Unlike the bold street cat with no home, this Other Cat was his complete opposite in every way.
She did not find us – we selected and paid for her.
She was not large and bold, rather petite for her breed and dainty.
She was not aloof for she craved our company.
This is all about her.
Introductions, Part I
“Think of a brick wrapped in silk”
(Description of the Burmese breed)
There have been two cats in my life. Although different in size and from entirely different circumstances, each carried a larger-than-life personality. Looking back on how our lives became intertwined, I realize that in neither case did I consciously seek them out. Instead, some outside vetting process seemed to choose me for their approval, their companionship, and for the honor of being their human.
My relationship with the temperamental, demanding female, Felicity, began with an appointment. A friend, recognizing a void in my life which at that time consisted of work, work, and more work, recommended a cat. This was not to be just any cat; it would have to be the appropriate Burmese, a breed unknown to me.
We had an appointment to visit a cattery across town. This cattery was an ordinary home where all of the interior bedroom doors had been replaced with screen doors. As I stepped into the living room and was invited to take a seat, the room and its furnishings seemed to be moving. I had to steady myself. Cats of all sizes crawled, sprawled, sat, perched and slept throughout the room. I learned that I was in the home of thirty-three cats. The full spectrum of Burmese beauty – Champagne, Blue, Platinum, and Sable – surrounded me.
I was instructed to sit quietly so that the purpose of the visit could be achieved – so that the right cat could select me. After some time spent among the swirling mass of cats, a small Sable Burmese kitten walked in front of me, paused, and quickly glanced my way before continuing on. My friend and the cattery owner excitedly announced, “That’s the one! She picked you!”
I learned that her mother was a Grand Champion, and that the kitten had good breeding lines, but lacked show-worthiness size. She was available at a hefty, although discounted price. And so, Felicity* came into our lives.
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Felicity trained us quickly. One by one, we backed down on all of our demands. At first, our bedroom was off-limits, but that changed. She was not allowed on our bed, but that changed. Then she was only to be at the foot of our bed, but many nights she’d nudge herself between us. She became a part of our lives and moved across the country with us. On that journey she rode in her carrying case which proclaimed in large pink letters that it held a C-A-T. On the last leg of our cross-country flight her anesthesia wore off and she escaped from her carrier. Fellow travelers were shocked and amused to see her stroll the aisle like an extra flight attendant.
She resigned herself to accepting our life’s changes as we became grandparents. As the number of grandchildren grew and we excitedly waited to hear their little footsteps entering the door for a visit, Felicity, having devised an emergency evacuation plan as one does for a hurricane or other disaster, disappeared. Only late at night would she be seen scurrying to her food, water, or litter box. It took a couple of years to find her secret hiding place.
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Her life was full. In addition to her cross country travel, she participated in a local cat show where she earned a ribbon; and there was that time – as an indoor cat – when she slipped outside and spent most of the night on the patio. She was a special cat as she graced every visitor to our home with her loving (and investigative) presence.
*Felix is a masculine given name that stems from Latin felix and means “happy” or “lucky”. Its female form is Felicity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_(name)
