Thankful Thursday

I will thank you forever, because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.
~Psalm 52:9~

Today I am thankful for my cat. A little silly, I know, he’s only a cat, but I consider him to be a gift from God. He’s that once in a lifetime pet that I’ll always remember once he’s gone. His name is Riley, also known as Sir Riley the Cute.

It was nine years ago in early June that Riley came into my life. I live in an older house with a detached garage, and stray cats were able to get into and out of the garage through a hole under one of the walls. One day I was sure that I could hear some kittens mewing in the garage, so I went in and discovered a litter of four kittens in an empty box. I didn’t want to disturb them, and I wanted to be sure their mom was doing ok, so I put some dry cat food in a bowl in a corner of the box and checked back once or twice a day the next two days. The dry cat food wasn’t vanishing, and I was concerned about the kittens, so I brought them inside.

They were about 3-4 weeks old at that point, and I discovered they had a severe eye infection. Some friends who were cat breeders told me what to do to clear up the eye infection and I followed their advice, which worked.

I already owned two cats – Jasper and Tyler – and knew I didn’t need to have another one, so I determined to raise the kittens and find homes for them once they were 8 weeks old. Ah, plans. Little did I know I would fall in love with one of the males, an adorable little blue tabby who persisted in following me around the house and sleeping in my shoes.

When the time came to give the last 3 kittens away, I couldn’t part with that one. I had to keep him. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. That little kitten became my baby. I named him Riley, and he followed me everywhere in the house.

Nine years later, he still loves me and I love him. He’s not a big cat, but he’s a stocky cat. He’s a blue tabby with huge bronze eyes and the softest fur you can imagine. When I’m on the computer, he can quite often be found laying across the desk above the keyboard, and at night (only when it’s cool) he likes to sleep on my back.

I’m so thankful for this little cat. He’s a gift of love from God, unconditional, forgiving, sweet and affectionate, funny and adorable. I thank Him often for Riley, and I do my best to be sure Riley has a good life.

You can read other Thankful Thursday blogs at this link.