Not Without My Mama
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats
By Jessica Reed

Cats are endless opportunities for revelation.
~Leslie Kapp

Thirty-eight. That was how many stray cats I had been feeding on the street where I lived. I loved them all, but I did have a favorite. A gigantic yellow cat with blue eyes had captured my heart. I named him Butterball. Often, Butterball would try to jump in my car when I arrived home or come inside my house. I wished that I could bring him inside, but it was not allowed where I lived.

One by one, I trapped the cats, had them neutered or spayed, and released them again. This cut down on the new batches of kittens, but still, week after week, I fed the large group of cats. Mostly feral, none of them wanted to be touched. They would eat in a hurry and leave, but not Butterball. He would stick around for head scratches, purring loudly. I noticed that he was always in the company of a small Calico cat. Though not as friendly, she was touchable. (Keep reading)