Along the beach there live cats. Hundreds, maybe thousands of stray cats. Abandoned cats that bred and breed. Black ones, white ones, tiger stripes, patch-work, ginger, tabby, siamese, persian, sleek, fat, old, young, long haired and practically bald ones. They hide in the brush of the dunes when its hot , and when at around five in the afternoon the cat ladies arrive with their bags of food, they appear. Dozens of them curling around lonely old ladies with plastic shopping bags filled with cans and dry cat food. Each tends her own herd and some can become quite proprietary, like catty, when anyone else tries feeding their felines.
Kiki and Leila and I have become such cat ladies. Several times a week we visit our own gaggle that congregate near the beach entrance at Collins Park. We’ve counted over 24 of them. We have a favorite. Leila calls her Claire, since she’s perfectly white and quite girlie. She’s our cat. She comes when we arrive and sits with us and lets the girls stroke her. We bring her a can of soft meaty food while the other twenty something get dry stuff that K and L carefully distribute into several neat and even piles.
kiki and claire
“Can we have Claire, Mommy?” They ask each time. And every time I have to say, no, this cat wont like our candyland bachelor pad. She likes being outside with her friends. She’ll claw her way through all DJ Tiesto’s furniture. We’ll lose our small-fortune deposit….
leila and claire
“PLEEEAASSSE,”
“NO”.
And then there are tears – the tears of disappointment at the crushed fantasy of having Claire at home, snuggling on their bed, playing with catnip toys, purring on their lap while watching TV.
No, No, No, I don’t want another cat. I love cats. I love Claire too. But I do not want another cat. No more bags of litter, and changing trays. No more white hair on every black dress that I own. No, No, No.
We are, and will remain, Miami Beach cat ladies…
For now.
the poser
the cleanser
the fighter
Love in Time of Corona 
May 10, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Great shots of the cats and daughters with cats.
You are doing a good thing in the simplicity of giving food and enjoying community. One can learn a lot watching it work.
May 11, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Yes yes its a no no! I love cats too, but I’m done. Done with kitty litter and hairballs. Granted, I still have 3 at home, but they only come inside for meals and naps in the a/c on my lunch break, as they are trained – when I clap my hands they scurry, like little dogs, to the door to go back outside, when I have to go back to work. Thye live outside – what a paradise… gentle breezes, lizards, dragonflies, etc etc to entertain them throughout the day. They would get bored inside, perched at the window, longing to go out.
May 11, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Nice shots of the cats. But even nicer shots of those beautiful girls of yours. Sweet story of Mom and her daughters. oxox Vicki
May 16, 2010 at 11:12 pm
I love this story. Thanks. And maybe feeding them keeps them away from birds. They’re awfully good looking strays. Does Miami suit stray humans so well, as well? If you come to Maine again, Kiki and Leila can have my indoor only new cats to take to bed, new as of June 2008. The other two murderous but beautiful mongrel cats died. These two, brother and sister, Aldo and Luna, have never even had fleas! Are you staying in Miami for the summer. I actually like that heavy suffocating, stupefying heat. At least, I used to. Been awhile. If you don’t, then come up here! So far no tenants, but we’re hoping for some. I’ll keep you posted if you’re heading north! X☆X☆X☆♡