My Brave Natty Gann

You came to me, that fine Autumn day

Walking down that long shaded drive.

Right up to me you walked

Sat yourself down on my feet

Looked up at me, meowed as if to say

“I am here now, what needs to be done”.

You were my little shadow

There at the barn

Little black cat, with your white toes

Always at my feet, helping me do my chores.

Fearless you were, around the horses

In and out of the stalls

Under the hooves and bellies.

I nearly called you shadow

For everywhere I went, everything I did

You were there.

But your Brave little soul

Kept shining through

And you could be known as nothing else but

Natty Gann.

I feared for you

So home you came with me

Your days of being a ‘barn cat’ over.

You had a new job

Protector of my home

Guardian of the future kittens to come

Healer of troubled hearts.

You gave of yourself freely

Your kind spirit shining through

When your sick little brother Dexter,

Came to live with us.

You took him under wing

And as I nursed his sick body

Your nursed his unsettled spirit.

Such a friendly little cat you were

Loving company

Always needing to be

In the middle of guests or family.

Climbing into laps, sitting there

Quietly purring.

And such a flirt!

Loving the men folk

Lying in their laps, looking up

Gazing into their eyes.

Making those ‘goo-goo’ eyes

Until yours glazed over!

My tiny guard cat

Always alerting me when

Someone knocked at the door

By that low, rumbling growl.

I believe that you would have taken on a

Grizzly

If you felt you needed to.

And the time just a few months ago

When smoke began to fill the kitchen

From something burning on the stove eye

Three times you came to me

Meowing incessantly and

Walking toward the back of the house

Away from the smoke.

Three times you came until I

Acknowledged your alarm

And followed you to where you

Deemed was safe.

That unique little body

With your back end slightly higher

And that tiny stub tail!

The black fur that was longer

Than your actual tail.

That silky black fur that feathered off;

I called your ‘tail feathers’.

That little body that set you apart

From the other cats

Finally betrayed you and became

Your undoing.

Your back legs deceiving you.

The confusion in your eyes when

You had trouble walking.

But always, always your brave spirit

Shining through.

Pulling and tugging

With your front legs until

You were standing

And walking.

The countless times we did

‘Physical therapy’.

Me massaging and pushing on your legs

Forcing you to push back

To help them become stronger.

But with all of our work

And your determination

We could not hold back the

Ravages of time.

And it became time for me

To let you go.

My dear Natty

I can’t tell you how hard

That was for me,

Or how much I miss your

Gentle, loving spirit

And your sweet, welcoming hello.

Oh Natty, I am so Thankful

You found me that day

For I am blessed to have

Shared my life with you.

June 16, 2001

In memory of Natty Gann