This is Meh the Cat. I met her one evening last week when I was walking around the Byward Market area of downtown Ottawa. She was sitting atop the most amazing contraption I have seen in quite some time - several wheels supporting some large boxes covered by tarps. As I was trying to get a good picture of her and the contraption she was sitting on, the "owner" of this interesting pile of stuff came across the street with a bowl of water. He was obviously a homeless man. I asked him about his contraption and he told me that it was home for him, his cat and his dog (who was tied to the front). I told him I liked his cat and asked if he minded if I took a picture and he said no problem. When I asked the cat's name he said it was Meh and spelled it.(My picture is not the greatest because Meh kept moving around.) I would have liked to take a picture of his contraption but it seemed a bit exploitative - I didn't want to treat him like a sideshow freak just because he was poor and homeless. Then I gave him a donation to help feed his animals and left. He was a young man, pleasant to talk to, and obviously good to his pets. I wish him and Meh and the dog good luck - in this difficult world, they are going to need it.
5 comments:
He obviously loves his animals. Unconditional love, both ways.
Sad and sweet at the same time. I wonder if you would have taken a photo and talked to the man if you weren't doing your blog? Funny how blogging alters the way one sees the world!?
Meh looks like a beautifully clean cat, considering his mobile home. "Meh" is also a term of indifference, so it is a funny name.
I can only assume the dog's name is "Whatever".
How does that cat stay so white in the grim of the city? Great story!
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