NOT A Crazy Cat Lady!

As I mentioned in my previous post, cats are in my list of things that make me happy, but let me make one thing quite clear and listen up cos it's important.....I AM NOT A CRAZY CAT LADY! It's the hubby and 2 teenage sons that have driven me half mad, not the cats. They are just guilty by association.

In fact, I don't actually like cats. I'm allergic to cats. Hubby likes cats. So we compromised and we got a cat. Actually it's a longer story than that and it begins with the demise of poor ole Bubbles the Hamster.....

Bubbles was the first pet of my youngest son and was a real little character, well, as much as a tiny ball of orange fluff can have a personality. One day Bubbles got ill. Picture the scene, Christmas Eve '07, vets consultation room, my son is standing next to me holding the little cage containing Bubbles in her weak and desperately frail state. The inevitable had happened, the illness had taken over poor little Bubbles and the only humane thing to do was to have her put out of her misery. Yep, that's right, my sons first beloved pet was put to sleep on Christmas Eve!

And so, we bravely battle through Christmas as cheerfully as we can and the Saturday after the big day, my son decides he wants to get gerbils to help him get over Bubbles. So hubby and I drive the kid to a pet shop where he makes a beeline for the back of the shop to the gerbil cages, closely followed by hubby. I slowly bring up the rear, in no rush to look at small rodents scuttling around in glass boxes, they weird me out. The shop owners son is standing in the middle of the shop with his back to me. As I make my way to the back of the shop, he turns towards me and in his arms is the tiniest, cutest little black/brown kitten that has ever existed.

At this point we should refer to my earlier comment that I don't like cats and am also severely allergic to cats. Hubby likes cats and at one time, before he met me, he had loads of them and has always said it's the one thing missing in our family life, but each time he has badgered me about getting a cat, I pull out the allergy card.

Anyway, back to the pet shop...

The kid holding this beautiful kitten asks me if I want to hold her and to this day I have no idea why a seemingly sane and normal person with a severe allergy to cats would give this answer...."yes please!!". And that was it. I was smitten with the kitten. She was so tiny, so perfect and so terrified she was shaking. The chap said that not 20 mins before we walked in the shop, some guy had come in with her under his coat saying she was 6 weeks old, weaned and needed to be found a good home. My heart melted as this black with ever so feint brown stripes cat with the most beautiful face nuzzled into me. I turned to the hubby with every intention of saying "aww wook at da widdle puddy tat, can we keep her? pleeeeease?" which probably would have been said in a voice so high pitched that only the kitten would have been able to hear it, but as it was, I didn't need to say anything as he took one look at her nestled in my arms and said "We'll take her!"

That's the story of how we got T and how I came to need to take high strength, anti allergy tablets every day of my life. She is just over 2 years old now and has the sleekest black fur which has lost the brown stripes, but she does have a few strands of white fur on her chest and one of her paws. She still has the most beautiful face and lovely eyes. In fact, I would be so bold as to state that T is the most beautiful and regal cat that has ever lived or ever will live. She is better than all of us and boy does she know it!

Now, this next bit is going to sound weird, but T is more than just a family pet. She is kinda like my soul mate. Stay with me here - I still stand by my 'I am not a crazy cat person' declaration. I have had a rough couple of years and one of the things that helped me through it was T. She was always first on the scene if I was upset and would just lay next to me, looking at me with her beautiful green eyes and listened to my sobbing and rambling. She is able to make me feel instantly better every time. She is also an excellent judge of character and does not suffer fools gladly. An example of this was the first time she met my step-daughter* and took an instant dislike to her and clawed her to buggery!

T's somewhat aloof behaviour is always aimed at others and never at me, just ask our other 3 cats - B, P and BB, all of whom you will get to meet in due course.

I still don't like cats. Only mine are acceptable and adorable. And they make me very very happy.

Love

HH
xxx

*If at some time in the future my step-daughter and I resolve our differences and she subsequently discovers this blog, then I apologise for talking about how pleased I was that T disliked you so vehemently. If, however, we still have a weird relationship and you still find out about his blog, then tough shit, you shouldn't have been a bitch to me!