From the day I was born, we always had at least 2 cats at home - Smokey and Fluffy were the first two. I remember rescuing kittens, finding kittens, and adopting cats constantly (or at least to my childhood memories, it felt like it was constantly). They were a normal part of the family.
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| one of my first cats, Smokey, checking out a couple tiny humans (my curly haired self on the left, my cousin on the right) |
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| picture of Himmy courtesy of my 7 y/o self |
Shortly after Himmy & Max, we adopted Duke from a family friend. He was true royalty and definitely the KING of our house. I'd even go as far to say that he was my sister's first love and definitely my Dad's best friend.
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| me with Duke & Max on one of their favorite spots, atop the washer |
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| me and a less perturbed looking, Duke |
Several years later, my 6th grade science teach told my class about a couple kittens she rescued that were in desperate need of a home. It was all I could think about for the rest of the day, the first thing I told my Mom about when she picked me up from school, and in under 24 hours, two little Calico kittens - Ginger and Chamomile - were home with me.
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| fun fact: Chammy was the first polydactyl cat I've ever had, with 7 toes on each front paw. When she walked, she worked the runway like a supermodel! |
After Ginger & Chammy, came Venus & Mars (two silver tabbies - the first two in a long line of silver tabbies I've rescued). Then came Bear, an all black alley kitten, my high school boyfriend rescued and gave to me. Then came Dory - a puppy! Yes, that's right, I rescued a Dalmatian/chow/lab mix puppy from the pound. After Dory gained 20lbs in less than 3 months, we quickly realized how massive he would be as an adult and keeping him in our townhouse was just not a wise choice. We found him the perfect permanent home with a close friend who had 3 hyper children and a very large yard. The oldest child, a pre-teen boy, and Dory quickly bonded and became inseparable - the kid even got sent home from baseball practice because he refused to leave Dory's side. As heart-breaking of a decision it was for me to re-home Dory, little did I know it would lead me to the love of my life - Loki.
I was 17, angst ridden and angry at the world. My boyfriend just dumped me, my Mom and I were constantly at each others' throats, and I hated everything about high school. I had one friend and she and I pretty much lived at each others' homes. One day, she adopted two sweet little kittens - Milo & Zoe. They were adorable and lovable and that's when I realized that's what I was missing - unconditional love. It had never dawned on me before how important having animals at home truly was, and by now all my animals had gone away in one form or another. So, one fateful Sunday, I drove down to Petco where I knew the local rescue group would be holding adoptions.
Walking in, I knew technically I wasn't old enough to adopt - yet that didn't stop me. I perused the crates of cats and kittens, trying to ignore the handful of obnoxious children poking and prodding at the animals, and that's when I saw two giant ears trembling in the corner of a crate. He was the runt of 5 kittens, his brothers & sisters were all bounding about playfully. I zeroed in on the little guy, asked if I could hold him, and before I knew it, I had the sweetest little grey tabby fuzzball in my hands. He burrowed into my arms, his body relaxed, and in under 10 minutes he fell asleep purring and I fell in love. That's when I turned to a rescue volunteer with misty eyes and said I was only 17 1/2. She smiled kindly, looked at the blissful Arnold (his name at the time) and said the best 4 words I've ever heard: "I'll make an exception."
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| baby Loki with his giant ears |
13 years later, Loki and I have been through a whole darn lot - my high school graduation, 5 moves, 2 roommates, my college graduation, 3 devastating breakups, the death of my Dad, the near-death of Loki, a handful of foster cats, adoptions of 5 more cats, my 20s, and the start of my 30s. No one knows me like he does and vice-versa. I am his and he is mine and we'll be together forever, across all directions of space and time. He is my heart and the love of my life - he is Loki.
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| about 5 months old - the runt of the litter is growing into his ears |
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| no one can call him a runt anymore - Loki is a healthy 14lb, 13 year old |
Next to be adopted was Eowyn, aka Wynnie. She came from a little that my sister's cats had - which she rescued. Before we were able to spay/neuter, Apollo had his sister, Akasha, pregnant. These are cats - just to remind you - where inbreeding is not that uncommon (how else would there be purebreds?). My sister found excellent homes for the rest of the litter & re-homed them (of course after ensuring mama, daddy and all babies were spayed/neutered). I've been with Wynnie, literally, since the moment she was born and let me just tell ya, a cat giving birth ain't the prettiest thing, but Akasha and I have had a very special bond ever since (me being her human mid-wife and all).
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| newborn Eowyn - just opened her eyes |
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| princess in training, Wynnie and her littermate Chloe (left) |
Wynnie these days is a prinCESS! She has no time for your baby talk or cat toys - she is royalty and commands the respect that comes with such a title. She cannot stand my other cats, and it's a rare occasion when she even likes another human (aside from me). Her Royal Highness enjoys sitting atop the highest tier on the cat tree and basking in sunshine. In fact, I have to bring food to her most of the time, for princesses do not eat with commoners according the Wynnie. She's a handful and can have quite the temper, but she's my handful and I love her.
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| Wynnie today (9 y/o) - atop the pillow fit for a queen |
In December 2008, I adopted a bouncy, flouncy, hyper, little snug-bug. She was named Snugs at the time, which I still call her on occasion, especially when all she wants to do is kneed my stomach and snuggle on my lap, but most of the time she's known as Lula.
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| little girl Lula - unfamiliar with a camera |
She's my ninja kitty - whom you will rarely see, unless she decides she likes you. Feathers are her favorite toy and she loves to eat cardboard, string and whatever else fits in her mouth - she has pica. Pica, for those who don't know, is when you have the irresistible urge to each inedible things. This has given me some serious worry throughout the years (especially when objects only partially pass and I have to pull the rest out - oy!), but nothing I can't handle and the older she gets the less she does it.
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| all grown up, Lula is 4 now |
About a year later I was in the local pet supply store when they happened to have adoptions from the local shelter. I held one of the kittens, but reluctantly left without him - thinking I'd be crazy to adopt a 4th cat. The next day I woke up and knew I had to go back - that's when I saw Wicket again. He had stared at me the whole time the day before, and I b-lined it right to him this day. The moment I opened the crate, he walked into my arms and nuzzled into me. That was it - he was coming home with me. He continues to be the most loving, tender-hearted soul I've ever met. We snuggle every night and more often than not, I wake up to him asleep on the pillow beside me. I like to think a big part of his sweet personality came from the care he received at a young age from his foster parents - who I'm still in touch with today.
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| baby Wicket |
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| Wicket - all grown up, but still mews like a kitten |
Shortly after Wicket, I started volunteering at the local shelter. It took all of 3 weeks before I adopted Caerus. He was rescued from a hoarder - and was 1 of about 70 cats who lived in an abusive home where food and water was scarce. Though he was only 3 months old when I adopted him, he had endured a trauma that most cats wouldn't ever see. I knew he would be special needs when I brought him home and I was prepared. I had him set up in my bathroom so he could adjust at his own pace, comfortably. Well, after he discovered shoelaces and his very own bowls of food & water, he decided on day 2 he was done with the bathroom and sauntered into the middle of the living room, plopped down and stretched out. He and Wicket bonded VERY quickly and continue to be absolutely inseparable.
Caerus still remains somewhat special needs. He is an extraordinarily sensitive soul and gets stressed and spooked easily - which he lets me know by peeing on my bed. About a month ago, I began sitting with him a little bit every day - even though every time I pick him up he flinches, as soon as I'm hugging him he's purring like a motorboat and nuzzled into my chest. It will be a lifelong process for Caerus and I am happy to help, protect, and love him in all the ways he needs.
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| scared baby Caerus |
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| today Caerus relaxes on his favorite pillow |
Last, but certainly not least, is Yoda. This little ball of light and love showed up in my life completely unexpectedly. I was volunteering at the shelter, prepping to clean the cages when I heard a little creature screaming at the top of his lungs. I turned around and saw what appeared to be a kitten - though at the time he looked more like a little alien bug covered in a coagulated mess of hair, litter and feces.
My work was cut out for me. I grabbed a stack of rags, cleaner, gloves and got to work. From the second I picked him up, he was purring and trying to lick me. I couldn't set him down without him howling like banshee so I cleaned his cage with one hand, and held smelly, messy Yoda in the other. Once his cage was clean, I asked my good friend & fellow volunteer to help me bathe him. After bath #1 I put him back in his cage and about 30 minutes later it looked like he had never been cleaned. Lather, rinse, repeat. About another hour later... again, lather, rinse, repeat. Finally after bath #3 he calmed down and stayed clean. As I brushed him out he fell asleep in my arms and I certainly couldn't put him down now, it would disturb him and he looked sooooo happy. Flash forward to 2 years later, I still haven't let him go.
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| Yoda asleep in my arms at the shelter |
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| baby Yoda claiming his toy at home |
He's the light that helped me through the sudden death of my Dad (I adopted Yoda 2 months before my Dad passed), he keeps 13 year old Loki active with plenty of play/exercise, and is an eternal source of entertainment for my whole pack. Life would not be complete without my little Yodi Fu.
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| Yoda today - my little bug |
So that's my story - or my pack's story, of how we all ended up together. I have 6 cats and could not imagine life without any of them. Each one has given me endless amounts of joy and love, along with invaluable experience in animal behavior and communication. If there's one topic in life that I can confidently say I'm an expert in - it's cats.
Sincerely,
The Cat Advocate, Christina
