My Garden's Bumper Crop
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Cat
By Marsha Porter

One must love a cat on its own terms.
~Paul Gray

One summer, a gray tomcat settled into the small garden patch that ran along the side of my garage. Each morning, he would lie on the ledge beneath my garage window, soaking up the sun's early rays. Although he wouldn't let me pet him, he gladly accepted the food and water I put out. Everyone assumed he was my cat since he was always in front of my house, so I named him.

Lion had white paws and face markings, and a muscular, barrel-chested body. Rather than walk, he seemed to swagger. He appeared to be a tough guy with a neck that vanished into his shoulders. A friend of mine hinted that he was probably getting into a lot of fights, and on his peaceful nights siring far too many offspring. "You should have him neutered," she advised. (Keep reading)