Long Ride, Long Wiskers
At the Michigan Humane Society that afternoon, they told me Hawk was picked up by animal control in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. It was explained to me the shelters in that area euthanize, so the Michigan Humane Society works to bring animals to the Mitten from these shelters around the country to increase the chances of adoption. My Hawk Man, being one such animal, was brought to Michigan during a long road trip in a truck or van from Louisiana.
What we believe is Hawk was either abandoned or abused, or perhaps both. When he arrived in Michigan, the staff at the Michigan Humane Society performed several surgeries on Hawk’s little face, stretching his skin in some areas around his right eye.
Despite his injury, Hawk can still see somewhat out of his right eye. Despite missing whiskers on his right side, Hawk can run, jump, and play, his balance unaffected (I even tell Hawk that God made his whiskers on his left side a little longer than normal to balance everything out). And although he is missing teeth, Hawk has a good appetite and never passes up a big breakfast or an afternoon treat.
I’ve tried to imagine what it was like for Hawk, riding in a vehicle filled with other animals. Alone. Injured and in pain. Scared. All kinds of different smells. The drive from St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, to Detroit, Michigan, is nearly 1,200 miles.
As an automotive journalist, I’ve written a lot about a topic known as NVH, which stands for noise, vibration, and harshness. When you design and engineer a vehicle, you want to reduce these things as much as possible. Reduced NVH levels are a primary selling point for high-end vehicles like a BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes-Benz, but the animal transport truck or van that Hawk rode up to Michigan in was hardly a luxury cruiser. I imagine the road and tire noise would have been so loud for his little ears.
Because Cats Are Awesome
Yet, all of that is behind Hawk, as he is now safe and sound in his forever home.
These days, you can find Hawk on his high-top chair looking out the patio window at the birds, bugs, squirrels, and, as of late, the guys working on the roof across the way. We often play with our mouse-on-string toy, which involves me running around my apartment while Hawk chases me as I drag the toy along. The list of things we have knocked over while playing is a mile long.
Super Caturday was created by my brother Alex and me for all the cat people out there; for anyone who has ever thought to themselves, “I can’t wait to get home to my cat and ignore the rest of the world” after a long day at work; for those who have a million photos of their cat on their phone. Super Caturday is for those the Cat Distribution System has already blessed and for those it has yet to bestow.
In so many words, Super Caturday exists because cats are awesome.
