Beating Your Allergies Without Losing Your Cat
Casey's Tribute Page
Moving On
Inca's Lives
Cats, Hurricanes, and Memory
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It began as a child's quirk. I just could not get enough of that silky soft fur! And best of all, there was more than one squirmy, purry little kitten for me to hug and hold! The journey must have begun shortly after my family moved to Texas, while we were living with my mother's parents. I have vivid memories of the kittens growing big enough to need rescuing from trees. Eventually, two of them were taken to a shelter. The third, Peanut, remained behind; and so did the mother, Jitterbug.
Jitterbug had a second litter of kittens in the spring; but she was hit by a car while they were still very young. One kitten lived for a few weeks. This was a very early time in my life for me to learn about the realities of attempting to raise orphan kittens.
The light in that darkness was Peanut's litter of kittens. She was really too young to have any kittens; but have them she did: four little balls of fur. My parents must have had enough of attempted cat-raising by this time. Peanut weaned her kittens, and then all five cats were taken to the ASPCA. I rode along, and it is a trip I will never forget. "Couldn't we keep just one?" "No." The hole in my heart was created; and it could only be filled by soft silky fur and the sound of the purr.
My site is about developing strength to handle difficulties that shake people up in life. I could not explain as a child why I needed that soft silky purring fur in my life. My parents tried getting dogs; but I was afraid of them. We had a family dog throughout my childhood and teen years, and I learned to overcome the fear and tolerate the dog; but the dog was never a companion for me. I was finally allowed to get a cat when I was nine years old. Throughout the years since then, I have needed a cat in my life.
I now share my home with three cats. They each contribute to my strength in different ways. I devote a piece of my site to them because of what they have given to me. It matters that I try to put these things in words. It matters that I tell in return how I have intentionally built relationships with my cats that enabled the exchange of strength between us; for my cats are not just pets to lie around the house and sun themselves and eat cat food (though they do those things).
Welcome to the cats' domain. My cats share the home with a dog... The true test of my ability to overcome my fear of dogs came when I was 19 years old. In 1991, I went to Morristown, New Jersey, to train with a Seeing Eye dog. Read Elli's story to find out how I faced that challenge. Elli arrived home to a house already occupied by a dog and two cats (Casey and PJ). She was my partner through some of the difficult years that I spent in college with no cat. In 1996, she was there when I brought a new kitten into my new apartment. Inca is still alive and has had close relationships with all of my dogs. In fact, the cats who live with me now are accustomed to there being a dog here, and they are not themselves when there is not a dog here.
Having mentioned the two cats who were Elli's first acquaintances, I should give them some space... They taught me how to make space in my heart for more than one cat and how to help cats to live together. Part of the reason this made such an impact on me was that I was young and everything impressed me deeply. The rest, though, was about the amazing journey that was Casey's life and the things that PJ taught me about myself. To get the full picture, read Casey's tribute and my story, Moving On.
Moving is a rather sore subject for Inca. She has lived in several different places with me; and I think she is glad that we have finally settled in one place. I am truly grateful that she is still with me at almost 15 years of age. Read about Inca's nine lives to see why.
Moving is also not a happy event for Sierra, though it is for a different reason. I adopted Sierra from a shelter in Florida in 2003. The following year, we moved to Indiana during the very active hurricane season. Read more about hurricanes and cats here. I did not understand the tremendous impact that these things can have on animals until Sierra and Inca came into my life. I am still learning.
Sarah J. Blake