Ever been adopted by an animal? I have, many times. Don't know why. Must be my peaceful nature -- if you know me, that's making you chuckle. In recent months, I've been claimed by a wild cat. He has lived on my ranch since he was a very small kitten. Someone saw a ranch and threw him out. It's a miracle he survived the coyotes, the birds of prey, the bobcats, and the assortment of dogs who roam. He's always been illusive. He'd play in the yard, and hightail it into the trees if I went outside. Or he'd nap beside the woodpile, and vanish when my work took me too near his safety zone. He's survived cold freezing snowy winters. He's beat starvation and dehydration in a land that can be unforgiving. And now he's decided I'm his person. One day he was sleeping on my tractor, which is his favorite sleeping location. While I swept the porch he woke up, ambled over, and began chatting. It was meow this, meow that, meow, meow, meow. He had years of stories, which he shared. I sat in a big rocking chair, and he jumped into my lap and continued his stories. I fetched him a bowl of milk and a can of tuna. He's made a home on the porch. Has his own bed now, his own bowls which are always full, and he seems quite happy to have found a person worth adopting. I am honored.
