Our Bed and Breakfast is in business! Sort of. It seems we’re getting our start not for people, but as a cat hotel. We had expected it with our kiddo Kaz’s cat, which we brought home back in the summer, knowing Kaz would soon be deployed to Europe. But then two weeks ago we got another call from Kaz—“How about two more cats?” One of Kaz’s good friends from West Point, Ruth, whom we had come to know when they were at school, was just given word that in less than a month, she would be deployed for the coming year too. For whatever reason, Ruth’s parents are not able to take the cats, and her roomie, who had expected to care for them, also got word of a quick deployment, so Ruth’s two cats could be homeless! So now we find ourselves in the midst of A Tail of Two Kitties.
When Ruth dropped the two off, she said the black one, named Bagheera after the Jungle Book character, would likely be the quicker to adapt and more playful, while Texas Pete, also sweet and cuddly, tends to be more cautious. But a week later, Bagheera is still hiding in the basement. We tried to catch him yesterday and bring him upstairs to help him adapt better, but found he could have been named Greased Lightning for how fast and impossible to catch he is!
The one Ruth thought would be the brave one turns out to be the scaredy-cat. But Texas Pete is adapting great, and is cuddly as can be. I don’t know if cats experience happiness the way two legged people do, but it sure seems like Tex is a lot happier so far than Bagheera. Like these cats, we all face unfamiliar, uncomfortable situations from time to time. So often it seems like if we pull back and hide from it, it will somehow get better, it will all go away, or mama will come back to take us Home. But it this case, that’s not going to happen for another year or so—and we’d sure like to be able to help Bagheera have a bit better time! Meanwhile, Texas Pete was uncomfortable for about a day or so, but now he’s purring and playing, and even winning our Catain America over as a playmate.
I can only speak Cat a little—but I think Tex is saying that though he’s missing the mama too, he’s gonna make the best of it. I don’t know what Bagheera’s saying—he’s still hiding.
Our world is not the most comfortable these days, and crisis, such as the pandemic, only accelerates change. 
Two kitties, and a lesson from two very different responses to crisis and change. ‘Nuff said.
I so wish I could purr too. That would help SO much in challenging times! Rev. Jim
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear” (I John 4: 18)