Ugly the Cat

           All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw
rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their
homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had
the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there,
getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he
would curl his lanky body around your feet in forgiveness. Whenever he spied
children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head
against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him up he
would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could
find.

           One day, Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's dogs. They did
not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. I tried to rush to his aid.
By the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly's sad life
was almost at an end. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I
could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must
be hurting him terribly, I thought. Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking
sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying,
was trying to suckle my ear.

           I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand
with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could
hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly
battled scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some
compassion. At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving
creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, try
to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me
completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.

           Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and
held him for a long time afterwards, thinking about how one scarred,
deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have
true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me more
about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show
specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been
scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for
me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those
I cared for. Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked,
beautiful, but for me, I will always try to be Ugly.

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           Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was.
Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world:
Fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.

           The combination of these things combined with a life spent
outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and
where the other should have been was a hole. He was also missing his ear on
the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time,
and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always
turning the corner. Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby, striped type,
except for the sores covering his head, neck, and even his shoulders. Every
time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. "That's one UGLY cat!!!".

           All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw
rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their
homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had
the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there,
getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he
would curl his lanky body around your feet in forgiveness. Whenever he spied
children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head
against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him up he
would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could
find.

           One day, Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's dogs. They did
not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. I tried to rush to his aid.
By the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly's sad life
was almost at an end. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I
could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must
be hurting him terribly, I thought. Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking
sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying,
was trying to suckle my ear.

           I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand
with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could
hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly
battled scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some
compassion. At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving
creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, try
to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me
completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.

           Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and
held him for a long time afterwards, thinking about how one scarred,
deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have
true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me more
about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show
specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been
scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for
me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those
I cared for. Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked,
beautiful, but for me, I will always try to be Ugly.