Ode To My Pets(The cats)

As early as I can remember there have been cats in my life. But contrary to the dogs, I cannot remember all of their names. I can recall silly things that they did or what they looked like. But there are only a few whose names are still with me. This post is my way of celebrating some while reflecting on how much I remember loving all of them.

First a reality check…

As an adult, I cringe thinking about all of the kittens that probably came into being while we had their parents. While I know we took good care of all of our animals, inevitably we had to give the kittens away and we lost track. Did their new owners have them spayed? Who knows. They probably didn’t know any better than we did…but I can hope.

Because I have chest pains when I imagine thousands of cats born as a result of the exponential aspect of unneutered cats. I wish I knew then what I know now about sterilization, overpopulation, strays, adoption, etc. This is 45+ years ago but who knows how many there were?

However, this post is not an ode to my past errors but rather a celebration of all of those furry creatures who were and still are part of the fabric of my life story.

How It Always Began

Kittens…that is how it always started because little kids are “kitten crazy”. I know that my sister and I were back then. Who wouldn’t be? They are small, furry, and clumsy and their meows are so high-pitched. You could carry several at the same time even in little kids’ hands. Even more in adult hands. The first kittens that I remember came from Sister and her partner Buster when we lived in Sherman Oaks. Yes, I am all too aware of the weakness in our name-giving skills.

They made many beautiful kittens for us to play with

I think that they had 2 or 3 litters while we had them and I remember Sister being a good mom and very patient with us wanting to hold her babies all of the time. Buster had no interest in the kittens except for an occasional sniff. While they were little he wasn’t of much interest to them either so they left him in peace.

But once the kittens began exploring beyond their room that all changed. The staircase was the first thing that piqued their interest. It led down to the living room and, once, I was lucky enough to be there the moment they discovered it. There were a lot of stairs and they were hesitating…until they saw Buster asleep at the bottom.

(Side note: Why do cats always sleep in the middle of the stairs where you need to walk.)

The next five minutes belonged in a “Too cute for words” animal video. With a combination of rolling, falling, sliding, backward climbing, and anything else they could try, the furry procession made its way down. Thank goodness shag carpets were all the rage at that time.

To say he was surprised is a bit of an understatement. But to his credit, Buster didn’t run. He just sat there as one by one they all landed on him. That is until they tried nursing…and then he was out of there.

I also remember that Susie and I used to collect all of the toothpaste caps, wash them and fill them with milk. Then we would set up a “tea party” for the kittens. In addition to the milk, each one also got a star-shaped piece of cat food. They had no interest in our “party” but we kept trying anyway.

New House. Different Cats.

The next cats were in Encino. Unfortunately, I can only recall a name or two.

I do remember Felix who, at some point, must have had the misfortune of happening upon a dead bird. I am almost 100% certain that he didn’t catch it…if you knew Felix you would understand. Anyway, from that moment on any time he crossed the yard, he was dived bombed by random birds who mistook him for the hunter. If it hadn’t been so funny to watch it might have been sad. The birds never made physical contact but they got very close.

And so it continues…

Cats have always had a special place in my life. However, their were several periods where having a cat was not an option(college, apartment in San Francisco, etc.) At those times I found myself volunteering with groups that helped cats.

And when I met Robert and we made our first move to Quebec we ended up adopting two cats: Koyasan and Sukisan. These two ended up driving to California with us when we decided to go back west.

Once back in San Francisco, I even roped Robert into helping me foster cats. That is how we eventually ended up with two more in our crew. All four of whom came to Quebec with us when I got pregnant and we decided to move back for good.

Groups of five

That was over 21 years ago and we have never not had cats. The original four became five when Robert offered tuna to a stray. See! Not always me. That was Mimi and she would go on to become Camille’s cat.

Time stands still for no person…or cat!

Unfortunately, loving and caring for a cat also means eventually having to say goodbye. Always the hardest part for me.

Our SF+1 group eventually died. Sukisan made it to 21 but towards the end, he was only holding on for me. Then through several strange situations and curveballs that life throws at you, we ended up with a new group of five to love. Robert made it six a few years back and it didn’t take tuna this time.

When everyone is healthy and happy it is easy to think about our past furry friends and forget the sadness at the end. However, Odie and Garfield are 14 now and they are starting to move a bit slower. That’s when I realize that probably in several years we will once again be faced with the only downside to loving and caring for these amazing creatures…saying goodbye!

All we can do is love them and give them the best life possible. They add so much to our lives… except for the throw-up. That is just gross.

Ultimately, I must have done something right in a past life to have been blessed with so many wonderful furry friends.

Hopefully, I will be around long enough to care for many others…perhaps even a dog one day!