The Winter Stray

The Winter Stray

The following is a story about a fat catgirl that doesn’t have a home for the winter. The first half of this story is also based on a true story about a cat. If you don’t like something about all that, then this may not be for you.

“Whoo….I should’ve brought my coat.” I pulled my jacket around me tight. “ ’Tis the season, after all.”

Everyone around me was wearing coats. Guess I was the dumbass. And that’s not what I want to be during the week of finals. It was a time when everyone was busy and had awkward schedules. It was rather cloudy today, and really cold. Cold enough to almost freeze my car door shut.

I was crossing through the main courtyard. Well, I call it main because it’s next to the tallest and one of the oldest buildings on campus and at the edge of the courtyard was a bell tower. It was a vast field, with trees and snow-covered grass broken up by several brick paths across to different buildings.

As I neared the bell tower, I looked to my left. There was a cylindrical air vent sticking out of the ground just off the sidewalk. These were everywhere all across the campus, usually on the flat ground. It was about three feet tall, but was on a small hill higher than me, so it was more like four. Every time I walked over these things they shot a brief burst of heat, warming during the winter. It was REALLY warm too. But on a day as cold as this, it wasn’t very much at all.

On top of this vent, which looked like a platform, there was an orange-furred catgirl. She was curled up as best she could, but she was still shivering a little. She was a rather large one, and it wasn’t just her winter coat. A huge, furry orange belly covered up most of the vent’s circular top (which was around four feet in diameter). Thick legs and arms and a fat tail. Breasts spilling out of her arms, even though she was trying to keep them close to the heat. Unfortunately, every time she did that, it would force her big, wide, butt off the other side and into the cold.

All she did otherwise was stare blankly ahead, not even moving her head to track people passing by. Very few people looked over at her. I did as I walked by. I knew that if she stayed outside throughout the winter, she would die. It was just too cold. The catgirl was curled up on the heater to try and survive the best she could.

Any other day, I would’ve stopped and called the number. The number I saw around campus for a group that takes feral and stray cats in, cleans them up, and puts them up for adoption. But there was no time to waste; I had one last final to get to. With one last look, I went on my way to the classroom. Surprisingly, the catgirl stopped staring blankly, and followed me with her eyes as I walked off.

The final went well enough. At first, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. But I did, and finished fine. And with time to spare. It was over. I was free for practically a whole month. My semester was over, and I didn’t need to come back until mid-January. I went outside to weather even colder than I came in. I was getting pretty hungry for lunch.

As I walked across the courtyard, I approached the vent, and she was still on there. I’m not sure what I was thinking, what I hoped to accomplish, but I stopped on the pathway, and looked at her, long and hard. And just as expected, she looked right back at me. People walked by, and it started snowing, ever so slowly. The two of us remained motionless. The dead silence seemed to last forever.

“Why are you here?” The catgirl asked me.

“Because……I can’t stand seeing you like this.”

“What? Is it because of my winter pelt? Because I’m not fat, but fatter than obese?”

“That’s not what I meant. I can’t stand seeing a catgirl, without a home, freezing in the winter.”

“Liar. Why would you care about me?”

“I’m concerned. I care because I’m a cat person.”

“No, I’m a cat person. You are a filthy human. Your people imprisoned my species when we want to be free. They treat us like crap.”

“Not all of us do. I don’t. My cat does give me a hard time, but I love him and don’t know what I’d do without him.” I explained.

“Nya?! You’re gay for your cat?!”

“That’s not what I mean. To people like me, cats aren’t slaves. They’re not just pets. My cat is practically family.” I took a deep breath. “Did…I’m guessing you didn’t have a family like that, did you?”

“No.” She hissed quietly. “They fed me. A lot. That I can appreciate. I got fatter. And heavier. I could barely move at all some days. So I just laid there, enjoying my relaxing and very well-fed life. But the kids…they thought I was a toy. Those brats strangled me, lifted me up, and carried me around by my neck. Then they dropped me to the ground. I hated that. Then after that, they wanted to pet me. I scratched and I bit. They cried. They had the nerve to cry…and then came their father. He pointed his big finger at me, threatened me. I struck at that too.”

The catgirl continued. “He hit me. Kicked me. Put me in a cage. I HATE cages. Then their father took me in his car for a long and very bumpy ride. I couldn’t move anywhere, because the damn cage was too small and I was too fat. The worst case scenario for a claustrophobic. And then he finally got me out when he took me…to the vet. This doctor…he declawed me. Cut all my nails out. How can I fend for myself, kill mice, kill birds, or whatever….when I’m declawed? It’s the greatest insult a cat can receive. They took me home. And it all started again. I still tried fighting. I caught their little hands in mine and bit. But it never amounted to anything. I just got put outside.”

“At this point, I thought that I was going about it all the wrong way. Maybe retaliation wasn’t the solution to their abuse. I saw a bird…a bird that didn’t see me. How does a catgirl as huge and fat as me kill without claws? I smothered it to death. I picked it up in my teeth and carried my prize to the house. I thought they would be so proud of me. I thought they’d love it. They would say ‘Oh, how great she is for killing a bird for us! She doesn’t even have claws! Isn’t she just the best?’ You know what? They screamed and threw it into the trash!” She hissed. “So what did I do? Screw you damn humans. I ran the hell away and I don’t regret it one bit. So here I am, a year later and without a worry in the world.”

I nodded in understanding. “That’s horrible. But you have to know…not all humans are like that. I mean…very few appreciate bird or rabbit entrails on our porch, but some of us don’t beat or abuse you. Only on a very small occasion do I pick my cat up and hug him for a very short amount of time. Then I put him down, and just pet him for the rest of the time. That’s why he likes to hang around me the most. Because I understand him and what he doesn’t like. You see, there are a group of humans who are like me. Cat lovers. Animal appreciators. Furry fans, or whatever. We’re the felines’ friends.”

I went on. “There’s a place I know. They take in strays, cats and dogs without a home, and they feed them as much as they want. Give them shelter. Give them space. A warm place to stay. They don’t touch you too much unless you’re sick. In that case, they give you medicine to cure you. They just leave you be inside their big building. And once it’s clear you’re ready to leave and be out on your own, they let you go. Do you want to go to such a place?”

She stared at me for a second, her face only mildly interested. But the catgirl stood up, shook her belly a little, and walked away.

“Wait a second! They can help you! I can help you!”

But it was too late. She was already gone. The students around me continued walking by as they had during the whole conversation. It was almost as if nothing had happened. No one noticed me or the catgirl.

I couldn’t let it end like this. The thought of her standing out, freezing in the cold, until she dropped in the snow, never to move again…..I just couldn’t bare it. I took out my cell phone and called their number. Told them where she was last spotted. They said they would send someone out to try and look for her. I walked back to my dorm, praying that they would.

Months passed. It was now late March. Spring could come around any day now. The snow was gone, but it was still a little chilly. College was going well for me. One night, I was walking home when I heard two men shouting.

“Hey! HEY!!! Look out!” “Stop her! Grab hold of her!”

I spun around to see the moonlight fade away, eclipsed by something gigantic and orange. An immense ball of fur hit me and smushed me into the grass. It was a belly nearly three times the size of my whole body. Everything but my head was lost beneath the flabby fur and flesh. On both sides of my head, two thick and squishy breasts plopped. A pair of cat ears appeared above it, illuminated by the moon.

Fangs glistened in the form a smile. “You were right. That place was warm and the food was delicious. But not for me. Thanks.”

With great effort, the blimped catgirl got to her feet and waddled off into the distance with impressive speed. The two men in gray jumpsuits with a net ran after her, yelling.

I stood up and brushed some cat hair and grass off me. I watched as the gigantic orange ball of fur rushed off towards freedom.