11/18/01
The Black Cat Attacks

This is the fifth dream I had after the death of my cat, Pepper, on October 26th. (She was put to sleep after suffering an age-related illness. She was about 20 years old.)

I had this dream November 17th.

This is vague, and it was vague even just after I woke up. But here's the main gist of it.

I had a cat, but I'm not sure if it was Cosmas (the new kitten I got after Pepper; he's a black and white shorthair). This cat was like him, and was supposed to be taking his place if it wasn't him, but it was bigger and I have the impression it was older. (Cosmas is about six months old, yet appears full grown, to me.) The cat in my dream was part white, but I'm not sure if it was a black and white or something like a calico or tortoiseshell. I THINK it was a male, so it may not have been a calico after all.

In my dream it was around six PM but still light outside, just getting dim and gray as evening came on. (Just light enough to get around fine on a bike, yet just dark enough to not want to ride it down any roads!) The cat was near the front door, pacing around; it wanted to go outside, as Cosmas always does in real life. I went to the door, nudging the cat aside with my foot, and opened it a bit, sticking my head out over the porch. As soon as I did a balmy breeze gusted against my face (shades of "Darkness Falling") and I realized that even though it was November, it was very nice out for this time of year, probably in the high sixties, so there would be no harm in taking the cat outside for a short time. So I decided to do so.

I carried the cat out to the utility room and got out Pepper's (my old cat's) old harness. It's a yellow knitted thing we'd slip over her head and front legs and tie at her shoulders, then attach to a chain which we hooked to a metal stake in the ground. She was a housecat, so with this she could wander around outside unattended. I tried to put this on the new cat, but for some reason it was too small. This thing was a very tight fit, the straps that you tie at the back being nearly too short to tie over the new cat. He (it) was bigger than Pepper, obviously.

(Ironic because in real life I feared the harness would be too BIG for Cosmas, yet even in reality he's put on a LOT of weight!)

Anyway, I finally managed to squeeze him into it (I'll say "him" from now on, even though I'm not certain) and took him outside. I don't remember chaining him up, but I did so, and came back in, deciding to leave him out there for a while to enjoy himself.

Time lapse. Now I suddenly realized, it was after dark, and I'd left the poor kitty out there!!

"Oh dear," I said, and hurried outside to get him. I turned on the porchlight to see. There he was, huddled against the side of the house, a big white speck. He looked at me like, "HelLO?" I felt so bad, plus it was beginning to RAIN, who knows how long it had been sprinkling before I remembered him and came out to fetch him. <:(

I went over and stooped down to unchain him and bring him in, when I looked over into the yard, toward the front of the house...and saw a dark shape wandering around. It was a black cat. I KNOW it was not Pepper, nor was it her ghost, but it reminded me of her, so I wanted to attract its attention. I started calling it, and it noticed me and came my way. Yes!

NO! For as soon as it got to me--I think it was a male--it started attacking me. Just out of the blue. I hurried up unchaining my own cat and trying to ward off the other one at the same time, but it wouldn't leave me alone! I also tried to protect my own cat, fearing the black one might want to hurt him. He didn't seem very frightened, but then again, I wasn't paying much attention to his reaction, just trying to shield him while battering away at the black cat. I'd beat it off for a moment, then it would launch itself at my right arm again. I don't recall feeling actual pain, but I was terrified. I hurried up with my cat, untied him, and carried him inside.

I don't remember any more than that, nor what became of the black cat or how I escaped him. But it was troubling.



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