Nature

My cat, Sunshine, pregnant. As she became heavy with kittens, she slowed down. She showed less interest in the world. She had more interest in just sitting on my lap and being petted.

Last Saturday, as she was on my lap, I pet her. She shivered, jumped down and went into the hallway of my house. The next thing I heard was a tiny meowing sound and I went to find the first kitten already born. Within minutes of her just having been on my lap, purring.

I watched her lick the kitten and heard her continue to purr. She ate the placenta and licked and chewed up the umbilical cord from her baby's stomach. Several minutes later, the kitten was clean and nursing. Sunshine was getting acquainted with her new little one. Once that one was settled, she shivered again and another came. She did the same with this one.

Once all four kittens were born and settled in, Mother Sunshine settled in too. Even now, several days later, she is content to simply lie with her newborns. She is quite uninterested in anything else other than tending to her young and getting up occasionally to eat and drink.

She is not thinking to herself, "I really have to get up to clean the house." Or, "Oh boy, it is only a few more weeks before I have to go back to work." Or, "I really should get up and make supper." Or, "Is it payday? I better pay the bills." Or, "What is everyone else doing?? I'm missing out!" Or... maybe she is and I just don't know it! Ha, ha.

The cat knows exactly what to do. There seems to be no question within her. There is no sense here of ways the situation could be improved upon or done differently. She has these four little babies and she just lies with them all day long because that is what she must do. And this is what she is content to do. There is no "If only" here. There is no "What if" here.

But I have an "If only": If only I could be as completely at ease with the natural unfolding of my life as my cat is!