Cat Tails: Post-Tibet

Clem awoke from a disturbed sleep feeling disoriented. The world just wasn't right but she was too groggy to figure out what the problem was exactly. She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts, and found that there was something huge attached to it. She tried to turn and look at it but it moved with her head. It was kind of like she was at the bottom of one of the tunnels in the big cats' play area, except it was stuck to her neck.

She heard a voice say, "It's okay, Gwyneth. You're just waking up from surgery. You have a special collar around your neck to keep you from chewing on your stitches. I'll take it off in a little while if you stay calm."

Clem thought to herself, "I'm not Gwyneth. The yarn lady gave me a new name." Then in a rush it came back to her. She had to have an operation before she could go to her forever home with the yarn lady. She struggled to get up, and stood on four wobbly legs. Gosh, she hadn't been this unsteady since she first started to walk, back when she still lived with her cat mommy. She tried to take a step and fell in a tiny miserable heap. Her belly hurt, she couldn't walk and she had this horrible thing around her neck. She began to cry pitiful little cries. "I want my mommy, I want my mommy."

A hand reached into the cage and very carefully scooped her up. Clem was gathered to the chest of one of Tibet techs who gently scratched her head and crooned nonsense to her. Clem snuggled in to the person's chest as much as she could with the horrible collar. Another set of hands appeared and these loosened the collar's ties and removed it. Clem shook her head a bit but it made her too dizzy. Instead she just snuggled back in to the chest and nuzzled the kind hand.

"What a sweet little one she is. I'm so glad she has a home to go to. I wish they did. I saw her new owner yesterday, and she looked so sad that she couldn't take her home right away. Don't worry, little one. I bet she'll be here as soon as we open tomorrow."

Clem smiled just a little and began to purr. Yes, today wasn't a very good day, but tomorrow would begin a whole new life.