Rise & Inspire’s post, shared below, made me realize the cat that had to move on from my care, the cat that I named Moggy, that entertained us on these pages with her antics and that finally attacked me one too many times, that same cat is now sitting on a threshold between me and me ever again taking care of another pet animal.

Ownership doesn’t come into it. An animal will either allow you to take care of it or it won’t. Moggy was at my place for about two years, and she never trusted me. Maggy, on the other hand was with me for about nine years. She trusted me enough to take showers with me.

A very high level of trust, you’ll agree, here grooming herself after such an event.

Over the years, I’ve had six cat companions, starting with a cat inherited with a student house; a dog, Jesse; a lamb called Tuki, that grew too big for the backyard and went on to become a lawn mower at the local sewage works; 6 black hens and one fluffy white hen; and various pythons and bluetongue lizard guests.

So, now, Moggy is out there sitting on the the-old-woman-caring-or-not-for-a-pet-threshold. Guarding against me ever trying to take another flesh and blood animal under my care. Because she is out there, prowling to and fro, just out of reach, mowling, reminding me of my failure when she thinks I’m softening and girding myself up for another go.

I wish Moggy would go off and have an adventure with the Hand of God, Maggie’s alter ego.

What If the Best Companion in Your Life Was Never Yours to Own?