I have to get this down before I decide I'm just making it up. And I'm not. Just ask Sophie. She'll bear witness.
A few days ago, Sophie and I were enjoying a walk around the neighborhood. About half-way down our street, Sophie ran under a neighbor's front deck and started barking loudly. It was her cat bark; I know it well. So I followed her, admonishing her to leave the kitty cat alone. When I got to Sophie, however, I found that the cat wasn't a bit bothered by Sophie's barking. The cat was dead. The cat was not asleep, the cat was not playing possum. The cat was dead. DEAD! He lay stretched out in a dead-cat position with his eyes half open. Sophie was barking right in his face as loud as she has ever barked. The cat didn't move a whisker. The cat was dead.
I pulled Sophie away and came home, very sad that such a pretty kitty had died of no apparent cause. He had not a mark on him that I could see. I was so upset, I even mentioned the episode on my Facebook page.
This afternoon, about an hour ago, Sophie and I walked by the same house. The same cat, the cat that was quite obviously dead a few days ago was lying on the porch as alive as he could be. Now, don't laugh at me. I'm serious. The cat was dead three days ago. Today, the cat isn't dead anymore.
Yes it's the same cat. Only two cats live at that house. A scruffy little black fluffy one and the bigger one that died, which looks like a siamese only with long fluffy hair. Sort of like that spooky-eyed cat in the photo above. They were both there when the big one was dead, and they were both there today on the porch when the dead one was alive.
I've heard of cats returning from the dead; but I've never seen one. My mama even told a story about when she was a child and she found her cat dead. She buried it in the garden, and the next morning, she said, the cat was sitting on the back porch washing the garden dirt out of it's fur.
I don't think I ever completely believed Mama's cat resurrection story, and for that I'm sorry. Now I know that a cat really does have more than one life, maybe even nine of them for all I know. Either that, or there's one foxy feline down the street that's an excellent actor with the ability to lie perfectly still and stiff in the face of a loudly barking schnoodle.
Below is a little ditty that we used to sing when we were kids, my sister and I. I don't remember where or when we first heard it. It's apropos of the situation that Sophie and I find ourselves in, vis-a-vis the dead cat that isn't dead anymore. The lyrics are a bit gruesome. Reader discretion is advised. It's called:
"The Cat Came Back."
Now old Mr. Johnson had troubles of his own,
He had a yellow cat that wouldn't leave his home,
He tried and he tried to get that cat away,
Gave it to a man going far away.
But the cat came back, the very next day,
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner,
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away.
Now the man around the corner swore he'd kill the cat on sight,
He loaded up his shotgun with nails and dynamites,
He waited and he waited for the cat to come around,
Ninety-seven pieces of the man is all they found.
But the cat came back, the very next day,
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner,
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away.
Gave it to a little boy with a dollar note,
Told him to take it up the river in a boat,
They tied a rope around its neck; it must've weighed a pound,
Now they drag the river for the little boy that drowned.
But the cat came back, the very next day,
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner,
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away.
Gave it to man going up in a balloon,
Told him to take it to the man on the Moon,
The balloon came down about 90 miles away,
Where the man is now, I dare not say.
But the cat came back, the very next day,
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner,
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away.
They gave it to a man going way out west,
Told him to take it to the one he loved the best,
First, the train hit the curve, then it jumped the rail.
Not a soul was left behind to tell the gruesome tale.
But the cat came back, the very next day,
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner,
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away, away, away, away.
Away across the ocean he did send the cat at last,
Vessel out alone today taking water fast,
People all began to pray the boat began to toss,
A great big gust of wind came by and every soul was lost.
But the cat came back, the very next day,
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner,
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away.
On a telegraph wire, sparrows sitting in a bunch,
The cat was feeling hungry, thought she’d like them for a lunch,
Climbed softly up the pole, and when he reached the top,
Put his foot in the electric wire, which tied him in a knot.
But the cat came back, the very next day,
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner,
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away.
Now the cat was a possessor of a family of a own,
With seven little kittens and along came a cyclone,
Blew the houses all apart and tossed the cat around,
The air was full of kittens and not a one was found.
But the cat came back, the very next day,
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away, away, away, away,
Just wouldn't stay away.
This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.
On 12/18/2009, Ruth Landon said ...
Great story. Garrison Keillor has this song on his recording of cat songs; can't remember if the lyrics are exactly the same. Having a cat in my family I know for certain that they do have many lives.
Ruth
On 12/18/2009, Andy said ...
I saw this cat you speak of last night when I was coming to your house, and also when I was leaving. He was sitting pretty as he pleased in front of his house. But I didn't know it was the dead cat. I wondered of course, but I didn't know. I looked at it and said to myself, "I wonder if that is the dead cat Mama was talking about?" Hmmmm... weird. Just plain weird.
On 12/18/2009, Nicole said ...
That cat must have been having some sort of fit, or was an ace at playing possum.
Your song reminds me of the old story "Taily-Po". The old man and his hound dogs keep going one by one to investigate the sound of something weird in the swamp. It calls out "Give me back my taily-po". (You have to say it in a really spooky voice). One by one they disappear into the swamp and are never seen again. After the creature gets the old man he calls out "Now I've got my taily-po".
On 12/18/2009, Suze said ...
tricky feline! They are pretty crafty...
my auntie who always had a bunch of cats, called one day to say she buried the wrong cat..a cat with similar markings to one of hers had died in her yard (it was really dead)..she buried it and later noticed HER cat was still in the yard..to this day, she has no clue whos cat she buried...
On 12/18/2009, Jan said ...
Your "dead cat story" made me LOL! We've never had cats, so I don't know much about them ... but if the little guy was indeed dead and is now alive, that is totally unreal! What a great story :) Love your Mom's quilt below and your "Sophie Block" is absolutely adorable :)
On 12/18/2009, kayellen said ...
oh my goodness!
I even commented on facebook about that...
Funny and crazy Susan~~~
Cats are so different the dogs.
Well all and all~~~ glad to know the kitty is OK:)
Still giggling
Kay
On 12/19/2009, Niki said ...
Oooooh, I know you're a fan of Stephen King and was wondering if you've read "Pet Sematary". This too features a cat who is brought back to life and it only gets worse from there. Don't know if you should read it now however. Wow, I'm getting creeped out just thinking about it.
By the way, I absolutely believe your story. You just can't make that stuff up (unless you're Stepen King of course).
On 12/19/2009, Kai said ...
EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW! Not sure if that's hysterically FUNNY (ESPECIALLY from the dead or possum-playing cat's perspective) or absolutely creeeeeepy!
On 12/19/2009, Rian said ...
Cats have nine lives, dontcha know.
On 12/19/2009, Barbara Anne said ...
Well, the 9 lives story must have started long ago when this very thing happened, once, twice, or ... 8 times ... perhaps ...
Vedddddy eeenteresting!
Love the song lyrics!
Hugs!
On 12/19/2009, Joanne said ...
Just hope he doesn't start turning up on your porch at night--dead or alive! I sort of wish little Darcy would come back. He's the only cat that Mo loved.
On 12/19/2009, Sharon said ...
Ok Susan have you and Sophie been hitting the eggnog a little too hard over there?? lol
maybe the CAT was playing POSSUM?? If not it used up one life.
Merry Christmas Susan!!!
Hugs
On 12/19/2009, Deane said ...
Wonderful story...I would guess it was having a seizure but who knows. SO funny.
On 12/19/2009, Libby Dillard said ...
WOW!! About 2 years ago, I woke up with a bad feeling. Our cat was sleeping in my bed as usual but something was wrong. I put my hand on her and she was very still and kind of hard. I poked at her and she didnt move..I snatched her up and her head flopped over..(this is a cat who is mean and bites) I started shaking her as hard as I could and she was just limp..my heart sank...I wondered how to tell my kids..shook her really hard a few more times..she lifted her head up very slowly, shook her head a few times, jumped down and went to her food..I stayed up the rest of the night watching that cat..she was just fine!!
Libby
On 12/20/2009, Beverly said ...
Susan, I would be rolling in the floor laughing, but I don't know if I could get back up.
Cats!!!
On 12/20/2009, Tina said ...
Oh my goodness. DEAD CAT WALKING. That is so funny. I wonder if maybe the cat is deaf and didn't hear Miss Sophie barking. Just wondering?
On 12/20/2009, Pat said ...
Maybe the cat had a stroke, and recovered. Funny little song - amazing what we remember from childhood! My grandmother used to sing a cat song to me - "I had the finest kitty cat..." She and I loved them.
On 12/21/2009, Violette Severin said ...
Funny, funny poem. I am glad the cat is OK.
On 12/23/2009, Laurie said ...
That is just so nuts!
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