Stray Cat, Raw Eggs
We are all connected to each other—humans, animals, and everything in between. When we love one thing, we also love the rest. When we heal and cherish one another, we heal and cherish us all. Susan Norton recounts a moment that made her realize the importance of looking out for each other. She shares the story of a stray cat, some raw eggs, and the power of nourishing love.
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Stray Cat, Raw Eggs
One day after work, I went for a walk in the high hills of New York and it snowed. It was quite a drive in, I had to go up a dirt road to a wilderness area and park. I got out and there on the side of the road was a starving cat, meowing and meowing. I was not in a good place that day. I was sad. I was not happy. I didn't like my job at that time. I won't say what it was. It was a nice job, but it wasn't working for me. This is before I got into my shamanic services business. This cat is abandoned in this cold place, far away from any homes, far away from everything. I see this starving cat. I don't have any food for this cat. I don't know where to take it. I don't know what you do with stray cats. I've no idea. I know it's abandoned and someone has left this cat here to die. In my car I had twelve eggs. I found a lid, I broke an egg, put it in this lid, and put it down for the cat and the cat ate it and devoured this raw egg so I gave it another one.
I started to walk up the trail on this hiking path. There were gunshots. People were shooting some guns or hunting, I don't know. I'm walking on the trail and I'm getting near this cool place where you come up to trail, you go around a bend, I'm climbing up this hill on this trail in the woods and I'm coming up to a part where it's a waterfalls, it's on this cliff edge and there's a lean-to there and I can hear these gunshots. I call out, “Person walking,” the gunshots didn't stop. I'm sad because I wanted to hike and walk. Part of me wouldn't have minded being shot that day and died and killed because I was sad. My life sucked at the time. I began to walk, crossing a little stream towards the shooting. It was unnerving. They didn't stop. I never saw them. I paused and I gave up and I said I'm not going to go forward. I don't know who these people are, why they keep shooting, hunters don't shoot and shoot. It seemed like two people.
When you cherish, nourish, and appreciate your cat, you appreciate all cats.
Sadly, I turned around, gave up and started to walk down without getting to the most beautiful part of the hike. I walked back down to the car in the cold and I see the cat again. My heart is breaking for this cat. I can't help it at the time. I couldn't take it. I have a cat at home. I didn't know what I would do with another cat. My life was unmanageable at the time and I gave it another egg and I drove away. I left the cat there. It makes me sad because I love animals and I have a cat. At that time, I did not know that I could have taken it and brought it to a SPCA. I didn't know this at the time.
The only thing I can do is love and care for all animals and nourish, love, and cherish my cat because as I cherish her, nourish her and appreciate her, I'm appreciating all cats, even that one. As we heal and cherish one another, we heal and cherish us all. If something is wrong in the world, we can find something right and connect with that and send energy out to the ones that don't have that food or nourishment or even love. When I pet my cat, I remember that abandoned cat and this was years ago. I send energy and love to that sweet stray cat. Why am I moved by animals? I don't know. I care about them and I care about this beautiful planet and I'm going to do everything I can to take care of this and cherish and love the animals, wildlife, and people on this planet.
