when one of my students opened a smallish box she had smuggled on the bus...
and up popped the cutest, most gorgeous, kitten I have ever seen...
big green eyes, pink nose with a white stripe...
with fluffy silver & dark gray tabby fur...
pointed by a snowy white vest and paws...
I was toast... putty in her paws...
on my way home, we stopped at the vet's for a check-up...
as we waited, a fellow "waiter" commented...
"she's gazing at you with such adoration"...
that soon changed...
she was, after all,"the Queen of Everything"...
an attitude NOT designed to endear one, feline or otherwise...
to their "peers", of which in her mind, there were none...
or the "staff", which was me...
but in reality, I had a houseful of kitties...
and those who didn't,"play well with others"...
did not find it a peaceful existence...
as the others sought to "put her in her place"...
after enduring these insults to her person for a year or so...
she discovered that the back yard was a refuge for her...
sleeping in the garage or an outdoor nest...
she came into my bedroom to eat along with a few other, "individuals"...
but spent the bulk of her day, outside, in her kingdom...
then, probably 10 years ago, she had mellowed enough...
and being the clever opportunist that she was...
she began sleeping inside on a regular basis...
and we became "reacquainted" as...
"Her Most Royal Feline Majesty"...and "staff"...
upon entering "her" bedroom, I was greeted with a chirp...
[a meow with a rolled "r" on the end...]
this meant, "I desire food, NOW..." or "open the window"...
she would then pose regally until her desires were met...
in her later years, as we became "friends"...
the chirp developed new meanings...
and came to include,"pet me[adore me] NOW"...
if I was in or on the bed, she would pat my arm with her paw...
if I ignored her or quit "adoring her" too soon...
the next paw tap would include an extended claw...
further ignoring on my part generally was painful...
these last few years, she had only 1 tooth left...
but she used it to good advantage...
and would bite, hard... if the combing was not to her liking...
or some other breach of conduct was perpetrated by the "staff"...
she survived several others namely Mouska, Sumo & Tippy...
but in the Piglet, she met her match...
and would seek, "a separate peace"...
only to suffer more indignities & invasions of her person...
enduring endless lapses in protocol where her territory was invaded & usurped...
the choicest bits of food were taken, her nests invaded...
and herself most horribly imposed on...
these egregious lapses of etiquette would bring forth hisses...
a display of, "the fang" or swatting...
basically to no avail as Piglet was undeterred most of the time...
it should also be noted that during her last moments here with us...
I left the bed, where she was snuggled up to me, to take a shower...
and Piglet moved in to "keep the watch"...
when I returned, she had her head touching Fluff...
looking up at me as I took this phone picture...
then, having said her farewells moved away...
as I petted her, Fluff twitched a few times...
then was gone... Piglet sniffed her and crawled into my arms...
our friend Fluff had gone so quietly & peacefully...
the next day, I laid her to rest in the garden...
in a spot where she loved to sleep away the afternoon...
farewell Fluff... the sweet memories ease the pain of parting...
2 comments:
This was really beautiful, Catsinger! Thanks so much for sharing!
...they are all "special"...
but she was definitely"a one of a kind"... who left her mark, in many ways...
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