I talk to cats!
Tales from a crazy cat lady
It all started one summer’s day when I was but a wee young ‘un! My parents brought home a little gray bundle of fur who we collectively named, Kirsty. With that first look, my future as a crazy cat lady was foretold.
Please excuse the bowl cut, 70s mothers were well versed in the fine art of cruel!
My obsession continued as I moved in with my first girlfriend who, as luck would have it, was also a crazy cat lady and it didn’t take long for us to bring Joshua home, a seal point Siamese. Not content with just one feline in a crazy cat lady household, Jesse followed eighteen months later. That little chocolate point and I had a special bond and he would wait for me in the window of the townhouse, yelling and running down the stairs when he saw my car pull in every evening from work.
If I’m going to be stalked, this is the way I prefer it!
Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to these babies when I left, but it didn’t take me long to head to the Cape Town SPCA and fill my crazy cat lady heart with two bundles of love; Joey, my sweet-natured little ginger boy, and Jaime, my black and white part asshole, part angel.
I lost my sweet Joey to a hit-and-run in Australia when he was eight years old, but Jaime and I continued our journey together for another ten years.
His life became a book, The Well-Travelled Cat, as we journeyed through another two countries together.
Whilst living on a ranch in Texas, this little terror came into our lives. I saw her at a racetrack where my partner was stabling a horse and sent food to her everyday. Seemingly abandoned to roam amidst horse hooves and dodge truck wheels, miss Molly Malone was brought home one evening as a surprise.
She had two personalities and could switch between them in a heartbeat; sweet and loving one moment and Edward scissor-paws the next as her eyes went dark, earning herself the nickname Sybil!
After I lost my beloved Jaime in early 2020, these two monsters decided that spending time with me in my little basement apartment in London, Ontario, was far superior than being upstairs in the main house with the noisy boys that lived there (my housemate and his young son). They made themselves very comfortable and I, of course, being a seasoned cat lady, shifted myself to accommodate their need for attention!
What’s a crazy cat lady to do during a brief stint in Mexico? Rescue a street cat of course — I may be terminally ill with “catitis!”
I started feeding two kitties from my rented studio apartment, I named the black one Carmen as I was living in Playa Del Carmen, and the occasional calico visitor, Isabella, who appeared to have a home. Carmen stole my heart and I took her in, even knowing that my time in Mexico would be short.
I eventually found a home for her in Portland, Oregon, and a friend who was going that way accompanied on her flight from Mexico to her new mamma.
I still miss her.
The craziness of my disorder intensified in Istanbul, Turkey, and I had full-on conversations with the dozens of street cats that I encountered when I was out and about. I would squat down to feed them pellets that I always had handy in my backpack as I chatted away.
I’m ready for my straight jacket Mr. DeMille!
In a truly appropriate moment, this regal kitty was found at Ephesus, the ruins of an ancient port city close to Izmir.
My conversation skills continued to flourish as I made my way to Fethiye, a gorgeous Mediterranean town.
I am in Germany as I pen this article which is where I have met my latest obsession. This handsome lad with the big voice greets me often as I head out for my walks.
He’s only too happy to take some of my time as we catch up on the days’ events.
I dream of the day when I can get another bundle of fluff or two. I know full well that cats have servants, not owners, and I am more than happy to serve with love. When I finally stop all this world travelling nonsense, I will be back to lint rolling clothes and being scolded by critters one-tenth of my size, thereby allowing my crazy cat lady freak flag to fly even higher.
I doubt that any other kitty will enter my soul like my Jaime did. He was my teacher, my little angel in fur, and the love of my life.
Rest in peace my little travelling man.
