Wild

“Got a wild tabby there?”

It’s an idyllic Saturday morning scene in the neighborhood. As I approached the wild gardened house on Clinton Street, I spied a woman bending over and pulling up plants. I assume these were weeds. I was going to cross the street, you know, social distancing, but then she rose, greens in hand, and strolled up the walkway to the house’s front porch. The house was one of those typical bay area numbers. In addition to the plethora of weeds and greens growing wild in the front yard, there were purple flowering vines and a miniature olive tree; the porch was painted a tidy white to the house’s pale grey.

            On the front porch sat another woman, I’m guessing her wife or partner, struggling to hold a large tabby cat in her lap. I know this cat. Izzy. I remember once stopping to pet Izzy and one of these women, I can’t remember which, it was a long time ago, warned me, “She seems nice at first”…We both watched as Izzy wound in and around my legs, begging for pets, “but watch out. She’ll turn on you in a second!” We’d both laughed. I had squatted down to pet Izzy, who showed no signs of attack. And then off I’d gone. Since then, I’ve been stopping to pet Izzy over the years on my neighborhood walks.

            But this morning. Izzy was not being allowed to come greet me? Or was her cat mom just being stubborn about holding her? Given what I knew about Izzy, I assumed that she was being held against her will. But why?

            Oh, of course, Social Distancing.  You can keep a dog away from people, just yank on his leash. But a cat? These animals, as we know, are more difficult to control. And, sure I could just be imagining all of this. That Izzy was just being ‘wild’. But a bigger part of me thought, she’s trying to keep the cat from running up to greet me like she has for years and years.

            And I think, damn, what has the world come to when you can’t even pet the neighborhood cats? The fear is so great that even these tiny beasts much be kept under our control.

            But they don’t like it!

            I’ve been watching Netflix’s Tiger King. Those Big Cats pace their enclosures, snarling and magnificent. And I think of Izzy. She’s not that far removed from her Big Cat ancestors.

            So today, when I continue walking, waving goodbye, her mom replies to my, “Got a Wild Tabby there?” with an entirely appropriate response:

            “CRAZY!!!” she booms out, laughing.

            I march on, down Clinton, yelling back, “Yeah, I’ve got one too.”

            And, it’s back home to my wild tabby, Clara. She’s inside only, so her social distance is easy. But if she were outside?

            There’d be no controlling her!  WILD!!!

            WILD!!!!!