A Cat Named Trap
It’s been almost a year since I rescued a young, grey, tiger cat. I had no intention of caring for another fur baby since I was still dealing with the heartbreaking loss of my rock steady companion of 12 years - my three-legged, Hurricane Katrina survivor, Bernie. However, this cat’s situation forced me to make a move.
The Story
I went to visit my parents and as soon as I got out of the car, I heard this pitiful, loud cry from underneath their porch. I noted it, but walked right over the porch and into the house as fast as I could. As soon as I got into the house, my dad started complaining about this annoying cat that had gotten under the porch that he couldn’t get out. I let him rant and rave for a few minutes and then I changed the subject. When I left the house, the cat was still bellowing. I hurried to the car in the hopes that this cat would get on his merry way because my stomach was starting to churn. I returned to my parents a few days later and, yes, you guessed it, the cat was still there and as vocal as ever.
My dad had become increasingly agitated at this cat because he is very protective over the doves that come into his yard. He sees cats as the mortal enemy. I could feel the tension rising and became concerned about this cat’s fate so I made a phone call to an animal advocate friend who is passionate about neutering and spaying feral cats. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, they were short staffed and, as usual, very busy. It was going to be a minute before someone could come out to try to catch this cat or set a trap. I thought to myself, this cat is already trapped. I just need to get a hold of him and deliver him to the right people.
I got down on the ground to survey the area under the porch and figure out the best place to entice this stray to come to me. There was lattice around the perimeter of the porch and, for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how he got in or how I could easily get him out. I knew I was going to take measures that my dad would not be happy about. This little grey fur ball really liked to talk so I engaged in a conversation with him while offering him pieces of hot dog. He ate that hot dog down so fast that I knew food was the way to draw him nearer so I could get a hold of him. Finally, he got close enough to the lattice and settled into the food exchange so that I could grab him by the scruff of his neck, which I hate to do, but this required drastic measures. I had slipped my hand through the lattice but there was no way I could pull him out that same hole so I broke off a piece of the lattice and pulled him out. He was talking the whole time. My dad was carrying on about the broken piece of lattice. But, I had him.
As soon as I had him in my arms, he collapsed.
There was no more fight in him. I didn’t want to look him in the eyes, hear his purr, or kiss his head.
We took him straight to our friend at the local TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return). They would keep him safe until he could be neutered and vaccinated and then they would return him to the site of his entrapment. That was how this worked, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
What would happen to him when they returned him to the place where I had taken him from? Would he crawl back under that porch? Would he continue to endure people shouting at him, throwing things at him, threatening to shoot him, and not being able to fend for himself, go hungry, be cold and not cared for? Or, would he run like hell away from that place that had not been good for him.
In that case, where would he go? Would it be a similar situation, but in a different place under somebody else’s porch? Would he become comfortable being treated the way he had been treated for the entirety of his 8-month existence?
The Moral of the Story
Some of you may be thinking, it’s just a cat. But, he was a living being that had feelings and needs. Needless to say, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and decided I wanted to give him a home so he would never be trapped again.
When I adopted him, he was 3.8 pounds and very sick. He could not keep water or food down so he stopped trying. The vet said it was a long shot to save him, but, if I was willing to put the effort and money into this stray that I had known for less than a week, he would do everything he could. I could not believe the emotions that stirred up in me. How could I be so attached to a cat I barely knew? They ran IVs into him and gave him several injections hoping to make it possible for him to eat and drink. The rest was up to him. Had he lost his will to live or did he have a reason now?
I’m happy to report that Trap is now a happy, sassy, and slightly overweight, spoiled kitty cat. He is still very vocal. I try to hear what he has to say.
If God could use a donkey to speak to Balaam to complain about how he was being treated, then He can use a cat to speak to me (Numbers 22:28). The donkey spoke, “What have I done to make you beat me these three times?” I have learned a lot from this experience and it has given me even greater insight into what it must feel like to think you are trapped with no possible way out. I have thought over and over about Trap’s experience.
What have I done to deserve this treatment? What did I do wrong? Was he truly trapped or did he feel safer in the place he was even though it was not good? Did he not feel strong enough to leave and fend for himself? Had he already been whipped on, kicked, and chased with the intent of harm? Was he just going to ride it out and succumb to the place where he was due to circumstances out of his control?
Do you feel trapped due to circumstances out of your control? Are you in a situation that has you numb to the possibility that there is a way out? Have you given up or given in?
I’m here to tell you, there is a way out.
It may require you to break the lattice or to allow someone to drag you out, but there is a way. His name is Jesus. He is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). If you are somebody that cannot get out on your own, please vocalize that to someone. Be persistent.
God never intended us to be trapped in a situation that does not bring us life, growth, peace, joy, hope, and, most importantly, love.
God wants to set you free. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
What trap tripped you up?
If you are trapped, it is because satan set the trap and somehow, he caught you in it. What does that look like and how do you get out?
There are six types of traps used to catch mammals:
Foothold traps
Body-gripping traps
Snares
Dead falls
Cages
And Glue traps.
I had to look that information up because I did not come from a family of trappers. I, also, do not care to go into details about how they work and the outcome of the victims. However, it gives us a vivid glance at tactics that the devil can and will use against us.
There are a number of things that can entrap us, including, but not limited to:
Relationships
Addictions
Fear
Mental health struggles
Generational curses
And low self worth
You must identify what bait the enemy used to entice you and the trap he set to ensnare you. Once you determine that, you can develop a plan to get released, lick your wounds, gain strength, move on, and never look back. The process is very important.
You must break the cycle so you don’t take the bait again and find yourself crawling back under that same dark, dank, lonely, and hopeless porch. Please don’t spend another season of your life trapped.
The song, “Isn’t it ironic” by Alanis Morissette, keeps running through my head. Isn’t it ironic that the blog I was led to write this morning is about being trapped, since most of us are currently in isolation due to stay-at-home orders imposed on us because of the Covid-19 virus? I have been so very mindful of those who are isolated at this time and feeling trapped for reasons other than the restrictions implemented to slow down the spread of this virus.
The Takeaway
If there is something that adds to the burden of this mandated isolation, please reach out to somebody you trust and don’t be ashamed.
If Trap had not been relentless with his meows, chirrups, and chatters, I may have been able to move past his cries for help. However, he could not be ignored and now he is one of the highlights of my daily existence.
Imposed isolation could be your chance to break free
I will never know if Trap was truly trapped. After all, he had gotten himself under the porch somehow. Had he gotten himself under there and then couldn’t find a way out? Had dad somehow hedged him in by boarding up areas that he thought might give other neighborhood cats access to this hiding place and in turn blocked Trap in? Or, was Trap too scared to leave his dungeon even though his stay there would eventually bring him death? I think of this often not just because I love Trap and ponder the “what ifs,” but because I think of all the people that I minister to that feel trapped or have felt trapped that I want to help.
There is always a way out.
It may not be easy, but it is worth it in the long run.
Just ask Trap. It has been a process. He is still working on his trust issues and his expressions of love. He gives “love” bites that sometimes hurt and he doesn’t always like to be held. But he runs to the door to greet me when I come home after being away, he follows me around like a puppy, he is never far from where I am, and as soon as he hears me rustle to wake up in the morning, he comes running from wherever he is to vocalize “good morning.” He is as happy and good as a cat can be.
It is possible to come out of a hopeless situation into a good life. God wants you to have a good life. Is it time for you to make a move? Just remember, you are not alone. We will be there with you through your break up, your break out, or your breakthrough. And, most importantly, God has a plan for your life that doesn’t include being trapped, isolated, and wasting away.
I admire Anne Frank. I will never forget sitting in the gymnasium on the gym floor in eighth grade watching The Diary of Anne Frank. It affected me deeply. I was petrified thinking about what would happen to her if she was found. That feeling I had for her and her family stayed with me. I wanted them to be free, but not found by the KGB. She held onto the hope that one day it would all be over. And, it eventually was. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from her:
“I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”
“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.”
“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”
Drop us a line or contact us if we can help you in any way. There is help out there and there is a way out.
Read the testimony’s of a few of our loved ones who got out and found a better way.