The Big Cat

King Richard The Lion Hearted

“Meow? Meow?”

“Kids? Have you seen the kittens?” We had just rescued two kittens from an oil spill. Nothing fancy, just a pan of transmission fluid dumped over them.

We searched the hillside. Nothing in the garden, the dog-houses or the storage shed. Still, the plaintive kitten voice cried.

At last, the little fellow came to light in the log garden shed. His fur was dusty, and he had a festering sore under his tail. Presented with a pan of food, he chomped away.

As soon as he calmed down, we examined him closely. It seemed that the sore was the result of someone having attempted a home neutering job. We were new to the area, so I got out the telephone book and called around to find a veterinary who kept Saturday hours.

We then bundled everyone into the car and drove to the vet.

The doctor didn’t question our story, but he did give us a funny look. I could almost see the wheels turning-I was sure he thought we were the perpetrators of the dirty deed. His hands were gentle and sure as he examined the tiny patient. The little fellow was cooperative till it came time to take his temperature.

With his poor little rear-end so sore and swollen, he let out an indignant squall worthy of any lion-thus earning his name! The vet gave us one more suspicious look, but agreed to keep little Richard and take care of his wound.

Richard came to us in early winter. We had two older toms at the time; since I didn’t trust them much with a new baby, my youngest son became the little one’s foster parent. He kept his kitty house on his bunk, and cuddled the baby at night. The two became inseparable. My fears about the older cats proved to be groundless. They accepted the little one as a member of the family.

Richard grew…and grew…and grew. He finally topped out at 18 pounds of gentle, sweet kitty. Although he could still let out a blood-curdling squall at need, his usual voice is a sweet soparano mew. He is a gentle mentor for younger cats; he loves to sleep in the sun. The high-light of his life is the times when his “boy” comes home to visit.

King Richard the Lion-Hearted, and his three most recent protégés: Big ‘un, Spotty Wildcat and Brindle.