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Copyright © 2009 toshiyuki ihiraWhen I was living in a boarding house back in Yokohama, there was a young cat, obviously carryinglitters and I can clearly see she was about to givebirth. She was very young. She was probably livingcompelled by her instinct alone but she didn't knowwhat to do with her litters about to be born. She couldonly roam around until she was ready to give birth.She was hissing and panicking outside my window theday we met. She was looking for a place to settle andhave her litter but she didn't know what to look forthat became clear to me when I placed a cardboardbox on its side with used clothes lining inside. She was just staring at the box, not going in even in herpanicked state. It took a good 4 minutes for her todecide it is o.k. to go in. She dashed in that afternoon.It was quiet. I didn't hear a sound coming out. I spentthe rest of the evening going about my usual routineand went to sleep.Next morning I didn't think much about her. I went outto take care of my chores and a bit of business.In the afternoon, I looked out my window to see howshe was doing. She was sneaking, moving quietlychecking out the backyard. When she saw me, sheraced back into the box. Well, o.k. All I did was giveher a box. She didn't have to be nice to me. I went outagain. It was an early evening that day when I cameback and heard her crying a mean, angry "ooowwww‚"in the backyard. I tried not to make a sound when Ipulled on my window to peek out. She was angry at
 
the world. She was all alone and hungry. I could seeshe gave birth, her belly was shrunken. I was a lotlarger than she was and I was looking down from highout of my window. What can she do to me? I feltthreatened by her because she was so mad at, notanyone or anything in particular but generally at theworld. She was mad at the situation she found herself in. I "me"ed to her in a gentle voice with a good eyecontact. Saying "me" is a friendly hello in cat talk, Icall "catlish." I repeated it a few times. First sheignored me but after a few minuets she made up hermind and dashed over to just below my window. Sheshouted at me. Angry call and a demand. I didn'tunderstand what she wanted of me. She didn't goaway or give up. She kept shouting at me, lookingstraight in my eyes.She gave birth so, I figured she would be tired. Thatmuch is obvious. Maybe, she was hungry. She neededto feed her litter, too. I went out, didn't say a thing toher. I just left, leaving her alone. It took me a good 10minuets to get back. She was quiet then but when shesaw me sticking my head out the window, she dashedover, looking up at me. Yes, I think I guessed right. Iopened a can of cat food and placed it in a paper plateand lowered it out the window to her. She ate it up,going "wow, wow." Things went on like that for aweek. She is demanding, almost angry. That angrydisposition didn't subside. I think she wanted what'sgoing to keep going so, she kept everything to be thesame. I didn't want her to feel out of control. So, I, too,kept going.
 
After a week, her being angry became old. I wantedher to feel more comfortable with me. I was feedingher and I wasn't going to stop any time soon. I startedto talk to her. "Me, .... ‚ me‚" in a soothing voice. Whenshe looked at me, I looked back at her, making eyecontact. She accepted me. A relief. I suppose herangry cry was getting to me but that was over. Shewas still demanding but she was a lot nicer, morefriendly. A manager of the boarding house knew I waskeeping a cat. Well, that's what she thought. Shealerted the building owner. She came over and toldme I couldn't keep the cat here. She wasn't a meanperson in any way. She was just trying to keep anorder. If everyone in the boarding house startedkeeping a pet, things would've gotten ugly. I explainedthe entire situation from the start of seeing the cat ina pregnant state, panicking outside my window. Shewas a nice person. She volunteered to look for familiesfor each kitten. The manager kept the mother. Icouldn't have a pet on ongoing basis so, that was alifesaver for me. When I go out, I pass the manager'sroom. The cat was kept inside her room initially butshe started to rest just outside of the door, on a raisedplatform. The manager told me she kept scratchingthe door whenever I passed outside in the hall. So, shelet the cat stay out whenever it wanted.I wish there was a good ending but no. When I go out,often times I needed to go right away. I didn't havemuch of time to mill around. The cat wanted to say hito me and mingle and socialize. I spent a little bit of 
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