This is a story from a trip Tony and I made to Sicily in 2017. As valentines day approaches, it seems a fitting tale to share again. Not only does it warm my heart, still, to feel that maybe I made a small contribution to animal welfare and the life of one small kitten, but also how wonderful it is to share so many, sometimes heart wrenching, experiences with my co-trusty companion. Thank you for everything, Antonio. Ti amo sempre.
11 March 2017
As we depart from Siracusa, my mind and heart still resonates with emotion from the profound effect this small being had on me. On Wednesday, while honoring women worldwide, I was trying to do my best to be a good human. This is an excerpt from the life of a little kitten in Siracusa, Sicilia. He is among hundreds, thousands of homeless cats throughout Italy. I my not be able to save them all but I hope I made a difference in the life of this sweet gattini.
Thank you Tony.
Antonio Ranieri
9 March 2017
I was one of those who heckled the early days of Facebook. Why do I want to find out that so and so did laundry today. I take loving yet necessary shots at certain friends and all their baby photos. However, giving the course of Facebook threads, I can’t believe I’m saying this…more baby pictures!! Also, let me know if “Golden Boy” did not survive the latest wash load. Yes, another “Seinfeld” reference, not only because it was an entertaining show, it was probably the last time I watched a nighttime TV series regularly. Working nights and traveling have a way of leaving one out of the pop culture loop.
Today, an animal interest story with the help of a person who’s heart would rival The Grinch’s at the 23:30 mark…you have to look it up, did I pull a number at of my you know what or did I actually do some research…the person with the big heart, my companion and co-trusty sidekick, Susan.
We arrived in Siracusa, Sicily last Saturday. Our first walk out of the building that Sunday morning, we took a right turn, heading towards the lovely island of Ortigia. Unbeknownst to me, as I crossed the street, a woman with her husband and son were trying to feed a stray cat under a car. Unfortunately, Southern Italy is rather bad when it comes to strays, “randagi”. I read where nearly 140,000 cats and dogs are abandoned every year in Italy, the primary culprits, the south and Sicily.
Susan called me back and horrifyingly, there was a dead kitten in a plastic bag on the corner where the aforementioned woman was trying to help out the stray cat. That image did not leave us anytime soon. That evening around 10pm, we heard the cry of a cat echoing in the streets. Susan sprang up and went down to the streets where she sat for an hour and a half next to a young kitten probably no more than 6-7 weeks old. She surmised that it was probably the cat from under the car earlier that morning who had just moved a few cars closer to our building. That evening Susan was able to sneak out a little ear scratch from the frightened kitten. As it was late, the only thing we had to offer the kitten was some leftover plain pasta.
Monday morning, no sign of the kitten. First thing, supply run to the grocery, right out of the travelers guidebook to essentials; bottled water, coffee, bottle of wine and cat food? I guess not reading guidebooks has its flaws and I’m guessing cat food and Ramen are interchangeable.
Monday afternoon, the caterwauling of the cat once more. Susan leaps up, cat food in hand and heads out to the streets. Another hour and a half later, the hungry kitten having scarfed down the food Susan placed under the car and having drank the bottled water that I hurled down off the balcony. I’m not sure if a 15 foot drop off the first floor constitutes a hurl, however, for dramatic and figurative effect, I let it fly! This session, Susan was able to squeeze out a handful of gentle pets.
Tuesday evening late, around 10:30pm, the wail resounding in the street below. Once again, in a flash…the use of “in a flash” to describe the speed at which Susan moves, is one of the greatest oxymorons of all time, the tortoise and the hare would both be taking cheap shots at her pace…Susan was gone, sitting out on the sidewalk with the cat until past midnight. When they remake “Home Alone 2”, instead of the bird lady in NYC, they can make a version with Susan, the “gattara” (cat lady) of Siracusa, her worn out clothes and aging ski hat having paid the price for traveling with a backpack for many years on end.
When the door opened at almost 12:30am, Susan was not alone. After three days, the cat was finally worn down by Susan’s soft touch. By the time we headed to bed, it was past 3:00 am, Susan having gone back out to the recycle bins to fetch some cardboard for an impromptu litter box, the dirt offered up by an unknowing plant. Outside of airplane rides, the last all-nighter I pulled was probably back in school days. We lay down in bed, though sleep eluded us, the kitten, frightened and nervous, unable to go a few minutes without a restless walk around the apartment accompanied by its plaintive wails. Owing to it not being our apartment, we were, ok I was, a bit concerned about the decibel levels with the neighbors and whether the owner of the flat would have approved. A quick glance at his house rules indicated no pet bias plus a response to one of Susan’s earlier texts, offered a glimpse of caring from our host, his last message when it felt like there would be no help for the kitten, “I am so sorry”.
Wednesday morning, the kitten now exhausted by who knows how many days and nights of cautious surveillance, lay itself down to sleep next to Susan. First thing that morning, in my punch drunk haze, I headed to the small beach area nearby to collect some fine cat relieving beach sand. Carrying that dark, lumpy garbage bag at daybreak in Sicily!!…the few people I ran into gave me a wide berth. A bit later, I went next door where there was a dog grooming shop. What good fortune. I relayed my tale to Erika, the proprietor of the store, who knew exactly what cat I was talking of as she had also offered tasty morsels of wet food to the kitten. Erika made a few calls and a resolution was at hand. A friend of hers would come by later that afternoon to take the kitten to her home.
As the day progressed, the kitten became more at ease, not distracted by the outside sounds anymore, playing with a shoe string and bottle cap and above all slept, for most of the day beside Susan.
I don’t know what energy Susan possesses with animals, however, by the time the pickup was arranged, that little kitten had given its heart to Susan, as animals are known to do. No questions, no judgements, they sense love, they will return it in amounts that us humans should take heed of.
I went down at 6:00pm and met Erika at the front entrance to the building. She was accompanied by Daniella and her son. As we were about to put the little kitten into the crate, I realized from talking with her that Daniella was the same woman we had seen the first day feeding not only our little kitten friend but also another which she said was even tinier. No one had seen that kitten again.
One quote that Susan likes from “Raising Arizona”, “Sometimes it’s a hard world for small things”. Even with my trepidation over the circumstances, there was never a question that she was going to try to help the kitten even if those circumstances made it challenging. In the end, how lucky we were to have run into both Erika and Daniella. Even with my pleas for patience with our little friend, we knew that the kitten would be in good hands, although, we won’t know “the rest of the story”. For now, thanks to Susan, we know that one of those three kittens will have the chance for hopefully a long, healthy life full of amazing catnip dreams.
As I walked back up the stairs after letting the three guests out, the little kitten crying out as they headed back out into the streets, having to once more give his heart to a different set of humans, this will come to no surprise, I entered the room to Susan, who having tried not to get to close to the kitten, not having given it a name, once more easily succumbed to the heartbreak of the moment. I had already started shedding tears on the short walk up the one flight of stairs.
I think I can express Susan’s emotions from a song that I wrote at the end of our stay in Argentina, the lines directed to our canine hiking companions, Auka and Pema:
“Goodbye and farewell as I leave a piece of my broken heart here behind.
From this moment on when I look upon the Star of Venus feel this beating heart reflecting you”.
It’s a good thing that Susan has a Grinch 23:30 size heart since she’s left pieces of it across this vast world. I’m humbled to call her my best friend.
