Daily Cascade

A Very Special Animal-Friend

Prompt: Pets
Do you like pets? Why do you think some of us love pets more than anything? Did you ever have a pet that impacted your life in a big way?

-------------

I love cats and dogs and all animals in general; I don't like, however, keeping a snake, a gorilla, a lion, or a tiger inside a home unless one lives on a preserve.

Pets become more than animals who share our homes; they become companions, confidants, and even family. I've had cats and dogs as friends some of the time, in my life, except for the years when we were traveling too often. For me, as for some of us, our bonding with an animal is so strong that it surpasses most other loves. This is because once they take to you, animals offer unconditional love, and they really do care for us.

I am not sure if this is because they need us or we need them. Five years ago, several months after my husband's passing, my son told me they were going to take their first cat to the shelter because she had become a nuisance for fighting with their second cat and annoying the dog. Also, she was thrashing the house and peeing all over the place. My heart sank when I heard what they were planning.

This black cat, Noche, who was 12 years old at the time, had been with them since she was a tiny kitten, probably 2-3 months old, with no known problems. From the beginning, she was a very independent cat who had a mind of her own. My son's other animals were adopted after Noche. Then, when my son and his wife went on trips, they would bring their two cats to us and take the dog with them. So, I was very familiar with Noche and I had seen no such trouble. True, she sometimes got mad at and hissed a long time at the other very mild-mannered cat, but that was it.

So, I said to my son, "Please don't take Noche to a shelter. I'll take her if you don't want her," and that's what my son did a day later. As he dropped her off, he said, "Mom, this is only temporary! I don't want her thrashing your house, too."

For the first two or three days, Noche evaded me. Then, she started sitting in the same room with me and we slowly began a cat-human conversation. I bought a small cat stool and put a pillow on top of it and set it near my computer. Then, I picked Noche up and put her near me. She liked that, and she sat there for a long time. This was probably the beginning of a love affair between me and Noche.

Did she try to upset me? Yes, she peed a couple of times on a cushion, which was washable anyway, but I didn't scold her or anything. In fact, I have never scolded Noche. I didn't need to. Once, Noche and I understood one another, we became best friends. This cat who had had a wild streak in her became the gentlest, nicest animal I ever had. She wasn't a lap cat, but when I picked her up and held her and loved her, she purred and was happy. Plus, she literally worried about me when I coughed for example or when I left the house for a while. In fact, she went out of her way not to upset me, ever. She was such a wonderful companion who comforted me after my husband's passing, more than most anyone.

Unfortunately, Noche passed away one very early morning, this last August, from a sudden heart attack. I was in shock for days after that, and I still miss her. I am not going to get another animal, though, because I am old, and it wouldn't be fair to any animal if he or she got used to me and I died.

Noche's love was simple, honest and endlessly giving. In return, she took all the space she needed in my heart and I am still keeping that space for her, forever.