Cats of Texas: Rainbow Paws Crossed: Black Lightning

Black Lightning June 9, 2021

Photo of her last sun view.

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I lived outdoors for most of my life fending for my own self. There were days that felt warm, hot, even cold. Time went by seeing many sun rises and falls, night skies when dark many things were in the sky a light, loud noises but it was always different. One day I was trapped, brought to a strange place came back to my home only thing different was that my back parts and underneath my belly felt drafty. My ear felt odd like a piece of it was missing but I can still move it and hear the things around me. I move on, found water, food there were days I needed to hunt, and walked for a while to find a nice place to take shade. Hearing birds, feeling the sun on my body, and hear humans just walking around or talking or sit in a huge moving box that made noise, and took them places faster than my own feet.

Many more sun rises and falls I've seen until one day another human fed me, I've heard noises that startled me. I felt exposed in my current position I came back later watched the same human that saw me, fed me, wanted me to go in that magic box. I don't want to go back in there. Last time a piece of my ear went missing. Days went by the same human fed me, I felt light, I ate so much I couldn't keep my food to stay. Have I discovered a magical way for eating to eat as much as I want but don't gain any more weight. I could run so fast no one could catch me. It began getting cold again. I found shelter felt really warm and there's food there how nice. I heard a noise drop when I stepped on something. I'm in the magical box again. I heard a noise it was the same human that fed me, taking me indoors. It feels really warm inside, I heard more noises sounded like other cats and a dog why would they bring me to a place with a dog. They're loud and smell funny and very nosey. Space please.

Now I'm in a room with no one else but the human who captured me. Have you ever seen a human that looks crazy over capturing a cat? They were whispering in words that made me wonder are they okay? Are the cats controlling this one? And that dog did they get the nosey part from them too?? My head turned to the side and thought I am stuck in this magical box I'm going to be taken to a magical land where my ear goes missing again. Instead I was given a bigger magical box for me to move, eat and drink water. Nice clean water not from another cat but it was mine. A warm room, and it was just me only me in the room and occasional visits from a different human this one sounds different. Do I look funny? You sure do you're bigger than me.

I was transported to another place I was given medicine, it felt nice not having all those small bugs eating on me and the other worms inside me. Another couple of days I was brought back and given another type of medicine. This felt really nice and refreshing I no longer felt weak. My eyes can move again and I can feel my body replenished. I was brought back to the same home for awhile. I was fed, given clean water and a litter box which I never understood. One day my poop is there and the next it's gone. It magically disappeared. More days passed, I saw more cats like me but younger full of energy and that dog. Ugh why the dog. It obeyed the humans unlike the other cats. Is this is what it's like when there is control over a dog? I enjoyed seeing the dog slip when it would run but the humans were puzzled at the dog I smiled.

I seem to be gaining more weight, I have been robbed of my special ability to run fast. But as time went by I saw cats going up to the humans co-existing with them. Are they mad? Why would you talk to them? Why are you letting them pet you? Or hold you? They seem happy but why can't I be happy? All I've known was to fight for my life and never let a human get close. They talked to me for awhile asking if I'm still a grumpy butt. That is rhetorical. My hissing should've scarred you away. But they insisted, to continue talking to me. I learned to see humans in a different way.

Days seem to be getting dark. The same human looks at me with fear, what? I have regained my skills to be lighter and quick not to be captured again. But this time it was different. The humans cried and had asked me if it was my time. I looked back and gave a look with a blink confirming that I've seen enough to see that not all humans are bad. A blanket was placed over me, I was back in the magical box. This time it was so I could see the sun, the birds singing and hear life around me. It was nice, warm as I remembered it. I was back in the room. The humans are crying again. Why are you crying? I told you it was my time to go. I thanked you for my last sun, the last time I hear the birds and life all around me. Why are you holding my paw? Everything seems dark, I am tired and you're the last thing in my mind. I will come find you when it's time for me to come back.

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About Black Lightning

Black Lightning was an outdoor feral living in a controlled colony near a church with an apartment complex area. As covid started people were not able to travel and some could not feed colony cats. Which was and still is an essential part of the community. They are considered essential workers but for a non profit organization. Lightning took a long time to trap not only she was trapped before by someone else, she could not trip the plate. A senior fully grown adult cat could have been the minimum 10lbs. Lightning by observation was probably about half that avg weight or less which is dangerous health wise for adult cat. It took a lot of work to get her to weigh enough to trip the plate and when that didn't work. I borrowed a kitten trap for such cases other than kittens, I needed it for her. It was cold that day when Lightning was finally caught. I was ecstatic, I couldn't believe I finally caught her. My goal that I had for her was to get treated and find a retirement home for her where she could live the rest of her life as the cat she could be with a safe outdoor area, having plenty of water, food shelter.

Unfortunately, time decided otherwise. She was loved as best as could be given. Her ashes will reside in my home in a decorated display case. I wanted to give her a second chance at life. If Lightning had gone to a place where its like a type of kill shelter, she would've been euthanized the first day after being trapped due to being sick and past medical treatment. Her life was extended by a month and a half, with a dewormer, revolution, subq fluids, tested negative on her SNAP test (FeLV/FIV), and given a convenia shot. Approx: $150 was invested to keep her alive, a prescribed diet to have her gain the weight, food to acclimate to her age (estimated 6 yrs but it seemed like approx 10 in the condition she was in). As for her final moments a donation pool was set up to have her humanely euthanized and have her ashes come back. I wanted her to have a home a home where a human took a chance with her, wanting her to learn that there is a coexistence between animals and humans. Because there are so many out there in Texas that get put down without a chance that maybe that feline has a better outcome if time was given to be invested in that possible future outcome. Lightning lived her life as best as she could and she deserved to have a home like any other cat either domesticated or feral.