Feline Heaven

“Thank you for calling Feline Heaven, how may I help you?”

Christopher frowned at the phone, “Uh, I think I have the wrong number. Is this the place that takes in un-homed cats?”

“No,” the female voice responded, “we don’t just take in any ‘un-homed’ cats. We only take in exotics.”

Chris frowned, “Exotics? Lions?”

The female sighed, “Yes, and tigers, and leopards. We take ‘em all in, but normally we get Servals and Bobcats. Ones that are more of a house cat size, but owners still can’t handle the wild in ‘em.”

Christopher looked at the sleeping kitten on his desk, his paper on the ancient Spartans crinkled under it, “Uh, okay. I think I have an exotic.”

“You think?”

Christopher nodded, then realized he was talking on the phone, “Yeah, he has stripes and spots.”

“Stripes and spots?”

“Yeah, he’s actually really cute and-”

“Sir,” the lady interrupted, “Do you realize how many domestic cats have stripes and spots?”

Chris was so a little shocked at her interruption and heated voice, “Uh…”

“There are at least twenty different pure bred domesticated cats that can have spots, stripes, or a combination of both. Then when you take into account the fact that there are a ton of strays out there, well, that makes hundreds of possibilities.”

Chris blinked, “Uh, I hadn’t realized-”

“Of course you ‘hadn’t’, no one ever does. It’s always up to me to identify just what species and breed a person brings in.”

“Um…”

“Look,” the lady sighed once more, “Why don’t you bring the cat in. I’ll even waive the exam fee.”

He frowned, “Exam fee?”

“I have exactly thirty different felines currently living here, ranging from a Siberian Tiger – the largest breed out there- to an Ocicat, which is an Ocelot hybrid. I have to find some way to feed them all.”

“Okay, well, where are you located?”

Chris quickly grabbed a pen and note pad and jotted down the address to Feline Heaven, making sure to repeat everything.

“Okay, I should be there in about an hour,” Chris looked over to see the kitten staring at him.

“That’s fine, but if he’s not an exotic don’t expect me to take him.”

Chris sighed, talking to this lady was a chore in and of itself, “I understand-”

“Good, see you when you get here.”

Chris pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it, shocked when he realized she had hung up on him.

He glanced over to the kitten as he sat the phone in its cradle, “Well, she’s a bundle of joy, now isn’t she?”

The kitten let out a soft mewl.

~*~

“Hey, Rey, how ya doin’?”

The big lion male pressed his face up against the cage and chuffed happily. I smiled and slid my hand trough the chain link, scratching the fur around his ear, “I had another guy call in about a cat today; says he’s got an exotic,” I shook my head as Rey chuffed again, “people need to take more responsibility for what they bring into their homes. They all want an exotic animal, but they never think of the consequences and just how big that animal will get when they’re grown, do they big fella?”

Rey chuffed once more, his eye closing in bliss as I rubbed the area between his eyes. I had acquired Rey four years ago when his owners surrendered him. They had thought he was adorable as a cub, but when he got bigger and had their Rottweiler mix for dinner they realized they couldn’t control him anymore.

So they called me and I picked him up and brought him here. He was my first official rescue and helped start and promote my business. Now I own about forty acres with cages scattered all over to allow the animals’ ample room.

It also gives me an excuse to ride my horses as I’m checking on all of ‘em.

I pulled my hand out of the fence when Rey suddenly stood at attention, his loud roar telling me that someone was coming up the drive. Since Rey’s fence was closest to the front gate I didn’t have far to walk, just reaching the front entrance building as the car stopped at the security gate. I waited while Frank opened the gates, whistling softly as a Lexus IS 250 pulled through.

Either this guy has a lot of money, or he’s got a bunch of debt.

I stood at the building’s entrance as the guy parked, watching through the windshield as he leaned over and grabbed something from the passenger side. I sighed as he continued to fiddle with whatever it was, pushing a lock of black hair that had fallen from my clip away from my face. It almost seemed like he was confused, frowning down at his lap.

I raised an eyebrow as he suddenly smiled, his shoulders shaking with the laughter I couldn’t hear from outside the car. He finally pushed the door open, cradling something in his arms as he stepped out. His light brown hair was on the longer side, as if he’d forgotten to get it cut. His button shirt was pressed, but untucked, and his jeans were a light wash with stress points at the knees.

He smiled sheepishly at me, causing a weird feeling to sprout in my stomach. I shrugged the feeling off and waited for him to walk up. He smiled when he stopped in front of me.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Reed; I called a little over an hour ago. I have a kitt-”

“Yes, I know. Where is it?”

The man blinked, “It?”

“The cat? The one you called me about?”

“Oh! Yes, he’s right here,” the man unfolded his arms, showing the tiny kitten curled in his large hand.

The little ball of fur raised his head and stared at me, the markings on his face and body immediately telling me just what he is.

I looked up to glare at the guy, “Where’d you get him?”

Dr. Reed frowned, “Uh, there was a box at the park. I had gone on a walk-”

“Idiots!” I cried out, flinging my hands in the air and pacing angrily, “don’t they realize what they’ve done?”

At my outburst the man had stepped back and brought the kitten to his chest in a protective manner, “Excuse me?”

I sighed and turned back to him, “May I?”

He reluctantly put the kitten in my hands, fidgeting worriedly when I lifted it for a better look. The kitten studied me as I was studying it; its deep blue eyes letting me know he was still a youngling. The facial markings are what really tell me about this cat’s origin, the black stripes that go down by the eyes and curve around the muzzle like a cheetah’s and the white rectangles running up the face.

I’m almost positive, but I still need to test to make sure.

Without a word to Dr. Reed I turn and enter the building, knowing that he’ll follow. Moving around the spacious waiting room, I head to the clinic. When constructing this place I had the architect put a clinic in every building; that way no matter where an animal got sick or hurt I didn’t have far to transport it. Once in the medically clean room I grab a towel and place it on the exam table, letting the kitten curl on it to keep warm. Ignoring Dr. Reed as he followed me into the clinic I grab the necessary items to do a quick DNA test, setting everything down by the kitten.

“What are you doing?”

I grab the small Q-tip and gently insert it into the kitten’s mouth, “DNA testing.”

I could practically feel the man’s frown, “You can do DNA testing here?”

Moving to the large cream colored machine I rub the cat’s saliva from the Q-tip to a thin piece of glass, “I have to, sometimes I can’t tell what species or breed people bring in,” inserting the glass piece into the proper slot I press the ‘start’ button and step back, turning to face Dr. Reed as he moved to pet the kitten, “though I’m pretty sure I know what this little guy is.”

He looked confused, “You can tell just by looking at him?”

I sighed, “Sometimes the ignorance of people amaze me.”

This time he looked shocked, “Did you just call me ignorant? No one’s ever called me ignorant before.”

“You can be ignorant in different areas. What is it that you do?”

“Uh, I’m an academic, I have a PhD in ancient histories. I just finished writing a piece on Atlantis-”

“See? You’re probably brilliant when it comes to the ancient stuff, but you’re ignorant in the area where I specialize.”

He opened his mouth to say something else when the machine dinged, signalling that it was done. I turned and grabbed the long sheet of paper that it printed and smiled at the results, “I knew it.”

“Knew what? What’s it say?”

I looked up, and for the first time smiled at him, “This just isn’t any old kitten. This is a Margay.”

His frown deepened, “A what?”

“A Margay. They’re normally found in tropical and subtropical areas. They actually grow to be about the size of a house cat, but unlike others of the feline species they can rotate their ankles 180 degrees, making it possible for them to climb down trees head first.”

“That’s… interesting, but what does that mean for me? Am I keeping the cat?”

I shook my head, “No, Margay’s are an endangered species. I don’t know how someone got a hold of it in the first place, but this kitten needs special care.”

“What kind of special care?”

I turned and studied him, “Are you wanting to keep the kitten?”

The guy sighed and reached over to rub the kitten’s ear, “We kind of bonded over ancient cities.”

I shook my head, “Have you noticed the color of his eyes? His size? When I was swabbing his mouth I looked at his teeth and they’ve barely grown in. I’d say he’s only about three weeks old. In the wild a Margay kitten is weaned at eight weeks. He needs to stay here.”

“Okay I get it, but where’s he going to stay?”

“With Mama, he can’t quite process hard food yet.”

Once again, he frowned, “Who’s Mama?”

“She’s my go to cat with any young cubs I get in. She’ll nurse this little guy until he’s ready for some meat.”

I walked over and lifted the kitten, turning to exit the room again when Dr. Reed grabbed my arm, “Hold on, I don’t know your name and it’s been bothering me this entire time. I can’t keep calling you ‘Lady’ in my head.”

I looked down at the hand grasping my elbow, raising a brow as I slowly extracted my arm, “Dr. Grace Harding, and mine’s a Doctorate, not a PhD.”

Dr. Reed smiled, “Hello Dr. Harding, it’s nice to meet you.”

I laughed, “I do believe you’re the first to have ever said that to me. I think my parasitic teacher referred to me as the ‘Bitch-Who-Has-To-Have-Everything-Exact’. I supposed it would have been ironic if I was a canine person.”

Dr. Reed laughed, “Well, when you’re running a place like this you need everything exact.”

I gave a genuine smile, “Exactly.”

Leading him out of the clinic we walk through a side door, stepping out right next to Rey’s cage. Just as I closed the door Rey came charging, roaring his displeasure at a stranger being near. Dr. Reed quickly stepped back, pressing against the closed door as Rey stopped at the fence, the big lion initiating a staring match with the Doctor.

“Rey, cut it out. He actually brought an exotic.”

I walked forward and blocked Dr. Reed from Rey’s sight, “Enough.”

The lion let out one last roar then backed away, turning and lying down.

I gave Dr. Reed a small smile, “Sorry about that, Rey gets a little territorial.”

“A little?” he choked out between gasps of breath, “He almost ran through the fence!”

I watched as he took a deep breath, silently laughing at his muttered, “Someone specializing in ancient, dead cities shouldn’t have to put up with hungry, charging lions…”

I chuckled, “C’mon, Rambo, let’s get this little guy to Mama.”

As we walked past Rey’s cage and onto the well-worn path a realization struck me.

I’ve never laughed or smiled this much with someone I’ve known for less than an hour.

I frowned as we rounded Mama’s cage, not quite sure that this is a good thing. Not a lot of people can put up with my OCD type ways, not to mention the fact that I can be pretty conceited when it comes to my work. When I give discussions at the local University a lot of the students and staff know not to question me.

Sighing and holding the kitten closer I walk in front of Mama’s cage, “Stay behind the rope barrier, she can get pretty protective over those she considers hers.”

Stepping up to the fence I hold the kitten out, “Mama, guess who’s here to say hello.”

I waited, knowing that Mama could see me, making sure to stay still. After a few minutes Mama’s black nosed pushed out from behind the green foliage that decorated her cage. Soon enough the rest of her followed and I had a fully grown black leopard rubbing against the fence. She let out short purring sounds as she focused on the kitten, letting me know she accepts him as her own. I smiled and stepped back, walking to Dr. Reed’s side.

“This is great; I knew she’d respond this way.”

“What does that mean?”

I looked at him, “It means she’ll nurse this little guy until he’s ready to wean.”

“Why?” his confused frown is starting to grow on me, “he’s not her baby.”

I shrugged, “I really don’t know. Some animals will just accept strange cubs and others won’t.”

Not waiting for him to respond I walk to the back of the cage, moving to unlock the door. Stepping inside Mama’s home I smile as she comes up to greet me, rubbing and purring against my legs.

“Hey girl, do you want your new baby?”

She lightly chuffed, pushing her nose against my arms.

“Okay, okay. Here ya go.”

Setting the cub down my smile widens when she grabs him and heads to her favorite tree limb. Walking out of the cage I relock the door, making sure it was secured before I walked back to Dr. Reed’s side.

“He’s going to be okay, right?”

I turned and watched him as he scanned the foliage, looking for Mama and her new cub, “Yeah, she’ll take good care of him.”

Dr. Reed glanced at me, his green eyes worried, “Are you sure? She’s not going to eat him?”

I laughed, “No, she’s successfully nursed three of my cats, all different species. She even tried to nurse my nephew’s puppy last week.”

That made the worry leave his eyes, replaced with amusement, “You’re kidding. Wouldn’t she want to eat him?”

“Her, and no. She had just been weaned and Mama thought one last bit of milk wouldn’t hurt.”

Dr. Reed nodded and looked back into Mama’s cage, “I suppose I can leave him here, knowing that he’s being taken care of.”

I studied him, “You really have attached yourself to him, haven’t you?”

Dr. Reed sighed, “It was nice having someone else there to listen to my ramblings on where Atlantis truly sank.”

I smiled, “You love your job, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m obsessed with it.”

“Sounds like me and my cats.”

He smiled at me, “You’re doing a nice thing here, taking in all these animals.”

I returned his smile, “I know; it’s always been my dream to help protect the endangered and misunderstood. I’ve just gravitated to the felines because my grandmother always had cats. Now my mom calls me the ‘Crazy-Cat-Lady-On-Steroids’.”

His brow raised, “Single Crazy-Cat-Lady?”

“Yes, sing- why?” I narrowed my eyes, just now realizing his question.

Dr. Reed’s smile was full of charm, “Well, it’s almost time for dinner and I was hoping you’d accompany me.”

“Dinner? A date?”

Dr. Reed shrugged, “I never said date, but if you want to look at it that way…”

He trailed off, still smiling at me with his bright green eyes.

A date. He’s asking me out on a date. I haven’t been on one of those since I started Feline Heaven, so focused on my work that my personal life was pushed back.

But no one’s ever been able to make me laugh as many times as this guy, either

“Okay,” I said quickly, almost afraid I’ll change my mind, “I’ll go with you to dinner.”

“Great, but one thing, I insist we use our first names. This is a date,” he held his hand out, “Hello, I’m Christopher.”

I took his hand, his palm warm with invitation, “Grace, it’s nice to meet you.”