31 Days of Halloween

Here Kitty, Kitty

Hundreds of eyes peered at him through the dark alley behind his house. How many cats were out there? Where had they all come from and why were they all there at once? For years, Old Man Williams had been known to feed all of the strays, even taking some of them into his own home. If there was a neighborhood cat, it seemed to find its way to his house. Now, from the back porch of the dilapidated shack he called a home, he could see pairs of glowing yellow, green, and orange eyes shining back at him.

Yowls from inside told him it wasn't only the outdoor strays watching and waiting, they were ready to feed. It took him a while to get all of their food ready, there were so many of them, and they just kept coming. He couldn't let them down, they depended on him. Daily feedings had become a constant chore. Poor things, he couldn't stand to hear them cry and yowl, the cacophony of meows filling the small home he shared with at least thirty. He lost track a while back, too many to count, the number changing on a daily basis.

Since his wife passed away nearly ten years ago, he had taken on the cats for company. As a shut-in with exception to his own yard, they were his only companions. No family to visit, no friends showing up, it was just him and the cats. So he cared for them, and they became his family. The city would step in on occasion and try to intervene, but with the majority of the cats being stray and living outdoors, there was nothing they could do. They would trap a few now and then, and it would break his heart when some would be missing, but inevitably, more would take the place of those lost.

The house itself was another matter. With urban developers building projects around him, it was a constant battle to keep his home. He lived in squalor, the cats filled his home and yard, the stench from the cats overpowering everything, including Old Man Williams. He, of course, couldn't smell it because he lived with it for so long, but everyone else could. Developers offered to purchase the shack and postage stamp parcel of land on which it set and even took him to court. What no one had been aware of, Old Man Williams was far from poor. He had the finances to fight them in court. No one knew where the money had come from, no one asked questions. They avoided him at all costs.

After a particularly trying period of time, Williams succumbed to a heart attack. Paramedics responded to the small shack to be confronted by more than a dozen cats guarding the door. Hissing, growling, trying to scratch, they were protecting one of their own. Animal control was called in to help, Mr. Williams laid on the floor surrounded by the cats, but every second counted to save his life. When medics were finally able to reach him, they loaded him up and whisked him away. Animal control confiscated all of the cats in the house.

A week later, upon his release, he came home. Filled with emotion, pain, and anger at losing his companions, he called the animal shelter.

"My name is Jonathon Williams, and I believe you have my cats."

"Mr. Williams, I'm sorry, but we aren't going to be able to return the cats. It's not in the best interest of the animals, and it is a health issue for you and those in the surrounding area."

"You don't seem to understand those are my pets. I've had them since my wife passed away. What do I need to do to get them back?"

"Sir, I'm sorry, you'd have to have shots for all of them, purchase a license for each of them, and have the home professionally cleaned and ample space for each animal."

"Fine. Let's get the shots for each of them, and the license as well. I want the cats back. They are all I have," he pleaded his case.

"But, the cost..." she continued.

"I'm not concerned about the cost just get them their shots, and I'll have someone come in and clean the house," he argued, "Let me speak to your supervisor, please." He tried to maintain his temper.