The Little Cat

There once was a little cat. This was a wise little cat, who had been left to fend for itself many times. Home to home, place to place, he led a transitory life, having lost his home at an early age, he longed for a place where he could feel secure but had experienced enough to know when the place he was staying was unsafe. The cat moved to a strange new part of the city - there were fast cars, loud people, and small gates around every garden. It wasn't like the places he used to live. The people here were rude, rarely stopping to pet or feed the little cat. The cat grew thin and lonely. One day, the cat saw a man who was new in town. Filled with the desperation that loneliness in an unknown place can bring, The cat ran up and grazed the back of the handsome stranger's legs. The man stopped, only intending to play with the cat for a little while but when their eyes met, something marvelous happened. The handsome stranger brought the cat home with him. He fed the little cat. They ate together, and when they were done, the man would tenderly hold the little cat close to him, as if trying to pull in the warmth from the cat's fur. The cat stayed a few days, finding solace in being held so close. Days became weeks. The small, abandoned cat felt he had finally found a home. Warmth, food, affection, a place to curl up at night. "Gatinho, I love you." The handsome stranger would say, and held the little cat through the night. Soon the stranger spent all of his free time with the little cat. The cat knew this was a busy man, with lots of important things to do, so the cat happily savored what little time the stranger would give to him. And though the little cat felt safer here than he had ever felt in his life, he still wondered if he would lose this home he had once dreamt of, this man that he loved. Time flew by, and though their life together became more routine, the cat and the handsome stranger had many wonderful times together. The stranger was from a very warm place, and had never seen snow. The first day it snowed in the city, the man ran smiling through the streets, gazing towards the sky with childlike wonder. The cat purred. "Am I your one and only?" The cat would ask the man at night. "Of course, Gatinho," the man would reply. "It's silly to even ask." "Will I be with you always?" The cat waited for an answer, but never found one that vanquished his fears. Nonetheless, the little cat was certain that this was the home he had longed for his whole life. Every so often the man grew tired of the frightened little cat's questions, and would leave the cat to sleep alone. This was very infrequent, however, and the cat was sure that everything was alright. One look in the man's eyes. Is all it took for the cat to feel at peace. And though the cat wondered at times If he could smell other cats that had seen the man, cafuné erased all these thoughts. But one day the cat was quite sure-the scent was overpowering. The man denied it up and down, saying anything and everything he could to make the cat feel better. These lies hurt the cat the most. It was so obvious what had happened. The cat looked back at the man, at the eyes that had once fixed upon his in an adoring gaze The little cat saw only eyes filled with loss and fear of loneliness; the love had gone out of them. The cat was torn between sadness and rage, and tried to eliminate any reminder of the stranger. He shook his head, yearning to rid his mind of the hopes that were dashed. But a strong mind is more often a curse than a blessing, and every happy memory was like a blade, which carved up the little cat's dream. And though the man pleaded. The little cat knew he would never feel safe. The cat left. He hoped that someday he would find a home very much like this. But he could no longer trust this stranger that he loved. And though he would miss the man terribly, the pain was too much to bear. The cat resolved to learn to feel safe on his own before. He would ever trust another man to take care of him. The cat knew he would have a safe, happy home one day, But until he finds someone to love him solely and fully, Le petit chat pleure sans cesse.

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This time you're wrong, Little Cat.

The strange man loves you more than you can imagine.