Because the male was deep blue black with amber eyes and the female was snow white with ice blue eyes we named them Ebony and Ivory. They instantly became a very loved part of our family. We noticed that Ebony was affectionate and vocal while Ivory was skittish and never made a sound... not even so much as a quiet purr.
It didn't take long to see that there was indeed something "weird" going on. Ivory was extremely jumpy. At first I thought the woman we got them from had been abusive because every time anyone got close to Ivory she scurried away in fright.
At feeding time Ivory never arrived in the kitchen at the sound of a can opening but rather her brother Ebony would take her by the scruff of her neck and drag her to the feeding bowls. Ebony was very protective and nurturing towards his sister. He could have easily eaten all the canned food and let her get by on the dry food alone. I admired him for that even though I didn't understand why Ivory never came on her own... but I think Ebony knew instinctively what was wrong.
Because of their age Ebony and Ivory came to us spayed and with all their shots but I made an appointment for them both to have a check up as soon we got them. However it was over a week before the Vet could see them so we became well acquainted with the nuances of this odd behavior prior to that appointment.
When the day arrived I explained to the Vet what we had observed. Our Vet was quick to tell me that Ivory was Albino and therefore deaf. I was stunned. It was so obvious! Suddenly her behavior made perfect sense. Just the same I asked the Vet if he could test her hearing. He was happy to oblige me and confirmed that Ivory was indeed deaf.
At the time my son was age 6 and my daughter was age 4. On the way home I thought how difficult this news might be for them to understand having not yet encountered anyone with special needs in their young lives. I weighed what to say and how to say it in a positive way hoping that I could instil in my young ones the acceptance that all of us are children of the Universe no matter ones individual circumstance. It never occurred to me that I might be the one about to learn something.
When I arrived home that afternoon I let the cats out of the carrier, gave them their can of food and called my children in from the back yard to tell them the news. I didn't get very far into my prepared thoughts. As soon as I had explained what the Vet had said about Ivory my daughter began crying huge heartbroken tears and burst out "But God can heal her!" Where had that come from? I hadn't expected that. I stared at her dumbly. "We should pray" she insisted.
"Alright honey," I said, "you can pray for her." Ivory appeared in the dining room doorway where we stood by the sliding glass door as if on cue. My daughter sat down on the floor and placed her hands on each side of Ivory petting her as she spoke. My son joined her.
I have to be honest. I didn't really hear the prayer spoken by my daughter. I was too busy offering up my own which went something like this: "Hey up there, my children are heartbroken over this thing and now they think some miracle will make it better. How am I going to explain it to them when nothing happens? I need wisdom and I need it now! Is anyone listening?"
When both prayers were over my children continued to hold Ivory in silence and love on her for a few minutes. "I'm going to make dinner" I said as I stepped towards the kitchen. "Mom" said my son, "she looked at you when you spoke." I was sure it was just coincidence. I smiled at them, "Go out and play. I'll call you when dinners ready" I told them.
Ivory accompanied me to the kitchen where she watched my every move. The clanging of pans as I pulled them from the cupboard seemed to startle her. "How odd" I thought, "she's never done that before." Still I was convinced it was just hopeful thinking on my part.
The next day was Saturday so we were home when it happened. Ebony let out his usual meow of morning greeting as he rubbed himself on my legs. I reached down to pet him and told him what a wonderful boy he is. He "talked" to us from time to time through out the morning. Ivory followed him around like a lost puppy which was not her usual behaviour.
Just after lunch Ivory let out her first meow. It was a quiet timid sound at first but increased in volume as she discovered her voice. Over the next few days Ivory explored her voice and made noises I had never heard any cat make. She chirped... she squealed... she chattered... and of course she meowed.
My children were elated to say the least. "I knew Jesus would heal her!" beamed my daughter. I on the other hand went into analytical mode. Had someone or something called "God" really healed this cat? The thought was overwhelming. It's not that I hadn't experienced supernatural events in my life. I had. Yet somewhere along the way I had lost the ability to believe. Why was that? What was really going on here?
I called the Vet on Monday and asked for Ivory to be rechecked. Another week went by before he could get her in. The Vet was guarded and non-committal in attitude. Yes, she seemed to be able to hear but maybe she had just learned to "feel sound waves"... or perhaps she had been able to hear when he tested her last but due to the stress of being in his office was "simply unresponsive". Okay, I didn't blame him for his position. But the fact remained that Ivory's behaviour had radically changed. He had at least offered conformation that she was now able to hear.
Over the course of the next few weeks Ivory settled down and became by all appearances a normal, non-skittish, affectionate feline. But she had given our family an extraordinary gift. She had allowed us to experience the unexplainable. She had restored my faith in a universe of possibilities beyond my understanding. And most importantly she affirmed my children's ability to believe... What they choose to believe is of course up to them. As for me, I celebrate the mystery and beauty of Creation, as well as that of the human spirit, and I am grateful for that gift of life and all the miraculous promise that it entails.
© Rapture's Corner
(Please note the photo above was found online. I don't know the source to give proper credit but it is just too perfect not to use.)
