Saturday, March 20, 2010

The Continuation of the Miney Saga : Neutering Appointment #4

It's been awhile since I have had time or inclination to sit down and write about the ongoing saga of Eeny Meeny, Miney and Momo. But today God once again spoke to me through these little ferals He as entrusted to me. So I find myself once again needing to share the lesson He has taught today and hopefully I have embraced as truth.

Miney is scheduled once again to be neutered. As you can tell from the title, this is his fourth appointment. Many of my friends have been praying for this much needed neutering to take place and prayerfully on Monday, 3/22/10 at 9:30 AM, theirs and mine will be answered. I believe God answers prayers, so I have to believe He has had a reason for delaying this request. Probably because I had many lessons to learn about my relationship with Him, my Master.

Since my last writing we have had Miney inside more than out. We stopped feeding him on the patio, so if he wanted to eat he had to come inside. He's okay with that arrangement, but every few days he would begin to put up quite a fuss to go out. Having never had a non-neutered male cat, I didn't realize that they could be so persistent. In his more female-sounding-than-male voice he would pace from door to window to door to window with his pathetic meowing growing ever louder and irritating.

After a few hours of trying to ignore him, we would let him out. Within a day or two, with his tummy empty and his urges satiated, he would show up at the patio door. Within the past few weeks, he's actually been returning the same day. We had decided that possibly he wasn't being accepted by the other neighborhood feral males and he'd decided to return to his
accepting "family" more quickly. With his fourth appointment looming we chose to ignore his annoying meowing and keep him inside this week, as we were fearful that he might not return in time to trap him for his appointment. This has been challenging.

We have been feeding him tuna each night inside the pet carrier that we plan to trap him in. In the beginning we put the dish right inside the door, but with each succeeding night we moved the dish a little farther inside, until we now have it touching the far wall of the carrier. He seems comfortable with our walking around the area, so we feel fairly confident that we will be able to close the door, once he is inside. I say fairly confident, for remember this is Miney we are talking about. So, with well thought out plans we move hopefully toward DE-Day, the Day of Entrapment, 3/21/10.

Today, 3/20/10, the first day of Spring, I chose to crack the windows open just enough to allow the heavenly fresh breeze to air out the winter miasma, which may also have arisen from the presence of litter boxes in need of their morning cleaning. Miney ventured from window to window searching for an escape route. Although small, I knew he was still too large to get his head through any of the openings, however he was still able to get into trouble. While eating lunch I suddenly heard what sounded like cow bells ringing. Upon investigating I found a very frightened and pathetic Miney with a small wire basket hanging from his neck. This little basket sits on the bathroom windowsill to hold small odds and ends, now the basket and all the odds and ends were dangling from Miney's head. He was not happy, but he was quiet for a change.

I had to laugh, even though I was already thinking how this would surely throw a monkey wrench in our well laid plans of capture. The basket hanging from his neck would prevent him from reaching the tuna, or for that matter any other food or water. And remember, he is totally feral,WE CAN NOT TOUCH HIM. So my pathetic little Miney begin pacing with Eeny Meeny and Momo on his heels trying to figure out what interesting object Miney had acquired. Growing increasingly annoyed with their attention, he pushed through the kitty-door into the garage and somehow in doing that he dislodged the basket and was a free "man" once again. This experience may have left him somewhat traumatized, for I haven't heard a meow out of him since he came in from the garage. He has fallen asleep and I hope he stays that way for a long time.

Now, what did I learn from all of this? Like Miney, I love the fact that God the Father,my Master, provides so well for me. I have a warm cozy house,plenty to eat, clean water to drink, clothes to wear, good health and so,so much more. My Father really takes good care of me. But often I take all this for granted and I want to receive this care on my own terms. Also, like Miney, if I look beyond my blessings to what I don't have, I complain about the fact, that although I have everything I need, I don't have the "ONE THING" I really want, whatever that may be at the moment. Then I begin to run from "window to window" looking at what others have and wondering why I can't have it too. My lack of contentment sometimes takes me to the same place it took Miney, with something huge "hanging from my head" filling me with anxiety and dread. I think God calls that "huge thing" envy and covetousness. Once I realize what I've done, the only way I can be free from this horrible appendage is to repent and become totally aware of and grateful for God's goodness directed towards me. When that happens I too am made free. And to stay free I have to stop looking out the windows with anything but thanksgiving for how I've already been abundantly blessed.............Shalom, Bebe