Suzy Says

Her Ladyship

Despite losing all three of my adored and adorable cats in different ways last year (died in sleep; eaten by monsters; euthanasia), I am not completely catless. After Death One and several eventful months before Deaths Two and Three, a mystery cat showed up. I still think Clyde the mama’s boy sent her to his broken-hearted mama, since she appeared about a month after his sudden and devastating departure. And in all the years I have lived in Hooterville, I have never had a cat show up out of the woods crying for food like she did.

It’s been a long time since I only had one cat – decades, in fact. I adopted Buddy when I was 20 years old and he was with me from his first breath to his last, almost 20 years later. No matter what else changed in my life, he was always there for me. I certainly slept better with his majestic presence on my pillow. When I woke up at night, I’d go back to sleep listening to his deep, reassuring purr.

It’s interesting that my first cat and what will probably be my last cat* look so much alike, with the same fluffy fur and noble expression, and that they are both the only single cats I have ever had. I notice that having only one cat makes everything about that cat. Duchess has more accessories than Malibu Barbie.

There’s her Feliway diffusers (one upstairs, one downstairs), the calming powder that gets mixed into her wet food at breakfast (both of these recommended by my ex-husband, the semi-professional cat rescuer), her hairball treats for after dinner, the catnip for her scratching post, the anti-scratch spray for the house, a stash of toys upstairs and a stash downstairs. She has a strict regimen of treats: when I leave for work; treats when I come home; and treats after dinner. She gets 1.5 ounces of grain free wet food twice a day. There’s plenty of grain-free kibble at all times, but despite her former starvation, she considers it a last resort. And possibly beneath her.

She greets me at the door when I come home, and allows me to pet her incredible soft fur. She likes to rub up against me. Lately, she has been sitting next to me on the couch in the evening, and sometimes she hangs out on the bed with me, though she rarely sleeps there. Her major motivation is making sure the Staff wakes up on time to serve breakfast. Standards must be kept.

*I thought Dodge would be my last cat. You never know.

A YEAR AGO: Some time off.

FIVE YEARS AGO: A happy birthday.

TEN YEARS AGO: Miscellaneous updates.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: The loss of the beautiful June. Always loved.

TWENTY YEARS AGO: Birthday celebrations. Too bad the photos didn’t make it, especially Megan’s cake.