Today is international cat day! Here is my beloved, cat without a name.
The story behind this nameless cat is short for my part, but I have to go back a little. We used to have cats for a long time in my family, constantly as far as I remember, usually shrewd ones, which nobody wanted or could to keep. The last cat I that lived with me was my big love. We lived together for 10 years, until the very end. A friend brought him home from a holiday in Mallorca, battered from both the other cats and men, with ragged ears, awry feet and crooked teeth. He was very grateful to have a home for himself. Although mostly healthy, he had FIV (cats Aids). Because of this the first owners couldn’t keep him with their other cats or let him outside the house. That was fine for him, he didn’t like other cats or dogs, was afraid of people he didn’t know, mainly men and he seemed to feel more at home inside.
When my friend went on a holiday again a few weeks later, I volunteered to take care of him. They brought him to my place and he settled fine. He started sleeping next to me in my bed, purring. We got along very well. After their holidays, my friends didn’t pick him up right away, but after weeks. Finally someone came to pick him up, but it was too late - he didn’t want to go back. My friend was sad, but because she knew she couldn’t keep the cat for a few months in future anyway, she decided I could keep him. He became my all and all and we had many wonderful years. After he died I took my time. I didn’t want a new cat right away, he was my friend and I couldn’t replace him with anyone. A few years passed until I decided I wanted to give another cat not only a place in my heart, also I wanted a cat that would be as grateful for a nice home like my last one.
Then I found this beautiful, gorgeous tomcat. With his pretty red fur, clever eyes and one missing hind paw he enchanted me. He was brought from Greece by an animal rights group and he didn’t get along with other cats in his foster home. That sounded perfect for me! You can already feel the BUT, can’t you…
It turned out he wasn’t very grateful being kept in an apartment. He would have done (and probably has) well on the streets. I could imagine he would have been one of the cats that terrorized my first cat in Spain! (Like an alpha-cat, meow.) This was a nightmare- that was not how I imagined it. He was very sweet when it came to cuddling, but at the same time he would grab your hand and bite very hard and scratch your arm bloody with his very, very perfect talons. He was a bully! Also he had fleas, eugh!! He was after my hamster, I could hardly leave him alone, he jumped on his cage every night, trying to catch him. I started to live in fear but I wanted to overcome this, I was determined – if it only hadn’t been for my allergy. Every scratch and bite was infected; I couldn’t breathe and my eyes watered all the time. I was so tired. There was a point where I only wanted him gone. That’s when I decided despite my stubborn will of being able to live with him he had to go – but not far though. My mother took on my determination and as she didn’t have allergic reactions to his bites and more space, plus she was always around, it worked out better.
Now he turned into a less scrubby cat, though it took some time and afford. As I am free to come back to my now cat-free apartment, I enjoy visiting him frequently. But with all these things going on, I was never able to name him properly. I was thinking of Edward (the one with the scissor hands – although he has sharp teeth as well) or Crookshanks (because of his appearance and limping), but he wouldn’t listen for my call either way. Now he is just the tomcat, or “Kater” as the German term, and he started to come (sometimes) when we call him by that.
So Happy Cat-Day, Kater and to all you other cat-lovers! I'm planning to bring you some fish!
PS: Also it’s a “I-hate-my-life” and “I-want-my-bed”-day – well, at least it feels like that to me. The weather isn’t great, cold and cloudy, I feel close to tears (probably PMS) and work seems to have no end, but so does my chocolate NOT! :(
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