Mama Kitty

At about six P.M. Wednesday, we put our eldest cat to sleep. She had some weird growth in her belly that had gotten progressively worse, and she was in pain. We’d had her for a decade, and wouldn’t stand to see her suffer, so we took her in.

We are not your average pet owners. We do not have kids, and so our animals are literally our family. Eliza and I have been together for ten years, and that means that every time we’ve come home, Mama has been there, waiting for us.

Not only had we had her the longest of all our cats, but she also had a very quirky and unique personality. We were able to clearly see, with just a glance, if she was grumpy, happy, mischievous, etcetera. The other cats are pretty predictable as far as how they’ll react to attention, but one never knew how Mama was going to receive you. It was hilarious.

Her name was literally Mama. I know, I know, not very original, but she was the mama of a few litters of cats and, throughout the years, we’ve kept some of her kids, who also have very quirky, but less defined, personalities. She was also a very good mama. In fact, she and one of her daughters, Fat-Fat, were very close right up until the end. They were always hanging out together.

Mama had a bunch of specific games she’d play with us that the other cats do not. For instance, if I put a hat on she wasn’t happy unless she got to rub her cheeks along the bill. She used to visit me almost every day at my desk, making it impossible to type or move the mouse. She was the type of cat that figured the world should stop if she entered a room.

She was quite the scrapper back in the day. We lived in a small apartment for quite a while, and she got fussy from time to time, so we’d let her out. The other cats knew it. I’m not sure she ever lost a fight. We would always hear the horrible screams and moans as Mama and another cat fought, but Mama would always come back to the apartment without a mark. She was a tough old girl.

That is why I’ve always thought this was weird: When she was hungry or thirsty and there was another cat by the food and water dishes, she would gingerly sit down and wait her turn. What a strange thing to do for such a wise, tough animal. I will definitely miss watching her do that. The other cats will just shove their way in so they can eat, too, but not her; she far preferred a table for one.

Heck, as you pet owners out there already know, I could literally go on and on for pages about the little things I’ll miss. For as long as Eliza and I have had a home, she’s been a part of it, and now she’s gone. We can definitely feel the empty spot that used to be her. I just hope she was happy and that we gave her the best life we possibly could.

We’ll miss you, Mama Kitty. :)