Requiem for a special feline

When I was 8 years old my teacher took us to the local animal shelter. I didn’t know what to expect. Twenty years ago they didn’t have any animal programs on tv. Okay, maybe they

did, but I just can’t remember them because I was busy watching cartoons.

The animal shelter was quite a shock. I didn’t understand why people treated these animals so badly.  Especially because they were all so incredibly cute. Had it been up to me, I would have taken them all home. There was only problem, my parents.

Back home I told my parents what I had seen and that I would really like to have a cat. My parents were pretty clear with their response: NO! So the next couple of weeks turned into a battle of wills. Every day I would ask my parents for a cat. Every time they would say no.  Even though I had very good arguments like, I would feed the cat, play with it and clean the litter box. They still said no.

Looking pretty for the camera

 After weeks of begging and pretty much whining, my parents finally gave in! I couldn’t believe we were finally getting a cat. We were very lucky, because they had kittens. A little tabby cat caught my eye. I instantly knew this beautiful tabby would be become my best friend. They only thing she still needed was a name. When I saw her lying in her pink basket, I decided to name her Pinky.

At that time I thought all cats loved to cuddle and sit on your lap. I couldn’t be more wrong! This cat had attitude. She did whatever she liked and used our furniture as her scratching post. Moreover, our food had become her food as well. This drove my mom crazy.  As a kid these things never bothered me. I just loved playing with her and although she was a bit on the wild side, I knew she liked me. I was the only one who could pick her up and she also let me cuddle her.

Who would allow this crazy kitty?

My parents never thought Pinky would live that long. They thought she would be long gone before I would go to high school. They were wrong. This kitty lived for 21 years! When I was at university my parents would frequently ask me if I could take Pinky with me. Unfortunately I couldn’t, because I wasn’t allowed to have pets at the student flat I lived in at the time.

I had a place of my own when Pinky was 20 years old and it was then that she finally moved in with me. She was no longer the young and playful cat I knew. She had become a ‘senior cat’. I took care of her in the best way I could. I knew she didn’t have much time left and I was determined to make her stay as pleasant as possible by giving her a lot of love and attention.

 

Just relaxing

The day Pinky passed away was one of the saddest day of my life. Till this day I still can’t really explain the special bond between me and her. It had been more than growing up together. It is just something you have to experience for yourself. After living together for so many years I just knew what she was thinking by just looking at her. People around me didn’t understand why I was so sad. It was just cat, they probably thought. I guess those people haven’t met their special cat yet. They have never met a cat with a great personality such as Pinky had. A cat who will steal your heart away because she has a mind of her own.

Although it has been almost two years since she died, I still think about Pinky every day. I miss my brave and sweet little kitty. I don’t think about the day she left me, but of all the days of joy and friendship. So thank you Pinky, for being such a crazy, funny, stubborn and sweet kitty!