PBP 2013 – C is for Cat

[redheart]

Originally published at Ekunyi's Embers. You can comment here or there.

This is not going to be a particularly eloquent post, nor will it involve a tremendous amount of insight. This post is not going to detail the history of cats (plural) in Egypt, nor dwell on any examples of the marvelous art that depicts them.

This post is simply to express my love for my cat (the cat here at Chez Ekunyi) and to thank Bast for her continued health and well being.

Sammi (aka: Kittenface, Goober, Bastlet, Samwise Catgee, and Babygirl.)

So the little goober off to the right is Sammi.

She is my furkid. I view her as a dependent and take pride in knowing that I earn enough money to take her to regular check-ups at the veterinarian, to buy her food and toys (…entirely too many toys.) I view it as my duty to care for her teeth and her claws, to carefully watch her body for any changes that might necessitate concern. I find it grounding to brush her out every day when her coat starts to shed like mad in the spring time, to complete the simple daily tasks of changing food, water and litter.

She is my comfort. My partner can attest to the fact that when it reaches a certain hour in the night, she takes it upon herself to yowl and plant herself squarely in front of the television or computer until I get my butt to bed. She somehow knows just where to lay when I could use a heating pad on my chest when I’m dealing with a cold, or some warmth near my lower back when I’m sore. She stayed by me the entire time I was stuck in bed recovering from a surgery two years ago, chasing my roommate’s cat away from me repeatedly after the other cat accidentally walked on my wound.

She is my joy. Her presence in my life necessitates that I put aside my work at least once a day and throw her mouse or wriggle her special “stick” around for her to chase. She makes me laugh when she chases her tail, when she gets so excited about my coming home that she can’t take her eyes off me while running around and eventually just falls over. She wants to be on me, near me, almost all the time that I’m home, to watch what I’m watching, to listen to me sing. (And yes, given that she will snuggle up with me and purr at the sound of my voice, I do indeed sing to my cat.)

Sammi being helpful with research.

She is my inspiration. Though it’s ridiculously anthropomorphizing of me, her background genuinely inspires me. A mother to four kittens at seven months, she kept them alive and well through the “Snowpocalypse” while living under a porch, to the detriment of her own health. Despite this rough start in life, she has come so far from the skittish year old cat I brought home from the rescue center in September of 2010, growing into a snuggle-cat who pretty much wants to convince the world that everyone would be better off with a little more food and a lot more petting.

And yes, in her own way, she is a little connection with Bast. While I don’t view my time with Sammi as an inherently “spiritual” time, all of the things I’ve listed above do make me incredibly grateful that I have her in my life. In our short two and a half years together, she’s been at my side (or more accurately, in my lap!) through career changes, cancer scares, moves, and a break-up. She makes me laugh when I’m crying, and has grabbed onto my heartstrings so firmly that the thought of life without her (hopefully some fifteen odd years from now or more!)  can bring me to tears.

Dua Bast for the brilliance her children can bring in shadowed times, and for the love that we learn to share with them in turn.

And so, so much of that love to my Kittenface.

Comments

[celestialstuff]

Sammicaaaaaaaaaaaaat! ! <3 ! <3 !
Such interesting coloring too...

What a love. She's got you good. xD

[arcturus_angel]

Aww, your cat is so cute!