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After weeks of trying, she finally let me get close enough to realize she had no claws. If someone had declawed her, they must have neutered her too. Her obvious distrust and anger at me, led to the belief she had been thrown out of a nice home, to fend for herself, without claws. I have the upmost admiration for her.

The early risers who walk the pool deck with the rising sun, soon discovered "Kat". She now pretty much owns the pool deck area. I feed her at night and her adopted Grandmother Rose, feeds her in the morning. With the threat of Hurricane Floyd, Rose and I had a problem. In the worst case scenario, Kat would drown, if we did not evacuate her from the beach.

As Floyd approached, the day workers cleared the pool deck of all furniture, umbrellas, and other dangers. By the time I got to work, the wind was blowing and Kat was worried. She did not object to being put in the carrier and taken away. We left before dawn, to my house. I hoped Kat would not freak out when she saw my four dogs and four cats.

Kat and I got all the way to the dog kennel and not one dog had awoke. I kept her in the carrier and put the carrier in the kennel. Locking the door behind me, I felt she would not be bothered there.

When I got up after a few hours of sleep, I checked on Kat. She was covered with wet clay. Apparently, one of my cats had visited her during the night. I could envision Kat engaging in a "non-contact" fight that may or may not have impressed any of my cats. The result was Kat full of wet clay from the water and cat litter in her kennel. She cleaned up fairly well, except for her belly which she chose to clean herself. (She may have no claws, but she lets her wishes known.)

That is when I introduced Kat to Catnip. I suspect she had past experience. Catnip initially acts as a stimulant, but quickly changes to a sedative. I confess, I kept the cat stoned. She did not seem to mind. But, I suspect she wondered what it was all about, we had no storm. After one more dose of catnip, Cyndi and I took her back that afternoon, replacing her on the pool deck, and reporting her return to Rose.

I tried talking Kat into taking a walk out to the sea wall, but, she was already back in her special place. Cyndi and I took the trip and my heart broke at seeing the beach was all but gone. The only thing holding any of the sand, were the trees planted a few years ago. Trees that now had the roots bare.

But, I was also very grateful that we had only been caressed by that giant of a storm. I was here for Andrew. I remember what terror these storms can bring. As Cyndi looked over the still agitated waters, with the wind blowing more than usual, she hoped her parents, sister, and friends on up the state were as lucky as we were. They were.

As of this writing, Floyd is still churning his fury. Kat is settled back in, I suppose. I will see her tonight. I think I will bring her some catnip.

Here are some other pictures we took the day after Floyd passed South Florida by.

September 14, 1999

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