The Adventures of Hayden and Shelby, 'Welfare Cats

When the cats got back from their outing, Pixie arrived shortly after, coming to the garage side door as was her custom for breakfast. The boys can still remember Dad’s excited cry for Mom as he looked out the door window and exclaimed: “Pixie has a kitten!” Dad ran to the door of the house and called again for Mom who hadn’t heard him the first time. Mom stepped into her shoes and rushed out to where everyone was gathered at the man door window in the garage and looked down. “Oh my! How darling!” she exclaimed at the sight. “What a beautiful kitten! And look, it has blue eyes! Why, it looks just like a little Aaron!” And it did. It was mostly white with a large charcoal and black stripped patch on its back and the same markings on its head, masking both ears and eyes. The kitten’s eyes were light blue and lined with black skin, so it gave the appearance of wearing eyeliner, just like Aaron’s. The only difference, other than the obvious size, was that Aaron’s eyes were green. Of course, it wasn’t Aaron’s kitten. Mom and Dad knew that Aaron had already been neutered when they had found him because of the notch on his right ear that was a telltale sign of the spay and neuter release programs. The vet confirmed this. But the kitten surely did look like him. Mom and Dad quickly put out two plates of food for their guests. Both ate hungerly, but every so often glanced cautiously over their shoulders to make sure there were no predators in the vicinity, and all was safe. Mom and Dad were touched that Pixie trusted them enough to bring her kitten to them for help. Mom and Dad picked up each of the cats, one at a time, so they could see Pixie and her baby. The boys were very interested and wanted very badly to meet them. This was one of those rare and special occasions where Shelby deemed it acceptable to bend his hard and fast rule against being held, his curiosity overcame his pride. Hayden was happy to be in Mom’s arms. Both cats watched intently, switching their tails back and forth as Pixie and the kitten took their customary feline after dinner baths. Just then, they all could hear the approaching shrill barks of a dog and the piercing screams of children. Suddenly, a large curly-headed white and brown dog and two boys and a girl in tow, making enough noise for ten, came into view and circled the front yard. “Oh no! The neighbors!” cried Mom and Dad simultaneously as the tranquility of the moment was shattered. The new neighbors next door, the Stevens, had just moved in several months ago, and had hit the neighborhood like a storm, disrupting their nice peaceful neighborhood with the same fury. Mom and Dad and the boys still remembered that day all too well. The cul-de-sac had been filled with cars, moving vans and a mob of friends and family who came to help the Stevens move in. It had been mayhem! Their unleashed dog ran unchecked through Mom and Dad’s yard, barking at anything and everything, a troupe of screaming, fretting children trailing behind him. The adults didn’t seem to care and paid no mind. They gathered in their own little groups on the driveway and porch, beverages in hand, doing more socializing than work and ignoring the chaos they created around them. Mom and Dad and the boys were irritated having their peaceful haven destroyed. It was as if they had just been descended on by an invading horde of raucous barbarians. The Stevens initial rudeness not only made a poor first impression, but Mom and Dad worried that it indicated a sign of things to come—and did it ever! At first, Mom and Dad tried to be understanding. They said nothing, realizing how difficult it was to settle into a new house with small children, and decided to give the neighbors the benefit of the doubt and more time, hoping things would get better. However, day after day, month after month, the situation didn’t improve. There were constant loud parties that lasted too long after dark. The boisterous Stevens used Mom and Dad’s property as if it were their own. They didn’t control their dog or teach their children to respect the borderline between the two houses and to consider the rights and feelings of their neighbors. How could the parents set a decent example for their children when they themselves didn’t even practice common courtesy? The Stevens only cared about themselves and what they wanted. It was as if no one else in the neighborhood mattered. They gave no thought of how their actions and rudeness affected those around them. Eventually, Mom and Dad discovered the other neighbors were just as unhappy with the Stevens as Mom, Dad and the boys. But everyone, including Mom and Dad, were too polite to say anything because they didn’t want a confrontation. So, the Stevens continued to take advantage. It got so that the sight and even slightest sound from the Stevens grated on the little family’s nerves like nails on a chalkboard, until everyone was on edge. Mom and Dad and the boys longed for the peace and quiet of the days, “BS,” before the Stevens! If this kept up, Mom and Dad began to think they would never be able to use their patio again. It would be impossible to relax and enjoy nature or the conversation of company above the din next door. Plus, their dog was a constant nuisance. It was as noisy as the rest of the family and barked incessantly. It roamed freely and was in Mom and Dad’s yard regularly, using it as a toilet and nosing through the beds and gardens. Dad worked very hard on the yard, to keep it neat and pretty. Now, brown patches of dead grass dotted everywhere. Mom and Dad were not only furious, but feared for Pixie, as well, afraid the dog would discover her house and hurt her or run her off. Dad was forced to finally say something and had a talk with Mr. Stevens. Dad didn’t say anything about Pixie though. He was afraid the neighbors might be vindicative and take it out on her, or that their children and their friends might vandalize her. Mom and Dad weren’t quite sure what the Stevens might be capable of doing. As it turned out, Dad and Mr. Stevens had a polite discussion, but nothing changed. And today was just another example of how nothing had changed. All the cats turned toward the sound in dread and crouched in anticipation, their eyes wide. Mom and Dad cringed. In a flash, Shelby propelled himself out of Dad’s arms, springing off his chest and joined the other boys who ran for cover to the back of the garage. Hayden started to struggle and growled in warning. Mom set him down before she got scratched. Hayden paced the garage, his fiery eyes focused on the direction of the sounds. Hayden’s tail slashed through the air like a whip, his body tense and poised ready for battle. Outside, Pixie and the kitten scattered, each taking off in opposite directions. Pixie ran toward the front of the house, around the corner and under the dense thicket of yews. The kitten took off toward the backyard, hiding under the shrubbery. Mom and Dad felt a twinge of uneasiness as to why both cats didn’t run in the same direction and started to wonder if the kitten wasn’t Pixie’s after all? Maybe, the two had just somehow happened to meet and hooked-up with each other? Maybe Pixie was just showing the kitten how to get along, where to go for food and shelter. Mom and Dad knew the weather was supposed to change drastically tonight. How would the kitten survive on its own? It was so small and skinny.