A Tale of Three

by BlackJack

Zsa Zsa, Ozzy & Zorro were three kitties who were the very best of friends. They did everything together now and were so happy to have been adopted into the same home. Now how they came to be such fast friends is quite a story! Zsa Zsa was a lovely long-haired calico girl, who had lived as befitted her name. Her elderly owner ground up filet mignon for her lunch and shrimp were normal for dinner. She slept on the finest sheets money could buy, and wore a diamond bracelet of her owner's as a collar. But one day, the elderly woman passed on, and the relatives wanted nothing to do with this cat whom they felt had been eating up their inheritance. So, off to the animal shelter went Zsa Zsa. This was quite a come down in life for her, and she was panic stricken seeing the cage she was to live in at first, and at seeing dry cat food in her bowl. After a few days, she was let out into the cat room of the shelter, and she spent her days crying in the corner, missing her wonderful human and her wonderful life. She was so frightened she hid from any potential owners, and she feared she would end her days alone.

Now Ozzy was another cat entirely. He had been a feral, shot at and injured and found almost dead. Although he had been rescued, he still wanted to be feral, it was all he knew, and he missed his tomcatting days of fighting and loving. When he had first arrived at the shelter, they couldn't even see his coat color for the dirt and blood from his wounds, but he was growing into a handsome brown tabby who now was filling out into a very large cat. He had finally calmed down enough to be let loose into the cat room at the shelter, and he stalked around picking on kitties and generally being a nuisance. He didn't mind having food available, but he was not happy.

Zorro was a striking black tomcat that had been born at the shelter when his pregnant mother had been brought in. He had been the runt of the litter, and even with the best food had never gotten very big. The shelter workers loved him, as he was so kind and so loving. They had even been known to hide him when people came in to look at kitties, as none of them wanted him to leave. But Zorro wanted a real home, a real family, and he was beginning to despair of ever leaving the shelter.

One very stormy night, with lightning and thunder crashing around, these three found themselves thrown together, and this created a bond of such strength and friendship that each of them would find their ultimate happiness. All the cats in the cat room were hiding out, as rain pelted down, and lightning flashed. Then, a huge flash, accompanied by a mighty crash, and the oak tree outside fell right into the cat room of the shelter! Zsa Zsa had been hiding under a low table, and as the tree came down, it pinned her underneath it. She cried out in fear, hoping some kitty would help her. She had never known such fear in her life, and her heart was beating as loud as the thunder. Ozzy had been sitting at the window, he was used to such storms, but he had never heard such a crash as when the tree fell into the room. This startled even the OzzMan, as they called him. Zorro had been sleeping in one of the cat beds, and leaped to his feet as he heard the crash and saw the mighty oak topple. Zorro next heard the frantic cries of Zsa Zsa. She was the only kitty trapped it seemed, and all the other cats had retreated to the safety of the little room where the litter pans were kept. The only ones who heard Zsa Zsa's cries were Zorro and Ozzy.

Zorro crept up to Zsa Zsa and mewed gently, telling her to try and relax and see if she was hurt. The rain had begun to come in through the roof too, and dripped right onto Zsa Zsa's lovely coat, and she meowed that she was wet, cold and frightened out of her mind. Zorro started scratching and clawing, trying to somehow move the broken table legs. Zsa Zsa might be able to crawl out if he could move them. But tiny Zorro was no match for those table legs, and it seemed Zsa Zsa would have to wait until morning to be freed. Ozzy had been watching all this with his usual aloofness, when he remembered an incident when he had been quite young. He had been trapped under a house when workmen boarded it up, and the only way he had been freed was when a workman came back for his thermos. That little act of kindness had almost been forgotten by Ozzy, but suddenly the memory rushed in, and Ozzy rushed over to Zorro. He meowed in his loud voice that he could help! The two of them pawed and clawed at the table legs, and they bagan to move. Zsa Zsa mewed to please hurry, she was so scared. The two cats worked busily, their claws leaving long scratch marks in the table legs, and as they worked, they talked. Zorro found that Ozzy was really quite a good fellow, he was just having a hard time adjusting. Ozzy realized that despite Zorro's diminutive size, he had a heart as big as the world, and was a very intelligent cat to boot. Ozzy had always scorned Zorro before, but they worked as one trying to free Zsa Zsa. Zsa Zsa, on the other hand, began to think of how nice a bowl of dry cat food would be, and she realized that these other cats were equal to her in all respects, and maybe even better, because they weren't being snobs. She mewed encouragement to them, and even started trying to help, pushing against the table legs with her hind paws. Suddenly, with one last effort, the table legs moved, and Zsa Zsa flew out of there like she was shot out of a cannon.

The other kitties had been watching this, and they then saw something quite amazing. Zorro and Ozzy started helping Zsa Zsa dry her fur, washing her carefully and mewing all the while. The three then proceeded to the food bowl where they shared a big bowl of crunchies, all eating heartily. The threesome then walked to one of the blankets on the floor that was dry, and they all curled up together and slept.

When the shelter workers arrived in the morning, they found the tree and the damage done by it. They marveled that no cat had been injured or trapped. They then saw this trio march up, meowing loudly for more food. Zorro on one side, Ozzy on the other, and in between, Zsa Zsa, limping slightly after her ordeal with the tree. The workers had no clue what had happened, but the other kitties in the shelter just gave that Cheshire Cat grin, knowing that something special had happened last night. Zorro, Zsa Zsa and Ozzy talked all that day, and they formulated a plan. The next morning a lady came in looking for a cat to adopt. She was lonely as her elderly kitty had crossed the Bridge. The threesome took one look at her and decided! This was to be their new human! All three of them! They walked together to the lady, rubbing her legs, meowing softly and looking up at her. They were quite a combination and they were so persistent, the lady asked about them. The shelter workers, knowing that these three needed to stay together, said they had to go together. Ozzy sealed the deal as he leaped into the lady's lap, and started purring loudly. No one had ever heard him purr before, and it was a mighty purr, sounding out contentment and joy!

As they were packed up into their carriers, all three cats mewed joyfully! They had all found a home, they had all found a friend, and they had all found themselves!