After the terribly powerful 75mph winds, snowstorms and blizzards, subzero temperatures, ice, and deep snow, I was hoping I'd find my cat again, the little frail gray cat I saw before the winter came. I had persistent doubts, and the question of its safety had been plaguing me.

Finally, after bitter months, the weather broke. I exited the house one day, headed for the pharmacy. There were two cats on my porch, one was brown with the face of a fox, the other small and gray, with twirly ears and golden eyes. It looked like my cat! It was fattened, and I was glad as it appeared less frail. This was due, I believed, to the rich Purina mix I fed to my own housecat. I'd been putting bowls of food out for the neighborhood cats. To my great joy, I found who'd been eating it. There had been two sets of cat prints and squirrel prints in the light snow on my porch. One set of cat prints was very small, and I had taken it as a sign of hope.

I approached the little animal and it kept its distance. It glared at me and said, "Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow......." in a monotone, about eighty times in succession. It was so f*****g cute! I replied to it, the nonsense you usually say to animals. Then I headed for the car but thought: the bowl is empty. It's been empty for days. I have to fill the cats' bowl. I almost considered not going. The cat could have been under the car. I thought maybe if I drove very slowly and cautiously and kept stopping, it would be safe. But then I thought to myself, again: if it's so stupid to get hit by a car it wouldn't have survived thus far. I headed down the driveway.

I was back within a half hour with my prescriptions. And lo, my little gray cat had been waiting! I secured the bowl, ran in and out of the house at blinding speed, filling the bowl in between. My housecat, Selena, was alarmed; she didn't move to see why I was handling her food. Somehow, the little gray girl or boy was frightened again and started to retreat. I set the food on the porch and shut the door.

I was going to check back in a couple hours to see how much food it had eaten but didn't need to. I had promised myself that if I saw my gray cat again, alive and well, I'd be happy. So now I am happy.

Now I need to snare it. Perhaps my Selena will like a little gray friend. I've been trying to come up with a name.