An inquisitive little creature with a long, winding tail. Eyes sparkling with curiosity. Sitting in a prim and proper position, but always alert for any danger that may be near.

I wonder what his name was. Perhaps something strong, like Prince or Rufus. Commanding authority amongst his peers. Maybe a practical name, Orange or Fish. His color or his favorite snack might have been a good fit. I am most convinced that he would have been given a more cutesy name though, Sweetie or Dumpling.

I turn the page and a few paragraphs appear. Apparently these cats domesticated themselves, and replicated their ‘meows’ from the cry of human babies. Ah, cats must have been the most intelligent of all animals. Probably more than us.

I wonder who the last cat was. What did it look like? Did it like frolicking in the sun, or did it prefer sleeping the day away? Did he have a peaceful end, an infinite dream? Or was his death unpleasant? An awful disease. A life cut too short. On this page it says that the longest recorded life of a cat was a total of 38 years. But most cats did not live this long, the average was 14 years. Such little time.

Cats came in various colors, shapes, sizes, and patterns. They also came with various personalities, likes, dislikes, social tolerance, and favorite places to be pet.

Cat offspring, who are called kittens, can all be different colors… the mother cat can mate with several different males…

It also says here that kittens are born with closed eyes. They knew their mother’s warmth before ever knowing her face.

Did the last cat remember his mother’s warmth when he closed his eyes? Did he draw back to the first few weeks with her? Only needing to rely on her milk. Laying beside her, putting his full trust into her, knowing instinctively that she will protect him. Did he close his eyes and wait for her to save him? Did he close his eyes and remember her face?

I’m not sure I’ll ever know the answer to this. I suppose it is the same for us. I’ve heard people cry out for their own mothers before death. We also crave warmth.

One day there will be one human left. We are closer an closer to that day with each rise and fall of the sun.

We aren’t very different from a cat.