The year of the cat

I am not really a cat person. I have always preferred dogs to cats. When I first moved in with T (now over 3 decades ago!), she had a cat. I put up with it but never really connected. It only lived for a few years and then we didn't get another. 

We had a dog. Now, we don't. I told everyone in sight that I had no desire to train another puppy. I have so little stamina that just the thought of training anyone or any animal is out of my reach. 

I began to think about T's life after my death. I began to dream of cats. 

One dream, in particular, still stays with me. I dreamed that I was watching T hike up a long, narrow hill. There was an ocean on one side of her and the path wound up and up. She was in hiking gear and carried a walking stick. A back pack. And around her shoulders, curled a cat. She reached a plateau, looked up at the sky and smiled. Said, "Hi, babe! It is a lovely day." I knew she was talking to me. And looking....up. So, I was gone. I felt waves of peace and happiness sifting off of her and lifting over to me. I wasn't above her, but next to her. And her peace became mine. I was so happy that she was doing well! And that cat looked right at me. 

I tentatively brought the subject up to her. What would she think of getting a cat? I was surprised at her joy at this subject. She was not just in, she was all in. 

We talked at length of what kind of cat to get. Lucy, who is allergic to cats, would have to be considered. But, Lucy is on her own now; when she comes home....it is to visit, not to stay for long lengths of time. Her life is away from us. 

Still. We wanted holidays and visits to be tolerable for her. 

I typed hypoallergenic cats into my computer. Immediately, I was shown several sites of bengal cats. While not totally hypoallergenic, they tended to have considerably less dander and were not inclined to shed much. Plus, they were gorgeous with their round rosette marks and fur that glittered. 

And expensive. Very pricey. 

We found a bengal cattery in the state next door. A mom and pops operation. 

I began to research the bengal cat personality and was stunned to find out that it seemed tailor made for me, for us. Bengals are not lap cats. They are not known to be cuddly, although they bond strongly with their owners and can be affectionate if it is their idea. They are incredibly intelligent. They are climbers. They are known to be curious and problem solvers. 

I called the person at the cattery we were looking at. I immediately liked her. She was honest and funny. She told me that you have to be a certain sort of person to like a bengal cat. 

They are not just smart, they are crazy smart. Ours know how to flush the toilet, turn on and off the water faucets and lights, and climb everything. Think of a bengal like a dog instead of a cat. They are easily trained to do tricks. But only if they want to and they will want to because they love you. They can be taken for walks on a leash like a dog. They love water, and will sneak into the shower with you, if you aren't careful. They are incredibly loyal and once they are in your family, they are part of your pack forever. They are also very verbal and like a lot of playtime. You don't have to spend hours playing with them, but they want to be with you. Just don't expect them to be cuddlers. They aren't inclined to just lay in the sun. They want to explore. The best part? Their shit truly doesn't stink much but they are fastidious about wanting a clean litter box. 

T gave me a long look as I told her all of this. She commented, "If you were a cat, you'd be a bengal. I think we'll be just fine." 

So, we took a deep breath and put a deposit down on the next litter at the cattery. This one has two cats and that's it. Their first litter was due in mid July. The other in early August. We could visit them when they were a month old. We were number 4 on the list. The first cat had a litter of 4 kittens. 1 female and 3 males. The second litter had 8 kittens and one died. 1 female and 6 males. 

Today we went to visit and met Angela. I applaud her. She and her husband live far out in the country in a pale blue house. They live in the top of the house and the cats live in the bottom in a large, airy floor devoted entirely to them. We looked at the first litter. They were lovely kittens, all brown and white with dark mahogany rosettes. The second litter, much smaller, were gray and white with black rosettes. 

Angela cautioned us not to expect the kittens to be easy to hold. 

"Even baby bengals are a bit aloof." 

And they were. Except for one. The second littlest of the second litter. A little male cat with bright blue inquisitive eyes. He walked up to me and brazenly sniffed at my cane. When I leaned down to pet him, he stuck his nose in the air and pranced away. I looked at all the kittens and their mothers. (The fathers were outside. Angela said that they weren't affectionate with the kittens and were only really interested in hanging out with the moms, like good looking surfer dudes who know how irresistible they are, but aren't into being Dads...)

I watched for several minutes. They were kittens, so yeah...they were darling. And the second litter was bottle fed because their mom had proven to be a really uninterested mother who was not into the care and feeding of her young. 

"Sometimes, it happens. I have always had at least two, usually  three breeder cats and this is the first time that I have one who just doesn't do the mom thing. She cost me so much money because she is show quality. But, she is a diva. She does well at cat shows but isn't into motherhood. It happens." 

My eye kept returning to the kitten who had liked my cane. He wore a teal collar that matched my dress and while he was sociable with his siblings, he was more interested in sneaking past all of us to get up the stairs and see what was beyond his little room. Angela sighed a few times and caught him as he stealthily snuck by us all. Finally, he decided to try to scale the fireplace in the room instead. He had no luck, but that didn't stop him from trying. Seeing that I was drawn to him, Angela scooped him up and set him into my hands. 

I think bluebirds started singing all around us. 

He sat gently in my arms and allowed me to stroke his white chin. He settled against me and looked up into my eyes with those bright blue eyes. He made a short barking meow sound that is unique to bengals. 

And he started purring. 

I looked at T, helpless with love. She tried and failed to not laugh. 

I knew I was a goner. I told Angela that this was our cat. That hopefully, the 3 people ahead of us would not select him. Angela said that it was more likely that the first litter would go first. And the females. People who bought bengals tended to prefer the brown rosettes to the black ones. And females were cheaper. Bengals grow to be extremely large cats and females are easier on the eyes. 

"I'll let you know, but I am pretty sure that this cat can be yours," she told us. 

I leaned down and whispered into the cat's ear. 

"Your name is Sam Shepard. Or "Shep." I'll see you in late October." 

I reluctantly put him down. We left. On the long ride home through the country, T remarked that the teal kitten was remarkably curious and might prove to be a handful. 

I looked out the window over the yellowing corn stalks. 

"The heart wants what the heart wants," I told her. "I want Shep." 

I foresee lots of crashing sounds at 3 a.m. this Autumn. I foresee having to get hurricane blinds on the living room drapes that go from ceiling to floor. I foresee constantly having to remember to keep the seat down on the toilet. 

But, I also foresee a cat wrapped around T's shoulder as she climbs up a long trail by some ocean. 

A cat named Shep.