Nalla, Puck, Then Misha

Nalla, Puck, Then Misha

“But, I’m allergic to cats. My asthma will flair up. And, well, I have never lived with a cat before. I don’t know the first thing about cat care. And, Chunky, (our dog,) what about Chunky?” I stammered into the phone. “But, please don’t let her die.”

And so I entered the world of cat “owner” and, quickly thereafter, cat lover.

I had always had animal companions in my life, but until Christmas 2002, cats had not been a part of my immediate household. Cats had been neighbors and friends but not housemates. But that all changed when Nalla, a gray and black striped tabby, decided to enter our lives. We have learned much since then, and our lives are fuller now.

She was only three weeks old, eyes barely open, extremely tiny, almost frozen, and very hungry when our son’s fiancée’s uncle found the kitten in a snow-covered Baltimore parking lot just before Christmas. She was also frightened and needy. Being kind-hearted and also knowing that his niece had wanted a cat, he scooped the baby up and took her home. Later that day, we got the phone call asking if we would allow the kitten to live here as no one else either could or would take her. Since I had had a longing for a cat that stayed in the back of my mind always, it didn’t take much convincing, despite the real quandaries that responsibility would pose. Besides, my heart ached for the wee furry orphan.

As it turned out, all my initial concerns about my asthma, allergies, cat care, the dog, and all were not that difficult to overcome. Cats generally take care of themselves with just a bit of input and lots of love from us. The asthma was tamed via keeping the cat shampooed and the house clean. The dog adopted her as her own—an arrangement totally acceptable to Nalla. And, we did not have too long before other feline friends decided to adopt us as well.

Just this past June, we rescued a black nine-month-old cat from extremely neglectful and even abusive owners. We named him Puck.

Then on the Fourth of July, a medium long-haired 3-week-old kitten showed up on our back porch, covered in muck, fleas, and blood. Apparently someone had tried to get rid of him and then thrown him out of the car near our home. Misha, as we named him, came to us. How could we refuse?

Now we have a very full house. All our animal friends are well loved and even spoiled, but we are the more blessed ones because of their presence in our lives.

I stammered into the phone. I stammered into the phone.

(C)2005, Daphne Yvonne Bradshaw, written for The Catnip Chronicles.