When people say dogs are a man’s best friend, I say nay. When people say cats are self-centered jerks, clearly they haven’t seen the side of cats that is super affectionate to the point of clingy. Cats and their humans grow to learn this specific type of love that no other animal can provide.
My cat, Pookie, lived to be 19 years old, just seven weeks shy of 20. He was a Maine Coon/Siamese mix that my neighbor gave to my parents before I was born. My dad named him after Garfield’s teddy bear, Pooky. He was quite the character. For instance, Pookie preferred bottled water over tap, and it needed to be cold water, but not too cold, otherwise he wouldn't drink it. Somewhere, we have a picture of him drinking out of one of my mom’s Crocs. When I was in first grade, he used to walk my sister and me to the bus stop, where he would wait for us to get on the bus.
He loved Christmas trees, and every year, he would lay beneath the tree. We called him our present. It made for some of the most adorable pictures. Of course, when he was younger, we couldn’t have nice things. He did everything cats normally do. He climbed the tree, he knocked ornaments off. Everything. But over time, he learned.
Pookie also loved anything my mom cooked. Although he had his favorite flavor of wet food (of course it was seasonal, anything else would have been too simple), he preferred human food. Goulash was his absolute favorite. You could set that cat out a bowl and he would lick it spotless. There were times where if I hadn’t have found the bowl on the floor, I wouldn’t have known it was dirty. One day, at dinner, he sat in his usual spot between me and my dad (because we couldn’t resist sharing with him, those eyes were too much) and absolutely demanded that we give him some of our food. The thing was, it was noodles that had garlic sauce.
“Pookie, you’re not going to like it. You don’t eat noodles.”
Still, he would not stop begging and meowing at us. So we gave him some, trying to prove to him he wouldn’t touch it. We were wrong. Those alphabet noodles were gone in seconds.
Then of course, there’s the topic of sleep. Cats sleep. All the time. Everywhere they can. It’s cute, but also slightly inconvenient. This cat would sleep in the middle of a doorway. In the middle of your bed. In the bathroom on the floor in front of the shower — you name it, he slept there.
When my sister got her cats, they proved that cats can be cuddlers — unlike Pookie. These cats loved my sister so much. When she first got them, they would cuddle her all the time, taking naps together. She has so many pictures of Tony and Figaro laying on one another. They followed her around the house.
Every cat my family owned has been very conversational. Every time Pookie came inside, he would tell us his life story.
During my sisters’ pregnancy, Figaro became extra cuddly. When she lounged on the couch, he would lay up against her stomach. When my niece was born, they stood at the end of her crib and stared into it, as if wondering what the heck that tiny creature was.
My point is, cats are much more than just little mean balls of fur — they love you just as much dogs can. A cat’s love is unconditional, they trust you, and once you give them a chance, they’ll give you one, too. And I miss my kitty so much. I would give anything for just one more day with Pookie. It’s hard to think about getting another cat, just because he was a once in a lifetime pet.
So, Pookie, Figaro, one day when our time comes, we will find you in kitty heaven; and until then, we can be comforted knowing that Opa is giving both of you the lovins you deserve.
