C is for Cat

Once when I was really small, about six years old or so, I went to someone's house. I don't remember whose house, but I remember they had a cat. And I loved that cat. I wanted to play with it, I wanted to touch it. So I followed it. I watched it eat. Below the far end of a long dining room table, the cat sat and ate from it's bowl of food, and I crouched all the way down and watched it - all the way from the other side of the dining room table. When it paid me no attention, I started talking to it. "Here kitty, kitty" I said, repeating what I had heard from other people. "Hereee kitty, kitty." I wanted to be it's friend so bad. And the cat, after looking up at me once, then twice (after I continued talking to it), walked straight up to my smiling face, took a paw, and scratched me across the cheek with it's sharp claws. Raw, bleeding, and itchy, I ran to my mom, smile spoiled, and crying hard. "What happened?" she asked. "The cat doesn't like me. The cat hurt me." "What were you doing?" "I was trying to talk to it but it was eating." "That's why." My mom told me, "You should never talk to cat while it's eating." My mom washed my face and slathered Vaseline on top of those long, painful cuts. And so I stayed away from the cat the entire time we were there. But I never forgot about it. I left that house determined to make cats like me, especially seeing how this one didn't even give me a chance.

Throughout my life I've met many cats. I have been fascinated by all of them. What I noticed was that every single cat I had ever met had never let me me hang around it quite enough for me to stroke it like it was my own. And maybe that was the problem, I never had my very own. I met kittens, too, and loved them. All the kittens I have ever met loved climbing and snuggling, but were still so squirrely. I wanted snugs.

One day Dan and I visited the local PetCo. The entire reason Dan and I went there is because we had just watched a Disney documentary at the theater about animals - "Born In China":

After the movie, I wanted more animals! Animals all day. So we went to PetCo, and then I met Grigio. I saw Grigio where all the rescued cats were placed. In that big wooden shelving box with tiers, and those little, clear plastic doors with the tiny finger-holes so people can rub their fingers up to the strays. We put our fingers in, and the cutest, softest tabby cat, colored in creams, browns, and black came up and nuzzled her little head against our forefingers and thumbs hanging through those holes. "I luff her" I said. "Let's try to adopt her. That one." Dan agreed. We looked up her name on this tattered piece of paper on the wall. We matched the cat to the picture, and her name - Grigio - was listed. 6 week old kitten, tabby, stray, 6 pounds. "I want her, Danny!" What a perfect name! Grigio! We love our days of wine and roses, and wouldn't those days just be that much better with our very own kitten?! Yes, yes they would. I filled out the application quickly and hoped for the best.

I really, really wanted to take Grigio home. I thought about her the next few days non-stop. How cute she was, how friendly she was. How I've wanted a pet for so long. And a beautiful pet cat... this is exactly what I wanted and I prayed, something that I needed. And kept thinking, "Well, what if we do actually get her? Then what?" And there were some problems too. "We will have to to see if I have an allergic reaction to her, Felicia." Dan told me. "I hope I don't, but I've been allergic to other cats before." "You won't be allergic to her," I said. "It won't be a problem. And if you are you'll get used to her." "We'll see," Dan replied. "I hope so too. I want a kitten too."

I received a phone call from Chicago Pet Rescue a few days after our visit. The lady told me that we would first have to have a meet and greet with her. So I scheduled one for the next day. I was so happy that I would be able to play with Grigio. I warned Dan to try his best to not be allergic. Funny, I know. I was worried that this might effect us getting to keep her. "I'll be fine," he said.

Once we went into PetCo, we met the lady that had called us, and she let Grigio out of the kittens' cage. We went into a small room with her, and then she placed little Grigio on my lap. I loved her right away. She was so soft and cuddly. She kept pushing her nose and face onto my neck and arms - "marking" - she was "marking" me I soon learned. Then she would scamper onto the floor and explore. Then jump back up onto my lap for more pets. Dan held her too. But I noticed that Dan's face was all red and his eyes were watery and bloodshot... and after the fifteen minutes we spent in that room with Grigio, he let out a big "ACHOO". The lady locked Grigio back in her cage with the other kittens and told us that there were two other families that wanted to see her, so we would have to wait for another call. That call would let us know whether or not she was ours.

Once Dan and I got home, he said, "I'm not sure we can have her, Felicia. I'm really allergic. I could barely breathe." I saw that this was true, I saw how uncomfortable he was. But I would not let Grigio go. It was awful. "You'll get used to her I said. You'll survive." Suffice it to say, it was a long conversation that ended with Dan agreeing to take Claritin every day of his life. For me. And my Grigio.

I was happy beyond belief the day we got the call back letting us know that Grigio was ours for the keeping. What a wonderful night. We brought Grigio home in a cardboard crate, let her out into the office room, and let her explore. She was happy. I was happy. Dan was happy. Finally! My very own pet. Dan was not allergic at all - with the Claritin - and guess what? He doesn't have to take it anymore! His allergies are gone (at least at home). We both think it was PetCo that made his allergies react the way it did - so many different animals and furs.

One day Grigio was laying on my chest, as she does a lot. She was looking at me, her eyes closing and opening and closing and opening - she was falling asleep. I was falling asleep too. Her purrs slowed and her head dropped, and she fell asleep. I napped and it was one of the best sleeps ever.

- F