A risky kind of love: Br. Leo’s (the cat) story

By Br. Mark Hudak, OFM 

A few years ago, a big friendly black cat started visiting the bird and squirrel feeders and water fountain that I installed in the backyard at Brother Juniper Friary in St. Bernard (Cincinnati), Ohio. One day after coming home from Roger Bacon High School, I was looking through the kitchen window and noticed that a neighbor was wandering around the backyard of the property next door with a bag of cat treats in his hands. I went outside to introduce myself and to ask him if he had lost his cat. 

It turned out that the neighbor just wanted to feed the cat. He found him to be rather friendly and obviously lost. The neighbor thought the cat was female and had been calling “her” Binx or something like that. I explained that the cat was indeed a stray and that he was friendly enough to allow himself to be picked up for short periods of time. I was pretty sure that the cat was a neutered male. More astonishing though is that someone had the cat declawed! How could anyone expect a declawed cat to survive on its own outdoors?  

The journey to indoor life 

As fall approached, it became clear that ‘Binx,” or whatever his name truly had been, was not going to leave the yard. He had found a little paradise between two neighbors willing to feed him and ensuring him an endless supply of birds, squirrels, occasional treats and a water fountain. As Halloween rolled around that year, Br. Roger Lopez, OFM, suggested that we try to find the cat’s owner and to build it an outdoor shelter. I had no luck identifying the owner through social media nor by word of mouth, so he built a five-star heated cat house out of plywood, plexiglass, straw and an electric lamp equipped with an infrared light bulb. “Here, kitty, kitty” did not hesitate to take up residence in his new shelter. 

Once the weather started getting so cold that the water fountain was freezing, Br. Roger and I knew that the cat motel was not going to be enough. Br. Roger named the cat Br. Leo (one of St. Francis’ original companions) as he had become a fuzzy friend to the friars. We talked it over at our house chapter and decided to invite the cat into our home. But first, I insisted that Br. Leo have a veterinarian visit to give the cat a clean bill of health and see if he was microchipped. Br. Leo wasn’t chipped, and the vet estimated his age to be between five and seven years old based on the condition of the cat’s teeth. He weighed in close to 19 pounds, so our fat little Br. Leo would need to lose some weight and to get more exercise. He was going to be at home with the friars.  

During Br. Leo’s annual wellness check this past December, he weighed in at 16 plus pounds, so he’s still a fat and happy cat. He loves to talk using several different expressive sounds. He greets me when I get home from work each day and loves to play with toys on strings. He carries his toys and drops them in front of my door. He loves to receive and to give people attention.

Challenges and rewards  

Caring for a pet has been a very positive and challenging experience for me. Someday I know I will receive a new assignment, and Br. Leo will need to be left in the care of others. Having pets is a bit controversial for some friars. Such will say that we should never have them, using the “it is not fair to the pets” reasoning. I say that any loving relationship carries the cross within it. Should couples never marry because they know, someday, they will lose their spouse? Should parents not have any children because someday they will have to suffer them moving out of their lives? Should friars not put all their hearts into loving and caring for the people and creatures in their lives just because someday they will have to go away and do the same thing somewhere else? 

I choose to love and to care and to face the future sorrows built into this mortal life. I trust that for Br. Leo, having a loving home for many years will outweigh any separation anxiety we both may face. 

To all pet owners, caregivers and people willing to risk possible future sorrows, I offer you my blessing and encouragement. Love comes with a price, but there is no greater love than to offer your life for the good of another creature.  

Photos of Br. Mark and Br. Leo taken by Br. Chris Cahill, OFM.