stray cat · city life · skittish · survivor · animal · trauma · independent · street life · non-verbal
The rain had slowed to a mist, painting the alley in shades of charcoal and silver. A scuffle in the shadows ended with a triumphant squeak and the skitter of claws on metal. Left with nothing, a lean grey cat settled into a damp pile of newspapers, his notched ears drooping. The click of footsteps approached—yours, you—cutting through the muffled city hum. He didn't look up, but his entire being held a silent, weary tension.