Barney

Barney came to live with us unwillingly. WE were the unwilling party. We were getting a cat for our youngest daughter. We went to look at two. One was Barney. We was a wiry, skinny, wild yellow cat. I didn't like him AT all! We had not seen the other one, so we went ahead and made arrangements for him to be delivered on Christmas eve.... then forgot about him.

We went to see the next cat. We walked in and they put a beautiful solid white ball of fluff in my arms. She snuggled up to my neck and began purring. I was won over. We took Polly home with us immediately.

Again, we forgot about Barney. The whole family was home for Christmas. Our oldest son and his new bride were there for their first Christmas together. The other three children were home and we had a dog... that was almost 8 years ago.

The doorbell rang and in comes this lady bringing a wild cat! He was meowing and his claws were out and he was wild eyed. He began running all over going crazy! I took him and threw him outside in the back yard. I did not know what we were going to do! We did not need a dog and two cats! ...especially a crazy one!

Our youngest son took Barney and held him and calmed him down and let him sleep in the room with him. If it had not been for him, Barney would have been a goner!

As it ended up, Barney became the best cat. He would come when we called, just like a dog. When we walked around the neighborhood, Barney walked with us.

When it came time to move from one place to the next, Barney and Polly moved with us easily. Even though they had both been de-clawed and fixed... they loved to go outside even though they were inside cats. Barney would sneak out at every opportunity. Polly would come and sit next to me and "tell" on Barney. I knew and would go find him.

Polly got out and didn't know to look out for cars. Barney grieved for her, and learned to be careful. He could hunt and bring back his prey to show off... (yuck!)

When we moved from Glennville to Blakely, Barney disappeared. We had the truck loaded. We called and called and called. He did not show up. So, we had to drive off and leave him. We told the neighbors and incoming pastor about Barney ... We just figured that he was gone.

One day about a month after the move, we got a call... Barney had showed up! Some precious friends loaded him up and met me halfway (it was a 5 hour drive one way). Poor Barney... he had lost weight and most of his hair. He looked so pitiful. He meowed the entire trip! By the time I got home with him, I was about to throw him out of the car!

But, he ate and fattened up and adjusted to our new home.

We moved him out to Oklahoma. He adjusted, loved it , made enemies of the birds and squirrels ...

Barney had a way of just coming up and loving you. Once when I was crying, he just very "tenderly" licked my tears away. (It hurt so bad!)

We haven't seen Barney for a week. Andy runs outside in the backyard looking for him all the time. We call him and call him.

I just hope that someone has opened their home and let him in and they are loving him. He is a great cat! He loved us inspite of us not loving him at times. He was always there waiting on us when we came back from a trip. Always saying "hello" - like he was glad to see us and missed us.

We miss him.... He was an example to me of the Father's Love... unconditional...