I am, unashamedly, a cat lover. I like cats because they are unique & quirky, creatures of comfort, & always sublimely beautiful. Ours are lovers. They know how to give affection but more that that, they are empathetic.
For 13 years we had the most glorious Siamese cross, cream with ginger points, blue crossed eyes, a kink @ the end of his tail, a raucous voice & a wicked sense of humour. He was a family cat, incredibly grateful to be taken into our home & loved to bits by everyone in it. He was a stray & when I got him he was black with fleas, unkempt, uncared for, hungry & every day he got loved upon & fed special tid~bits he was grateful. I adored him. My Libby & I sort of snuck him in & all the men folks arrived home to a fait accompli ~ though only The Man, a dog man when he met me, was less than impressed. So far as everyone else was concerned he was here to stay, & stay he did, accompanying the boys on their fishing expeditions & lavishing affection on the girls but he'd had a rough start & by 13 he was an old, old man riddled with cancer. I was devastated. I was the one who had to make the call @ the vets & cuddle him to the end telling him what a good boy he'd always been.
I came home to the alpha male kitten my middle son had brought home & basically left in my care, unneutered, barely weaned, bombastic & demanding & not my cat. Issi had other ideas. He always did know his own mind. He climbed up my leg. I ignored him completely. He slunk up my chest & laid his head over my heart & began to purr. Of course I melted. He shared my grief unreservedly & from that moment on he was fiercely protective of me. I was his person & he let everyone know it. I have never been loved like that in my life & losing him, suddenly, unexpectedly, to a blood clot broke my heart.
This time it was the man who said: You need to get another cat. In fact, get two! So we did.
We have rescues. They make the best home souls. Ours are bonded brothers, Ragdoll Xs, polar opposites, an intelligent, nervy introvert & an extroverted exhibitionist. The extrovert was a neurotic mess for months, crying any time I was out of his sight but they know how to love ~ & isn't that what a home is about? Being able to relax completely, secure in being loved?
The rain is coming across the bay in great heavy scuds but both cats are tucked up within sight, serenely snuggled against the cold & damp, displaying the visible soul of our home as only a cat can.
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