Damn, she was getting emotional herself.
She took her time with the kittens, getting to know each of their personalities as she watched them play. Patsy—a black one with white paws kept to herself, surveying the wildness with a touch of worry. Sierra tried to coax her over but the kitten quickly hid in one of the tunnels.
Colette came in to check with her but Sierra still wasn’t sure. They were all adorable, and any one of them would probably be a lovely addition to her life. But there was no gut pull to one particular feline.
Maybe it wasn’t supposed to be like that? Maybe she was silly to think picking a cat could be like her one night with Kane, when she was guided by a primitive instinct she couldn’t fight?
Sierra left the kittens and perused the other cats awaiting rescue. One by one, she looked into their faces and watched them. A few she took out and spent some quality time with. Her heart ached to take them all, but she was only ready for one.
She just wanted to find the right one.
Sierra was about to go back to the kittens when her gaze caught on the last crate at the end of the row. There was no card displayed with a name. Curious, she walked over and stared through the spaces of the metal.
Her eyes widened.
A gigantic garish orange cat sat toward the back, staring at her, goldish eyes unblinking. One ear was cocked forward; the other ear fell limply to the side like it no longer worked. She was like any other TikTok user and loved a good cat video so she knew about grumpy cat, but this one raised the stakes. The frown from its odd mouth was intense, as if the world had not only disappointed but destroyed. Massive paws made him look like a lionfish, but Sierra couldn’t tell if he was fat or just overly large.
If it was even a him.
Sierra kept staring at the odd creature, waiting for him to dismiss her or hiss and try to creep back into the shadows. A light touch on her arm made her jump.
“Sorry!” Colette said. “I was saying your name but you didn’t respond. Everything good? Do you want to see any of the cats?”
She pointed a finger at the crate. “Why doesn’t this one have a name?”
Unbelievably, Colette looked a bit uneasy. “Oh, well, he’s newish and a bit…difficult. Of course, he must’ve had a hard time out there on his own. He was a stray. Found him limping on the side of the road but he put up a wicked fight. We’ve been calling him Garfield for now. Jamal’s been working with him—he’s our cat handler.”
Garfield didn’t fit at all. The cat seemed to agree, because he suddenly sprang forth and hissed at Colette in a temper tantrum.
Colette stepped back. “He’s temperamental. Doesn’t seem to like many people” She seemed to realize she wasn’t being positive and a flicker of guilt crossed her face. “But I’m sure Garfield will be a great cat once he feels safe.”
“Hmm. Can I see him out of the crate?”
Colette looked like she swallowed a sharp object, but smiled gamely. “Oh, sure. Let me just get some help getting Garfield…out.”
Sierra knew if this lovely woman was afraid, she should forget this whole meet and greet and move on. But she stayed silent as Colette got one of the other cat handlers, who wore long gloves to protect his arms, and tried to coax Garfield out of the crate.
“Come on, buddy, we’re just going to have a quick play session with someone nice.” The handler seemed more comfortable than Colette, first offering a small treat, and moving with slow but firm movements. He expertly faced the cat away from him, lifted, and brought him calmly to the small meet and greet room. “Garfield is a tough one. He hasn’t liked anyone yet and may hiss at you. Don’t look him in the eye or you’ll seem confrontational. Don’t try to move too fast. He
needs some patience.”
Colette gave her an apologetic stare. “Sorry, I’m not familiar with Garfield like Becker is. He’s like the cat whisperer around here.”
“You’re doing great,” he said kindly.
“How long has he been here?” Sierra asked.
Becker scratched his head. “We picked him up a while ago, but he needed to be neutered, get his shots, and be socialized a bit. He’s had a hard time. Definitely not comfortable with people. Temperamental. Jamal has been working with him, and he’s now able to be handled from the crate without a problem. But I always had a soft spot for Garfield. You don’t have any other animals, do you?”
“No.”
“Good.” He smiled. “I can stay if you want.”
Sierra watched Garfield shake out his orange fur and stalk around, getting the lay of the room. Fascinated, she shook her head. “No, I’d like to be alone with him if that’s okay?”
“Of course, just yell if you need us.”
Colette and Becker closed the glass door behind them. Sierra knew they’d keep a close eye but she felt like they had the space to themselves so Garfield could be who he wanted. She took a cross-legged position on the floor from a distance away.
