But it wasn't until my sophomore year of college that my heart got fully swayed to the loyalty of the domestic cat. My sister Sue and I got off campus and rented an apartment together with a couple other responsible young ladies. :) Having never lived with out furry friends around we felt a deep void in our living space. Susan took initiative and headed down to the local SPCA one afternoon to take care of our need. She returned with a tiny grey ball of energy with ridiculously huge Caribbean green eyes. It was the eyes that won her over. We all had a ball playing with her and she seemed to welcome her new home environment of rowdy 19 yr olds. It took a day or 2 before my sister started to feel a strange guilt for purchasing a new cat when her own cat still was back home at mom and dads. She was missing her long haired princess Victoria and felt she had betrayed her in buying this new spring kitten. So she threatened to return our new kitten back to the SPCA unless one of us stepped up to be her sole owner. Well I would hear nothing of returning this wonderful new addition so I happily agreed to take full responsibility for her. It was easy since she had already taken to sleeping on my pillow at night. She chose me so I chose her. And a long deep relationship and bond took it's first form.
I named her Tuggle. It was a perfect fit in honor of a wonderful character with long legs and sassy style from a favorite old movie of mine, the 1960 classic film 'Where The Boys Are'. Tuggle and I have been through a wild ride of life events together. When I look back over the span of time our friendship has taken together it makes me smile all the way down to my heart strings. Eighteen years is a long time in a woman's life.
She's cuddled me through studying for college courses late into the night sleeping on my heavy textbooks for attention. I remember her chasing my pencil as I attempted homework and tedious nursing school care plans. I remember how chubby she got when I left her with my parents when I spent a month in Guatemala. She got a daily dose of ham to ease the pang of her longing for my return. She fully supported my crazy sleep patterns my many years of working the night shift. Always so happy to crawl into bed and sleep any odd hours away with me. She pooped on my bridesmaid's pillow the morning of my wedding. I think she sensed the stress of the day and took it out on my house guest, but it made us laugh and broke the tension. I cried in her fur when I missed my soldier and feared for his safety. She was my family when Christmas morning came and it was just me and her. I loaded up gifts for her under our Charlie Brown tree that year he was in Afghanistan. She was extra cute to make me giggle in my loneliness as she chased the toys and wrapping paper shreds. She kept me company every time I would sit long hours into the night nursing my babies in the dark. She's moved into 6 homes with me. Always staking a claim on my sunny bedroom window perch in each locale. Even now, she provides a silent companionship in my noisy life when I scoop her up to sneak away for a quiet bubble bath. Locking the bathroom door to pretend it's the old days when it was just us two for so many years. Even when the kids bang on the door she doesn't flinch knowing they can't interrupt this ritual of serenity sought. It's our time.
I know some people aren't animal lovers. I don't think they are normal actually. I don't have many if any in my life because I don't understand them. I think God deliberately created the animal world to add pure joy and amusement in our lives. A gift if you will for us to simply love and enjoy. Something so sweet and ever present to remind us to take it down a notch. They never judge us or criticize our life choices or failures as long as we offer a warm lap and a scratch. When all else crumbles around us somehow, just stroking something soft behind the ears lowers the blood pressure and makes pain have less of a sting. It makes fear seem less looming, and even joy more complete when it's shared with an old friend.
It's been fun constructing this, my tribute to Tuggle post. My girl is still kicking. She looks no where near as old as her little 7 lb body should look. She's still my favorite pillow pet, book buddy, bath buddy and welcoming committee when I return from life. I'm so thankful for the gift she's been to my journey. My one woman cat who endures my family life since it's an extension of me. I don't take her for granted. Anyone who knows me knows her. It will be a sad day indeed when she's gone. But I'll re read this and toss one back in her honor when that day comes. Here's to you Tuggs!!
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