Boots

I get a little dramatic sometimes.

And for a girl who once calmly watched one of her kittens slowly die after it was bit by my dog when she was a child, I have crazy reactions and feelings about my animals, especially if I believe harm will befall them.

In 8th grade I had a black and white cat named Boots. I named him after a large TY stuffed cat he looked just like. [A little backwards?]

One day I opened the garage door for something. Then I closed it.

Boots was loitering at the garage door entrance, right where the door was going to close. I told him to get out.

I went into the house and ran outside to make sure boots moved. I didn't trust his English comprehension. When I rounded the corner of the house I saw Boots HADN'T moved and was just laying there under the garage door that began closing on him.

I screamed, "BOOTS!!!"

And with a crazy surge of adrenaline I grabbed the garage door handle and yanked up as hard as my adrenaline-packed muscles could.

I was able to yank the garage door up and off Boots. I grabbed him and held him tight, like a mother who had almost lost her baby. I was a bit shakey after the ordeal.

Boots didn't even know what was going on.

Later that day I journaled about the experience.9/17/00

"Today I went to church. I was very crabby because I went to bed at 12:00 P.M. [sic] and woke up at 7:00 A.M.

I had the scare of a life-time today! I had opened the garage to get something. Boots was laying by it. Then I shut it & ran out to see if Boots was in the way. And the garage door begun [sic] to squish him. I couldn't even think! I screamed, 'Boots!!' And I grabbed the garge [sic] handle & yanked up, hard. The garage went up a foot & stopped. Boots got out. I was shaking so much. I just held Boots for 3 minutes. I had been so scared. I thought for sure Boots was going to be crushed. Part of his body was in & part was out when it was closing. He's OK, though. I think I was more scared then [sic] he was because I knew what could happen to him & he didn't.

My cow pillow (which I got for my 8th or 9th birthday) is in the wash so it's kind of uncomfortable.

For the past few days it's been raining alot [sic] & our backyard is FLOODED with these tall, skinny flowers.

If you pull firm, gentle, & hard enough, you'll get the whole flower. Even the white part at the end. I feel like crying now, thinking back to how Boots looked. I didn't have time to cry at the time. I just had to think fast. I don't know what........

Oh I just can't think about it! Bye.

Alicia Foley (still trying to figure out my signature)"

And that is the saga of when my cat was almost crushed by the garage door.