Her eyes infected and merely skin covering bone, my Bobcat hybrid was near death, abandoned and left to die in temperatures she was barely able to endure when she found me. She literally cried out for help.
On my way to the mini mart behind the school where I took Tai Chi, I heard a soft mew. At that time I had a yard full of "throw aways" I fed and thought I heard cats everywhere. Without my glasses, I thought I was imagining her cry.
On my way back, she cried for me again and this time I began a search for the sound. It was then I found her, sitting on top of a car hood (the building behind the school was an auto body shop), eyes so infected they were closed (to this day she has vision problems), and her bones protruding through the skin.
Everyone at the school made a fuss over her, giving her food and milk, and I cleaned out her eyes.
During class, she wandered around. One of the guys said, "So, Andrea, what are you going to name your cat?" "She's not mine," I answered. "My husband said 'no more'."
As she walked to each person, they petted and spoke to her and when she came to me, I did the same and she mewed loudly and yowled.
My classmate said, "Not your cat huh?" She came home with me and I named her Wah Lum after the type of Tai Chi I was taking and to this day is MY baby.
I am an author and due to her "show off" personality, have written two stories about her. Being half Bobcat (which I suspect is why she was abandoned) she is full of fire!
Tampa, FL
