked someone that would pick him right back. He listened to the garbled sounds coming from the man as he talked to his feeders. He wasn't for certain, but he felt like he wouldn't be going back into the cage.

"Hawkeye," the man said to him, little FM only hearing sounds. "I think I'll call you Hawkeye."

FM thought to himself, I think I'll call you..."meow."

That was over four months ago and the two are best friends.