Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Significant Cats In My LIfe

30 Day Blogging Challenge

Tell us about the pet you had for the longest amount of time or the one that made the most significant impact on you. If you have never had a pet (I’m sorry), what pet would you want?
My family has always had cats. For a time I had a cat and a dog. I love animals... even though I have developed an allergy to cats. Life is unfair sometimes. Regardless, I still have two cats at present. Both are tabbies, though one is a calico tabby. They are 16 and 15. The oldest is a rescued barn cat who was taken in after his first owner died. He is a sweetheart. Our fifteen year old is a feral cat who was born in my mother's back yard. She has Asperger's tendencies and since I have a soft spot for children with autism, we get along very well. She is not a fan of strangers, but he adores them - more attention for him. She is okay with my client coming over. He has autism and they seem to 'get' each other.

Over my life I have had three other significant cats. The first was a grey Persian that my parents had when I was born. My dad, who had grown up without pets, thought we had better get rid of her before I arrived, but my mother, the farm girl, would not hear of it. That cat used to protect me from the dog next door whenever he got too close. She would run his ass off. Everyone needs a good bodyguard. She was great.

My second cat we got when I was seven. She was a clowning calico. Mom could set the moon by us - we both went a little squirrelly every full moon.

She lived the longest and survived through my childhood years. She was the family cat, but mostly mine; though she preferred women to men - as my father had a tendency to teach her to fly if she got under his feet.

She was probably the most significant of my cats because she lived with us during the most formative time of my life. She even had her first and only kittens on my bed.... while I was sleeping. When I started university she came with me. She died at almost 21, the year I moved in with my boyfriend... who is now my ex-husband. She had a stroke. One of several, I think. I am almost certain she did not want to leave me, but I told her it was time. Losing her was hard. We'd been through so much together.

My third cat, also a calico, I bought when I was feeling lonely, while living with that boyfriend. He had his dog, though he had grown up without pets. I felt often left out. He was never a fan of that cat. I adored her. And she was my cat. She tolerated him. She only lived to be 17 having developed mouth cancer.

I called her my opera singing cat because she would sing to herself in the furnace room when she was alone or before she went to sleep at night. She was such a funny dear thing. Her picture is up as my Facebook page. Her body was covered with a lovely display of calico patterns, but her face.... looked like she got too close to the paints and it spattered all over her leaving only a white line from her mouth down her chin - a dribble line.

Like my second cat, she had a wicked sense of humour. And a great opera voice.
Cats have always been my soft place. My solace and my laughter. My mood minder. Despite my allergies I will continue to enjoy their company. They are far better than the human equivalent.