The traveling companion
Everyone has a general perception about cats. They are typically known for liking and disliking certain things that simply makes what a cat is. However, when you live with cats your whole life, that general perception dismantles as each and every cat surprises you in unique and amazing ways. I have quite a few cats in my life, all of which are truly amazing, but there is one in particular that I can proudly say is a best friend. Say hello to Misha!
I came across Misha at an adoption event at a pet store when I was serving the country. Growing up, I always had the presence of four legged tornados in the house, and being alone after the fact just made it more lonely. I looked through all the cats, all of which I was wishing I could take them all home and give them the life they deserved, but one stood out to me who went by the name of “Tank.” I know what you’re thinking, the name “Tank” would be given to a big animal, or just a really fat one. This guy, this guy was definitely big for his age. The biggest out of all the other kittens. He stared calmly out of the cage as he laid, just wondering where he would go, and what would happen next. There was an immediate pull towards him, and that when I knew, he’s coming home with me.
After taking him home, I couldn’t help but resemble him to a bear. The size of his paws, the fluffiness of his fur, and the big wide eyes. I then decided on calling him Misha, Russian for bear. He quickly acclimated to his new surroundings, to his name, and to my work schedule. His demeanor, personality, and energy constantly surprised me as time went on. It was almost as if he just understood the life, and he accepted it. It was nice to have another presence with me once again. Coming home from work immediately changed knowing that there was a living thing waiting on me to come home. In the short few months that past after adopting him, Misha started to really show the characteristics of a bear. His size started to become apparent, and his fur started to get longer. I knew he was going to be a big cat, but he was getting big fast.
It wasn’t very long until it was time to hit the road and move on from my first station. I wasn’t sure how Misha was going to deal with this, and how he would handle the cross country drive. As I packed my things, he still kept his cool, in fact he seemed more intrigued to the furniture just suddenly disappearing, along with his comfy cat tree. He simply relied and trusted me on what was going to happen next, and I could feel it, even right down to the point where he finally got in the cat carrier. That was it. The moment of truth. Was he going to freak out? What if he pees and the car ends up smelling like a disgusting bathroom on wheels for the rest of the trip? Was he going to be screaming the whole way too? Am I going to lose my mind? I was about to find out.
After the first 30 minutes of the drive, I couldn’t stop thinking about how uncomfortable it would be for Misha to be cooped up in that carrier for hours and hours of driving. He was calm, relaxed, only meowed a few times as he tried to look at me through his carrier. It was then I had the idea of opening his carrier. “ That’s absolutely nuts” you might be thinking, but it ended up being the best decision I made on that trip. The fact that he could stretch his legs, and sit however way he wanted immediately changed him. He looked around, looked out the windows, and watched the other cars passing by, he shoved himself between all the bags. Instead of freaking out, he made the most of it and had a good time, and even better, he didn’t pee or poop!
Here comes the hard part. My final destination was not going to be a new apartment just yet. I was heading to a military base for training that was going to last about a month and a half. This meant that Misha was going to have to be boarded for that whole duration. This was also during the COVID lock down fiasco, at the time, it was forbidden to leave the base until the training was complete. Misha would have to endure for the whole duration, and it killed me. I kept thinking what he would be wondering what happened and why. My only solution was to ignore those thoughts and press on. His personality showed that he could handle anything so far, and I was going to see him again regardless. When I left him at the cat board, I was given access to camera to watch him during his stay. It helped being able to see him through it all.
The training had finished and Misha was back in my car once again. He kept meowing this time, and I assumed it was him asking me what happened all this time, but he was excited and happy to be out of that room. We ended up in my next station, and shortly after that the holidays came along, and I had planned to visit family back home in the middle of Pacific, Hawaii. Once again, to my surprise, he handled it perfectly. I started to wonder if he was really a cat or just a whole new breed of cat.
After some time in my new station, the work schedule proved to be much different than what we were both used to in my previous station. There were some days I wouldn’t come home, sometimes even an entire week. All the while I couldn’t stop worrying about Misha, and wondereing yet again what he was thinking. I decided to do the next best thing and adopt a friend to keep him company on those days I can’t come home, and it was yet again, the best choice I could have made.
At first, Misha didn’t like Oliver very much, but after about a week or so, they both became brothers. It made me feel much better knowing that Misha had company during the times I was away, but those times of being away came to an end as my service to my country ended. I bought a house with a decent sized plot of land with a enclosed pool, and now they both are having the times of their lives in luxury. Through my travels, Misha had proven to be the best companion anyone could have. Not only did he stick with me through the hardest times, but he never changed after the fact. To this day he still remains the Misha I have come to know and love since the day I adopted him. He is thriving with his brothers and sisters now as the biggest cat in the house, and he knows it.
So the next time you have someone tell you that cats are not good companions for traveling, or just good companions at all, there are tons of cases besides mine where cats have proven otherwise. I would argue that they are easier than dogs, as you don’t have to constantly tend to their bathroom needs and so on. If you plan on going on a road trip and you can’t find someone to go with you, maybe turn your eyes to your cat. You might be pleasantly surprised as you create amazing loving memories with your fluffball.
