Quarantine had just been called. Due to the covid pandemic, schools and businesses alike were shuttered as everyone dawned surgical masks and retreated indoors. Like many, Alex made a B-line for the nearest animal shelter as soon as he heard the news. If they were going to be cooped up in his house for god-knows-how-long, best be cooped up with a pet.
They arrived at the animal shelter late in the day, the few volunteers remaining looking to close down for the night before Alex stepped in and rung the service bell at the desk. The old lady that approached from behind the counter was exhausted, dark bags under her eyes like she’d hasn’t slept for a few nights straight, but she looked up at Alex with a welcoming smile.
“Why hello, dear. It’s been quite the eventful few days, hasn’t it?” She grinned as Alex nodded in agreement. The old volunteer stepped out from behind the counter and waved Alex to follow her to where the animals were kept. “Uncertain times, nice to have something cuddly and happy by you, huh? Others seem to think so too. We’ve adopted more animals today than any other day I’ve been here.”
It certainly showed, as the two made their way to the back, many cages were empty. As Alex made their way passed a section of cats, a reddish glint of a cat’s eye caught their own, a cat as dark as a black hole starring back at them from afar.
“Oh, dear, this one…” The woman sighed walking up next to Alex as the two peered in at the animal. “This poor baby. She was rescued, abandoned inside a house after their owner had gone missing along with a tabby cat that she was very very attached to. Both were brought here and put in that cage, but sadly, well… people don’t tend to like black cats you see… they think they’re bad luck, and the fact this one has red eyes too really unnerves people. I heard someone say she looked like a demon of all things!”
The lady’s face shriveled up into a scowl for a moment. “What a thing to call an animal! She didn’t choose that fur color and those eyes. But anyway, the tabby cat was adopted, and she wasn’t. The poor dear cried and yowled for days and lately she’s just been curled up in a ball, not responding to anything.”
The black cat got up, stroking herself along the cage in front of Alex, purring madly. Alex reached up a hand to the harsh iron bars of the cage, feeling the cat’s soft dark fur lovingly stroke against his hand.
“My, I haven’t seen her like that before… love at first site, huh?” The old lady chuckled as she turned around towards the door. “I was worried she’d gone feral since she’d grown to hate human contact. It’s good she hasn’t, because you see, well… animals that don’t like humans don’t make good pets, and bad pets are unfortunately put to sleep since no one wants them.”
The cat inside kept nuzzling against Alex’s palm, her little tongue flicking out to smell and taste their skin.
“So… I’m the first person she hasn’t hissed at, huh?” Alex thought out loud, watching the cat purring against their hand as if it were made of catnip, “I’m flattered, kitty, but… I heard that boy cats were a bit more laid back, so I’d rather get a male. Are there any others I could look at?”
As soon as Alex said that, the cat turned around and presented her rear to them, lifting her tail high to show off her girl bits to the human. Then suddenly, somehow, something started to push out her labia as the cat tensed, a wet sleave of fur oozed out of her pussy lips before an acorn-sized testicle slipped inside, then another. In a matter of moments, the molly cat had become a tomcat, the black animal inside the cage desperately hiking up a leg to show off a sheath, trying to prove to Alex that he was male.
“Well, we’ve got quite a few other cats that you could look at…” The old lady trailed off as she passed by, eyes opening wide as she saw black cat presenting his new boy parts. “Goodness! He was a boy this whole time?! I could have sworn I saw he was a girl with my very own eyes! I’d even scheduled her to get spade!”
Alex stood there utterly flabbergasted but what they just saw, the coal-colored feline returning to stroking against the side of the cage, asking for more pets.
“Well, that’s serendipity if ever I heard it!” The old lady smiled, “Some people don’t believe in fate, but maybe you came here at just this time for a reason. I know a black cat with red eyes may not be the most attractive pet, but he sure seems to like you more than any other person I’ve seen… I think you’re his best shot at a good home.”
Alex looked down uneasily at the cat as it begged to be closer to them. This wasn’t the pet they had in mind when they came in and that sudden change gender transition unnerved them deeply; it looked almost as if the feline had done it at will. But if Alex didn’t adopt this cat, it might be euthanized. Maybe it really was fate.
“Alright, kitty… but you owe me one.” Alex sighed, stepping away as the old lady happily opened the cage and stuffed the cat in a paper carrier. Adoption forms were signed and Alex stepped out of the animal shelter, a complimentary bag of pet goods in one hand and the cat-carrier in the other, the black cat rumbling inside, satisfied that he had found a new mate.