Callie Smith Grant - Second-Chance Cats: True Stories of the Cats We Rescue and the Cats Who Rescue Us

Callie Smith Grant

I have had many cats in my lifetime, and they were seldom chosen. Many showed up at my door somehow, or an unfortunate situation presented itself, and a strange cat became my cat. They got a second chance at life, and I got a new friend.

The first cat I remember was a feral black tom, though my grandmother called him wild. He would sit outside the kitchen window, leaning against the glass for warmth, and that wild boy would watch me, the small child, eye to eye. I could never pet him, but even through the window, I felt he was my friend. Over the years, various stray cats showed up at my familys country homesilvery grays, tabbies, and gingers. They moved in and became my buddies. My mother rescued a pretty tuxedo girl from a situation we would call animal hoarding today, and that cat slept on my bed every night during my teenage years. When I was in college, my roommate saw someone throw a pillowcase from a moving cara pillowcase full of three terrified kittens, all of whom we kept and loved. And there were many more.

For twenty years, I have been writing about these animals, and for much of that time I have also collected other writers true stories for book compilations about cats, dogs, or horses. A few years ago, I approached my publisher with an idea of compiling true stories about animals of many species who rescue humans in some way. Was the publisher interested?

Kind of.

The publishing committee liked the rescue theme, but they preferred the book be only about dogs. I considered that, then suggested two compilations insteadone about rescue dogs and one about rescue cats. The committee responded that they still wanted only the dog book because people dont think of cats as rescuers.

Hmmm. I understood why they said that, and I realized I had work to do. The second part of being a rescue cat is getting the chance to pay good things forward to their humans and even rescue them in various ways. Id seen that happen.

We went ahead with the dog book, which became Second-Chance Dogs. Later I brought up the cat idea again, this time with a broader meaning of the word rescue . I included a couple of true narratives that showed how some humans rescue cats and how these cats rescued them back in their unique feline ways. The committee saw this as something exciting to sell, and that book became Second-Chance Cats . Simply defined, these are the cats who show upfor a new home or a new relationship. Then they show up againto provide companionship, respite, stability, and more.

In this collection of true stories, some cats are rescued from shelters. Some are plucked from homeless litters. Cats are rescued from parking lots and even from a big box store. One little guy is literally snatched up from the middle of a road. Sometimes a child brings home a cat, sometimes a spouse brings one home, sometimes another animal brings home the cat. Or sometimes the cats, being proactive kinds of beasts, decide for themselves whos going to rescue them by arriving at the right place, right time. Or the right place, wrong time, and thats another story...

We meet cats from humane societies and shelters, kittens being sold out of a box, cats presenting themselves at the worst time or at the best time. Sometimes they travel long distances to arrive at a doorstep by mysterious, sometimes jaw-dropping, means. They help with the care of humans and sometimes other animals.

We also meet cats with physical disabilities who make wonderful pets. Cats with blindness, deafness. Cats with diseases kept at bay who live full and happy lives. Amazing feral cats who develop community relationships with each other. Cats who turn people from cat-neutral to cat-positive. Cats who clearly improve the daily lives of those who know them.

So do cats rescue? You bet they do, and youll read about them here. It can be subtle when they let humans know something is amiss and needs tending. They pay forward the consideration given them by rescuing children and adults from loneliness. They help the young, the aged, the physically impaired, the mentally ill. A few times, in this book, the rescue is more direct. A cat finds an abandoned litter of kittens that humans are searching for. A cat helps a couple of humans stay alive. Literally. And some of these cats help each other too.

So the committee got the book they believed they could sell. Storytellers got to honor their cats by telling their stories. And I had the privilege of pulling together a heartwarming collection. If you know and love cats, I am happy to report that you are about to meet some very cool catssome who may seem familiar to you and some so amazing you couldnt imagine them existing. That happened to me, and Ive been a cat lover since I was a toddler.

I know these are stories youll love to read and pass along. Enjoy!