Black Cat

During the last few weeks I've been developing a relationship with a small black cat. There are 2 or 3 neighborhood cats that hang out in our backyard during the day. Our block has a series of brownstones with backyards facing similar-sized backyards and brownstones across high stockade wooden fences for privacy. We know some of our neighbors, but to the cats and squirrels it's entirely a free trade zone without borders or boundaries.

The black cat that has been hanging out in our yard can't weigh more than a couple of pounds. It has shiny black hair and large yellow eyes; it's small and cuddly but has a dramatic look due to those eyes. I doubt it's a stray, even though it has no collar or tag, because it is well groomed and very comfortable around people. I suspect I will never know which of several dozen neighbors it belongs to, or even its name.

After sizing me up for a week or so, and permitting me to pet it in the garden, I was sitting inside recently at the kitchen table with our back door open and looked up by chance to confront the cat silently staring at me wide-eyed across the table, with its tail in the air like one of those old-time trolley poles that carries electricity down from an overhead cable. This unexpected "apparition" totally startled me; at the same time, I had to admire its gumption and silent arrival worthy of a Navy SEAL hunting Al Qaeda.

The cat had evidently sized me up, concluded I was friendly and therefore worthy to give it some attention and love. If I were a cat, I would never have the nerve to enter the house of a total stranger, considering how unpredictable things are these days. Anyway, we had a pleasant visit, with lots of purring, rubbing against my arms and legs, and even accepting a small snack with some milk before departing.

Since that first encounter, I have been treated to a steadily increasing number of visits. Sometimes I see the cat hanging out in the patio area, waiting patiently for me to notice and open the door so the cat can make a rushed entrance into what has now become familiar territory.

I enjoy these unscheduled drop-in visits, where we exchange meow sounds and some relaxing petting. Unlike a pet dog, however, this relationship seems more about what I can do for the cat rather than what the cat can do for me.