blizzardbox | Something Something cats

karappo posting in

[It had been about two weeks since he'd found himself in this shelter. There were animals of all sorts, but mostly they took in cats and dogs with cats being kept in their own area more securely inside as opposed to where the dogs were. Small cage-like kennels that they stayed in until they were adopted or fostered, this sort being a no-kill shelter.

They just had no clue, somehow, that one of the "cats" that a family had brought in to them was no cat at all.

Karamatsu would say that, overall, he didn't really mind this place too much. Sometimes it got loud and he got very lonely without his family, but it was something like an extended vacation, wasn't it? That's what they'd told him, anyway. And being too young to really understand it as anything else (while knowing his parents were too big to actually get inside such a small kennel with him), he wasn't too bothered by knowing they weren't immediately with him. After seeing his fellow kennel mates and other cats being taken away every day, it brought him to the realization that the only way to find his family again would be to get someone to take him out.

That's how Karamatsu learned to start making himself as obvious as he could, strutting in front of the cage bars and meowing as loud as he could, though...people didn't seem to react well to his attempts at being cute. He didn't meow so much as yowl, and it wasn't very appealing to prospective adopters. He had an unusual coat, too- orange/yellow with dark black stripes, white patches on his belly and neck...he was really odd for a cat.

But he wasn't going to give up. Someone would come along, if his parents didn't first.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

ichimyatsu

That's what I'm trying to tell you, they aren't coming back. You were surrendered. That's not a "hold my kid and I'll come back for him" sentence.

[He keeps walking, shifting his grip to allow Karamatsu to fuss as he will, but making sure he still has a hold on him.]

From:

karappo

You don't know that! Why should I- believe you!

[Karamatsu shrills, clawing at Ichimatsu's shoulder until he's managed to turn himself around all the way, his paws near his ear so he can look over his shoulder at the building receding in the distance. He huffs a few times in frustration, but the further they get away, the less he tries to fight. Eventually, the little tiger seems to give in as he goes boneless and drops his head on Ichimatsu's shoulder, whimpering faintly in the back of his throat.]

From:

ichimyatsu

Shhh.

[He lets him shrill, lets him shout and get upset, shifting his grip to make him comfortable where he settles. The walk isn't far to his apartment, and soon enough he's hefting him carefully into one arm to unlock the door of a small but comfortable-looking space.]

Look, we can try to find your parents. But I'm not gonna leave you in a shelter where the owner thinks you're a tabby.

From:

karappo

[That's probably for the best; it's doubtful Karamatsu even knew what they meant when they kept calling him a tabby. He doesn't seem sure how to respond to that, either...because as much as he would love to find them, it has been an abnormally long time. It's very possible they aren't even in the city anymore.

Karamatsu looks around as Ichimatsu walks inside, not yet taking his head away from his shoulder. It's a lot less open and loud than the shelter was, so he's not immediately frozen in fear the moment they're inside.

He doesn't say anything else for the time being, sniffing and burying his face against his shoulder.]

From:

ichimyatsu

[He drops the carrier somewhere inside and immediately moves to the table propped against the wall-- he rolls it into the center of the room and sets it on its feet, nudging a floor pillow with his foot and settling on it. He continues to support Karamatsu against his shoulder, unearthing a banged up grey flip phone covered in worn paw print stickers from his pocket and clicking through his mail.]

What do you like to eat, anyway? Tigers eat meat, I figure, so they probably weren't feeding you right in the shelter.

From:

karappo

[The tiger nods a little, his tail curling up close to his body.]

T...there was this...hard stuff. It wasn't good...

[They were trying to feed a tiger cub your generic kibble, which he did eat, but it also caused him to lose a few pounds.]

From:

ichimyatsu

Little crunchy bits? I figured as much. It's usually relatively low-grade stuff, too, since they mostly depend on donations for what they buy... [He scritches between his shoulder blades idly.]

I won't be able to have you on a completely raw diet, but I can at least feed you better than that.

From:

karappo

[The scratching is soothing, and it manages to stave off any potential tantrum or crisis bubbling beneath the surface. His entire world has been turned upside down, and yet here is somebody who is actually talking to him, playing with him, instead of shoving food and water through bars at him.]

...s'that why you..."adopted" me, Ichimatsu? So I wouldn't have to eat hard stuff or get barked at anymore?

From:

ichimyatsu

[One corner of his mouth quirks for a moment and he shrugs.]

I don't like seeing animals mistreated.

From:

karappo

[Karamatsu turns around finally in Ichimatsu's arms, no longer perched on his shoulder but instead resting his head against his forearm. His paws idly push at Ichimatsu's stomach, kneading.]

...why did they leave me there?

[It's quiet, more to himself than an actual question.]

From:

ichimyatsu

[He fairly immediately starts scritching behind his ears again.]

There could be any number of reasons, really. But it's not your fault.

From:

karappo

[Oh...in spite of himself, that makes Karamatsu start purring. Actually, Tigers can't purr. So instead, he's letting out little chuffs, rubbing his head against Ichimatsu's hand.]

It's not?

[He loves his parents too much to believe they didn't want him, but...it still hurts.]

From:

ichimyatsu

Nah. Sometimes parents just make decisions without really thinking about their kids.

[He keeps that up, then, finding himself steadily more and more unwilling to release the warmth that his little tiger body gives off.]

From:

karappo

[That makes sense...he guesses. But that doesn't mean he's going to be at all happy about it. Quite the opposite, actually.

It's also a good thing Ichimatsu doesn't want to let go, because now Karamatsu is pretty much burrowing himself against the front of his parka, his eyes screwed shut.]

It's not fair...

From:

ichimyatsu

Shh-hh. I'm not great dad material, but I do have a couple brothers, sort-of two of which are younger than me. Family doesn't have to be blood. ...or species, I guess.

[He's frowning at himself, but still scritching to try to help keep him grounded.]

From:

karappo

[He feels like he's heard that before, somewhere...maybe on TV, or something. It doesn't make him feel a whole lot better, but he's at least glad he's not alone. He didn't have any siblings, it was just him, mom, and dad...

Now it's just him. And Ichimatsu.

And something about that thought finally just...hits him the right way to cause him to burst into tears, his distressed caterwauling muffled by Ichimatsu's clothes.]

From:

ichimyatsu

[...oh. That's... That's kind of an awful sound, even if it weren't pulling the few heartstrings he had. He shifts, gathering Karamatsu up and folding himself on the cushion to bracket him on all sides, shushing him quietly.]

From:

karappo

[Karamatsu ends up crying like that for a little while, but it doesn't last long. He spends what was left of his energy pretty quickly, sounding less like a noisy tabby and more like a cat stuck in a washing machine for a bit there. But eventually he calms down, feeling somewhat better for having broken down. Now he just lays in Ichimatsu's arms, clinging to his parka like a lifeline with his tail curled tight around himself, his fur standing up in all different directions.

Being a tiger cub, he's larger than normal "kittens" his age. His paws are huge, he's very loud, he doesn't eat easy to come by food, and he's likely very destructive when he plays without meaning to be...

It's almost no wonder, unfortunately, someone gave him up.]

From:

ichimyatsu

[Almost. Ichimatsu can understand from an objective point of view how, raising a tiger cub would be difficult. As it stands, letting the cub wail in his lap he takes to looking anxiously around his tiny apartment and realizing how small it is and how fast Karamatsu is going to outgrow it. But sincerely, he can't fathom animal cruelty of any kind, and abandoning a creature, especially in a shelter unequipped to properly care for it, was beyond cruel in his book. He leans against the small table in front of them and makes idle soothing sounds, rumbles and soft wordless vocalizations to keep him grounded while he settles.]

[He doesn't know how the hell he's going to manage this, but he actually wants to try, and that's saying something for his usual apathy toward literally everything.]

From:

karappo

[Well, Ichimatsu sure does have a hell of a project on his hands right now. A project that's cried himself hoarse, his rumbling sounding more like a squeaky door than an actual tiger cub's vocalizations.

After a minute, he snuffles at Ichimatsu's parka, then his hands, his mouth suddenly opening so he can lick the back of his knuckles. Then, his stomach audibly growls.]

From:

ichimyatsu

[He jumps slightly, startled by the lick, but ruffles him gently when his stomach growls.]

I haven't got much right now 'cause I just moved into the place and I haven't figured out portioning for cooking for one person, but... I'm pretty sure I've got some chicken breasts in the fridge. C'mon.

From:

karappo

[Karamatsu's ears perk up a little at the mention of food, though he doesn't get out of Ichimatsu's arms. He'll probably walk if he's made to, but otherwise...he wouldn't mind being carried, either.]

You're here...all by yourself?

From:

ichimyatsu

[Blinks.]

...ah, yeah?

From:

karappo

[Karamatsu sniffs, his paws settling on Ichimatsu's arm.]

Aren't you lonely?

From:

ichimyatsu

[He's... Never been asked that quite so openly. He frowns, opening his mouth and closing it again, shrugging his shoulders.]

Lots of humans live alone.