Kate the Cat Whisperer
I'm a pilot car driver, driving across the country to help oversize loads get through crazy traffic. They say the bigger the load, the smaller the road. I had deadheaded out to Bakersfield, California, and met my driver for dinner. I needed to find a place to settle down for the night, as we couldn't load until morning. I went and checked out the actual job site, and told the driver where he was going to drive into and drive out of. Then I looked up my neighborhood Walmart because I knew I could spend the night in the parking lot, sleeping in my truck. I put up some privacy curtains and sunblocks and, as it was still early, began to read my book. I saw a lady pull up in her car and open the trunk; at first I thought to myself that I sure hoped she was not going to dump trash there. Instead, the sweet lady had a big bag of cat food for the feral cats in the neighborhood. I reached for my wallet to grab some loose ones I had and slowly approached her. I didn't want to startle her or freak her out, so I just said, "Excuse me, Miss?" She turned and I said, "May I help you defray the cost of cat food with some cash?" She told me I didn't have to, but I explained that cats have a special place in my heart and I wanted to help. I told her about the special feral cat program I have in my neighborhoods She told me that the cats that she could trap and get spayed or neutered, she took home. We chatted for about 20 minutes. She went on home after doing her shift at Sizzler and I hunkered down in my truck, while keeping an eye on the cats all night long.