Meet the Family.

“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.”  ~Jean Cocteau

Every child should have a pet. When we moved to the island we had 3 children but no pets & petless we remained until after daughter un numero uno entered the world. Then when she was about 3 neighbours informed us the couple on the point had an unwanted kitten ~ Siamese.  Blue eyes. Sucker bait.

I told my daughter we were only going to look.  After all daddy hadn't agreed but we went, we looked, we fell like Lucifer.

Firstly the scrawny half grown kitten had been found with a fish hook through his mouth from scavenging for food. Secondly he was cream with ginger points but black with fleas. I was devastated that anyone could leave any animal in such a state ~ even one they didn't want. So we brought him home.

My daughter was beside herself.  For the first time in her short life she was privy to something her older brothers were not & she was beside herself to tell her big news when they got home from school.

Gyver grew into the most loving & generous natured cat as rescues almost always do.  They never forget to be grateful & Gyver never did.  He loved all his people, unconditionally, without reservation & quite impartially.

Our next cat, a tabby female, my youngest son acquired from the pet shop & she was the most evil tempered animal ever; impossible to handle & not the cuddly smoochy sort at all. She is also the only cat we have no pictures of yet we loved her anyway & grieved her loss.

When Gyver was getting to be rather an old man my middle son brought home a kitten that in all honesty should still have been with its mother. He chose some high faluting Russian name that spoke of warrior strength & manly independence.  The girls & I promptly shortened that to Issi.

Your cat, I informed him. You pay for his food.  Desex him. Get him vet checked & because he is my son he said yes mother & promptly left for the west coast & 12 months at sea. I was left with a cat I neither wanted, nor at the time, particularly liked ~ & who still need to be desexed.

Meanwhile, Gyver was dying. His cancer riddled body was wasting away before our eyes until there was only one thing left we could do for him.

I was devastated. I was grieved to my core.  Good cats are irreplaceable.  As I grieved this wobbly footed mitten crawled up my pant leg, slunk up my chest & laid his head over my heart trying his very best to comfort me.

From that moment on Issi was my cat & no~one else's.  He made no bones that I was his person. He was my faithful shadow & companion for 5 years until a blood clot took him unexpectedly & far too soon.

Our present companions are Marlow, who was completely traumatised to be moved from foster care to a permanent new home, & his bonded sibling, Kirby.

Kirby was another cat I didn't want.  I'm no fan of tuxedos but I did want Marlow & couldn't bear the thought of breaking the bond between the brothers. Shortly after they arrived one of my idiot children left chicken bones out & Kirby decided swallowing the wish bone whole was the smart thing to do. We spent a traumatic day at the vet's while it was removed from his throat & learnt how deeply animals can grieve for each other.

As we left Marlow touched his brother's nose through the carrier & remained quiet & subdued until our return.  As rescues they had seen plenty of animals leave, never to return. His joy when we brought his brother home again was more than a sedated Kirby could handle but it was a turning point for both boys.  They finally realised they were here to stay & are loving & affectionate boys though you couldn't get brothers more dissimilar in personalities.

Marlow is placid, outgoing & the party lad.  If we have company he is right there to be adored & fussed over.  Kirby is completely neurotic.  He hides in the rafters at the first hint of company, fawns all over me but no~one else, beats up any dog who looks at me the wrong way & is a most extraordinary & infuriating escape artiste!

We still own the children but like dandelion seed they are scattered far & wide.  The cats remain.