What a way to start a day…

Nearly every weekday morning I leave my apartment about ten after seven, wander through my neighborhood to the main road, walk along the main road till I get to the music school, then wander through another neighborhood till I get to work. I arrive around 7:30, give or take a few minutes for any early morning errands.

This morning I left my house, wandered through my neighborhood, and turned onto the main road. Ahead of me, about 75 yards, was what looked like a cat sitting in the middle of the side walk. I couldn’t see it totally clearly, but it looked like a cat crouched in a relaxed position with its trail wrapped around it. I have seen my own cats in this stance many times, mostly when they are feeling very comfortable and pleased with themselves; like after finishing some tuna or after finding a nice spot of sun.

I walked on and kept expecting, as I got closer or the angle changed, that the ‘cat’ would reveal itself as part of a tire or a piece of plastic. In Macedonia, trash is much more likely to be passively sitting in the middle of the side walk then a cat.

Turns out it was a cat, sitting just how I thought it was, with its eyes closed and looking very relaxed. However, its lower jaw and neck were caked in dried blood, it was stiff, and it had the gray, dusty appearance of a poorly cared for taxidermy animal.

If it had been a piece of trash I might have picked it up and taken it to the nearest dumpster, as it is, I may walk on the other side of the street on my way home…