Magnificence Beneath the Surface

We have an older kittie at the ranch where we board our horses whom I’ve named Sandy. We know nothing about her history, but she has been at the ranch since we arrived 5 years ago. She’s very friendly and has a timeless, ageless quality about her.

She’s a basic looking cat with all the cat parts without the cuteness or beauty one usually sees in kitties. In fact, you might even say she is plain with a coat of blended back and gray without a faint striped pattern. She has skinny bowed legs that look as if she’s been riding a horse for too long.

Sandy’s beauty is easy to overlook because there is really nothing physical that is outstanding about her. Yet when you look beneath the surface, her beauty radiates brightly.

Sandy has a heart of gold. While other cats are sometimes aloof, timid or not in the mood, she is always friendly and eager to being petted. She settles into your arms and trusts you to take her almost anywhere. She is truly a good-hearted, loving soul-always.

Sandy is also a phenomenal communicator. She meows a lot to say “hello” when I arrive at the ranch and makes it clear when she needs to be fed. Granted, this sounds like pretty “normal” cat behavior.

However, I’ve had interactions with Sandy that amaze and fascinate me with her ability to communicate her needs and desires. The most frequent communication has to do wanting clear, fresh water in the water bowl near our tack room.

One thing you need to understand is the cats, many of whom are wild and feral, share the water bowl with the equally wild and feral chickens at the ranch. Chickens are not as dainty and fastidious about having clean water. In fact, they often scratch dirt into the water in their search for food.

Sandy is the spokescat for the group, waiting by the water bowl and making sure I see the dirty water as I pass by cleaning Destiny’s stall. After she has successfully gotten me to put fresh water in the bowl, she immediately begins drinking.

Another more fascinating story occurred a few weeks ago. We feed Sandy and a couple of other cats in our tack room, which is about 15 feet from Destiny’s stall. One morning after feeding the kitties, I went into Destiny’s stall to clean. After a few minutes, I hear a meow that was intended for me.

I look up, and there is Sandy, standing in the doorway and looking at me with sincere interest and attention. She meows a few more times as I continue to clean the stall, pausing only to say, “Hello.”

After a while, it dawns on me this is unusual behavior for her. I realize she is trying to tell me something and begin to walk toward her. As I do, she walks toward the tack room with me in tow.

Moments before we arrive, I think, “The chickens are in the tack room eating the cat food.” Sandy stops as we reach the open tack room door, and looks back at me pointedly as if to say, “Look at this. Would you please handle this situation?”

From now on, I pay a lot more attention to what Sandy tells me plus I appreciate her beautiful, innocent spirit that greets me every morning.  I realize she is much smarter and more capable than I previously believed.

Sandy is like your child, communicating with you whether you pay attention or not. She is also like your child when her beautiful, innocent, loving spirit greets you every morning. Treasure and enjoy your amazing child you have been given.