Marie Loves All Animals

Marie makes no distinction between domestic and wild animals when it comes to them being fed. Marie had a cat she called Callie that was a calico cat for about ten years. Her son and I buy her groceries for her every week. Before she became unable to make out her grocery list she always included cat litter and cat food for her cat.
In the latter months she complained about Callie. She crawled up on her crocheting and played with the yarn destroying her work. She had to resort to covering her work with newspaper to keep Callie out of it. She crawled up on her sewing machine cabinet in her bedroom where she had her starter plants and dug them all to pieces. She started laying on her pillow around her neck and kneaded her shoulders and drove her nuts! Then the cat got fleas. Fran would always put a flea collar on her and that kept them at bay. At the last, Callie would run from Fran and not allow him to put the collar on her. The cat had to then be an outside cat.
Marie told me to find a home for Callie because she could no longer care for her. So I started putting ads in our local swap and shop. Calico cats are in demand in our area. Marie changed her mind. She didn't want to part with her furry friend.
Even our local Vet said that he would take Callie and find her a home.
Well our Marie decided that she would keep Callie, but feed him outside. Oh, the neighborhood cats and the wildlife in the timber were ecstatic!
The o'possum would join in and the raccoons, and all the cats. She was going through five pounds of cat food in a flash. Then she was buying ten pound bags. She was feeding the purchased food, plus she would put out scraps on the deck so that they could have a party! Then Fran stepped in and told her that she couldn't afford to feed all the animals that came to her deck.
When Marie came home from the rehab center the cat had found a lovely home with our friend and she was relieved. We had told her when she was still in the center, but we weren't sure if she comprehended. The cat was never mentioned again, however, the neighbor cats have not forgotten Marie. The cat across the street would wait for Callie to come out and play all winter.
This morning a strange cat was lounging in an old chair on the deck that was slated for the burn pile. Sorry, Kittie, no food.
Fran didn't want me to get close to this little visitor because from the window he looked similar to a badger, but no, he was a black cat. Again, Fran warned me against getting too close, because he could be bad luck. Get real!