The Cat Who Came to Dinner

Suddenly, there she was, a smallish "tuxedo" kitty -- black, with white paws and a white "vest" -- hiding underneath my Volkswagen convertible at the townhouse development in San Jose, California. She seemed hungry and scared, and was in no hurry to leave.

I inquired of the neighbors to see if anyone had reported a missing cat, but nobody knew anything about her. When my husband and I took our customary walk around the complex early in the evening, she trotted closely behind us, "talking" to us the entire time.

And that's how P.C. (Pussy Cat) came into our lives, stayed for dinner that night, and then became a member of the family for about seven years, until feline leukemia claimed her.

P.C. became my confidant -- I could tell her absolutely everything, and she told me pretty much everything, as reflected in her expressive green eyes. She was my playmate -- we would chase each other up and down the stairs and all around the townhouse. She was a good judge of character -- arching her little back and hissing at a workman who had tried to cheat us, the only time in her life she did that.  And she definitely provided comic relief -- sneezing loudly when she was playing hide-and-seek under a dusty scatter rug.

P.C. was the subject of many photographs. There was P.C. sound asleep in a flowerbed, P.C. intently watching a TV show that depicted birds in flight, P.C. sound asleep in our bed with her head on the pillow.  The day we had to call the volunteer firemen to rescue her from a treetop was not chronicled in a photograph, but it's still vivid in my memory.

On the occasions when P.C. was naughty, for example, she might have broken something, I would say to her, "No, no, no," and she would respond with a sound exactly like a human being saying, "uh-oh."  She was a character, for sure!

If you've ever lost your heart to a cat or a dog who became your beloved pet and your companion in spirit, you know how close I was to P.C. Even today, I think of her fondly and wish she was still around.  Pets are wonderful, fascinating critters who share our homes and brighten our lives.

- Linda Jay Geldens, www.LindaJayGeldens.com
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Comments

[Linda Jay Geldens]

Hi, Susan,
Thanks for sharing your experience with your kitties Lillian and Esther. Isn't it amazing how they will stick with you through all the ups and downs of life? They become the "constant" you can count on. Linda

[Susan Roth]

I had two cats that shared my life for nearly 20 years..Lillian, a very vocal cat who lived to be nineteen and Esther, who played fetch better than any dog that I had...who lived to be 17 years old. I raised both from kittens..Lillian came into my life shortly after I moved out of my parents house for good, and Esther was an abandoned kitten I found on Easter Day. They lived through my college years, marriages, divorces, and moved with me two three separate states (they were not so happy about the moving part) and was a part of my family once I finally settled down for good. It hurt terribly to loose them, and I still miss them sometimes, even though they have been gone for nearly 7 years.

[Linda Jay Geldens]

Hi, Jeffrey,

Thanks for sharing your story about Maggie and Boston. Wish there were a way to ask Boston if he would like a playmate! Chances are, he might. After I wrote this post, I figured out that actually P.C. chose us as much as we chose her. Interesting. LindaJay

[Jeffrey Levine]

Thank you Linda for this wonderful post. About 6 years ago, our family adopted two little kitties, brother and sister, (Boston and Maggie) from a rescue . They were so bonded that the rescuer insisted that they be adopted together, which we were happy to do. Earlier this year, after a horrible month of vet visits, injections, 2nd and 3rd opinions, medicines, herbs - Maggie died of cancer. And its only now, 6 months later, that we are beginning to wonder if Boston would like a playmate. As Maggie will always be part of our family, I can relate to your connection to PC. Thank you for sharing your story. - Jeffrey