Respect Your Elders

And Cats (They Have Claws)

"Dogs may chase cats, but even the most rambunctious pup recognizes the quiet power of a feline stare. Maybe it's not respect, but a healthy dose of caution and curiosity."

 – Unknown

We’ll let Ella take the reigns on sharing today’s lesson to respect your elders and cats Ella describes her experience with the cats who have been part of our family.

Ella

When Mom first adopted me, she already had a cat who ruled the household: Anabelle. Mom told me Anabelle had been with her since before she was born. Mom had taken in a stray cat who turned out to be pregnant. Jasmine gave birth to four fluffy, black and white kittens underneath the futon in Mom’s apartment in New Hampshire. Anabelle was the runt of the litter. When she was little, she looked like she had stuck her paw in an electrical socket, because her fur stood on end. She was the most adventurous of the kittens—slipping her way across the linoleum into the kitchen to explore while her brothers and sister remained within the safety of the carpeted living room. She used to climb Mom’s pant leg to get to her shoulder while she was washing dishes or watching TV.

Mom always appreciated a fiery spirit, so she decided to keep Anabelle and found homes for the other kittens and Jasmine. They went everywhere together, and Anabelle moved across the country with Mom. They spent four days (thirty-two hours in the car) to get to Colorado. At first, they lived in an apartment, but when they moved into a house, that’s when I came into the picture.

Anabelle quickly established herself as my elder. I was more than willing to respect her, and we lived together in harmony. But that didn’t mean I had to like all cats. Anytime a neighborhood cat would pass by I would alert everyone.

Mom once dated a guy with two cats, one of whom seemed smitten with me. When we’d go for a walk, this cat would wait outside for us to return. When we got back, he’d run to greet me, but like any self-respecting dog, I would walk right past him with no acknowledgment. I knew I had to live with him, but I didn’t have to be overly friendly.

Poor Anabelle was diagnosed with kidney disease at age seven. Despite Mom’s efforts of providing her at-home fluid treatments and special food, we had to say goodbye to Anabelle about a year later when her health took a sharp turn for the worse and the doctor told us she wouldn’t recover. After that, it took Mom many years before she could even consider adopting another cat.

We didn’t add another cat to the family—two in fact—until 2014. Mom was talking to her manager on the phone and found out he was fostering kittens who needed homes. He sent her a picture and a particular little tortoise-shell-colored fluff ball caught her eye. She went to meet her and decided to adopt both her and her sister. When mom went back about a week later the sister was no longer available. She still thought it would be good to adopt two cats so they could play together, so the foster family talked her into taking the runt of the litter along with the tortie. The runt had tiger stripes, a white half-mask, and a white belly and legs. Each of the kittens weighed two pounds.

When Mom brought the kittens home that night, I sat on the floor with them in the guest bedroom until Kali (the tortie) hissed at me. I knew cats have claws, so I hid under the bed for the next hour to be safe. At some point, that little kitten decided I was her best friend. She followed me around, slept in my bed with me, and got as close as I would allow. I was not pleased. I didn’t need a cat as a friend. But later I appreciated her ability to get views from a higher vantage point in the backyard since as a cat she could climb trees. Mateo (the tiger) also liked being around me, but he found his true love ten months later when a dog who became our new sister, Mala, came into our lives.

Even though they were a different species, each of the cats was a member of our family, so I respected them. I didn’t always like having to hang out with them, but I did my duty as their sister and protected them. It turns out cats aren’t so bad as long as you don’t give them a reason to use their claws against you. We’re all more alike than we are different, and it’s important to respect others.