Marta Felber - A Cats Eye View of Life and Love by Sterling with Gentle Self-Help for All Ages

of Life and Love

by

with Gentle Self-Help for All Ages

as told to Marta Felber

LifeWords Publishing

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
www.LifeWords.com

Copyright 2009 by Marta Felber

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission in writing from the publisher except in the case of brief
quotations used in articles and reviews.

Library of Congress Control Number 2008905217

ISBN 978-0-9799214-1-4

Printed in the United States of America

Design: Tammy Ball

Editors: Anna Kirwan, Al Perry

Creative Coach: Roberta Lockwood

Photos: Marta Felber

LifeWords Publishing
419 Salem Vista Court
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101

Before We Begin...

Look into my eyes. Yes, I mean literally. Put a finger here to hold your place and go back to the cover. Stare into my eyes. Imagine what I may be thinking, and then return.

The idea for this book was born when M and I gazed into each others eyes and began to read what we saw there. I cant type, of course, but M can. She began to record what she saw, adding some details she probably guessed, and here we are, sixty stories later.

Why do I call her M? She says it is because this book contains my stories, not hers.

I agree.

How many cats are there in the world? More than you or I can count. Each cat is dif ferent from every other cat. That makes each of us unique, just as you are unique. But we do have some of the same thoughts, feelings, and experiences. In my stories I share mine with you. Purr-haps you will choose to share with others what they bring to mind.

The background photos in the book are from my gallery, showing me in many poses. The photos are in shadow form, making it easier for you to substitute a cat you know, or imagine. Another cat will appear later in the book. You may be curious, but please dont look ahead.

Spend some time with the Mewsings at the end of each story. You will find it helpful to discuss them first with yourself, and then with others. Remember a line or two as you go about your day. Try composing mewsings to go with your own life experiences.

I will meet you inside. Welcome to my world...

P.S. You can meet me on a computer, too. www. SterlingTheCat.com

FEARING THE UNKNOWN

I wait and wait for someone to want me. I have claimed the top shelf in the shelter as mine. I curl up and watch all the activity below, day after day after day. Cats and kittens are all over the place. Every day people come and pick out a favorite. The next day they return and take their favorite home with them. The shelter does not feel like home. Why am I never chosen? There must be something dreadfully wrong with me. Is that why my family left me on the doorstep downtown?

One day I hear someone say, Im M, and I am looking for a special cat. I know that leaves me out. I do feel sorry for her, however. The cats, and especially the kittens, pounce all over her and yowl. She keeps peeling them off. Then she looks up, straight into my eyes. She comes closer, gently reaches up her hand, and in a soft voice she says, You are so beautiful. You are the one I choose. I sniff her fingers and, in that moment, I choose her.

I want to go right now with this soft-spoken woman. But she leaves me behind. Will she return?

She is there, bright and early, the next morning. The helper puts me in a box. I had no idea Sterling was so heavy! M says as she tries to carry me to the car. If Im too heavy, will she keep me? I dont like the box, even though it has openings. It feels like a cage, and I want out. It isnt even big enough for me to turn around.

What is going to happen to me? I dont really know this person, M. Where are we go ing? Will I like my new home? Will I get fed? What if I dont like the food? What if there are no cats and kittens for me to watch? Will there be a place I can call my own? And I have to go to the litter box, soon!

I feel the car moving and I begin to yell, and I do mean yell! M talks non-stop in a soothing voice. I scream so loudly I only hear her when I stop to catch my breath. M turns on music. I yell even louder, so she turns off the music. It is then I see a finger pok ing through a hole in the box. The finger is wiggling. I sniff at it and stop howling. Just like that.

Mewsings

We can feel lonely with lots of others around.
We may feel not okay.
It is easy to give up hope.
We need to hear a voice that says, I choose you.
And the touch of a fingeror a pawmeans so much.

SLEEPING IT OFF

This place is big! I felt cramped in the shelter, but here I feel lost. There are too many closed doors. What is behind the doors? Here I have a small room where my litter box is placed. I have investigated every inch of this room. This whole place smells different. My food bowl is in the kitchen. That room is too big. I dont eat unless M is in the kitchen with me. In fact, I dont eat very much at all. Even though I didnt like the shelter food that much, I was used to it. This food is different. Everything is different.

It is so quiet, I can hear myself breathe. Im afraid to make any noise. I dont hear cats, or people, or anything. Where is M? I hear a noise. It sounds like a car! I jump. It is coming from the tall white box in the kitchen. I saw M open it a few minutes ago and take something out to drink before she left the room. Will the box chase me? I wait. The noise stops. I am okay, and I relax a little. What will happen next?

I hear something ring, and Ms voice, far away. Who else is in this place? Who is she talking to? Why havent I seen them? When will they appear? I liked M as soon as I saw her, but Im not sure about the other person, the one she is talking to.

Where is M? I search and search until I find her in a room I have not explored. She is sitting at a desk looking at a lighted picture with words that change, and moving her fingers around in front of her. I crawl under her chair and get close to the wall. I can only see her feet. She talks to me, on and on. I dont understand what she is saying. I am so tired, so tired. Her voice is soothing, so soothing. I must be going to sleep.

Sometime later, I hear the same ringing noise, closer this time. M is talking to someo ne, someone who does not answer. I brought Sterling home today. He has been sleepin g under my computer desk for over four hours! I wonder if he is okay. He didnt want to eat. He would not let me touch him, and actually ran when I tried. Do you suppose the yowling cats at the shelter kept him awake at night and he is catching up on his sleep now? I guess he will come out when he is ready. Id like to hold him. I hope he will let me.

I dont want to be held. I want to be left alone. I didnt like where I was before, but at least I knew what to expect, day after day. Everything here is entirely different. Its too much for me to handle. Im going back to sleep, for a long, long time. When I wake up, I will take whatever happens, slowly, and step by step.