The Crazy Cat Lady

Yes, yes, I know. When you get a cat, you expect it to change your life in a minimal way. Cats are, in fact, easy going, mellow, and keep to themselves. Sure you might get to pet them when they choose, or spot them sun bathing on the window sill, but they are cats. I certainly had these expectations when I got my first cats. As it turns out, cats have their own personalities. Sure they changed our lives for the better, it was fun having kittens around, but life went on. So when we got our next two kittens, we had similar expectations. Silly fools we were! These next two kittens changed EVERYTHING! Mischief reigned! We had to eat our meals separately so one of us could hold the kittens back from climbing onto our food, it was a constant battle to keep them from roaming around the hallways, or getting into anything and everything that was left out. But they were kittens, adorable, snugly kittens and eventually they would grow out of the mischief....right? Well, one of them did. Missy, Elijah and Alex turned into mostly mellow fat cats...Spike, however, did not. He had to have an ultimate impact on every life that passed through, and he did. Daily life with Spike was a series of shaking our heads, and panicking that this time he had finally managed to kill himself by way of curiosity. I do believe he lived through all nine lives. When I moved back into my parents house, he was the 3rd to arrive, I had fostered him and Alex out and then finally brought them home and sure enough, my parents fell in love with him. My mom had her special games she played with him. My dad was in a constant state of giggling whenever he was around because he was always getting into something or another, covered in the remnants of whatever it was he had been into. He even won over my brother, who was not a cat person, but could not resist the Spike snuggles. He didn't allow you to resist. He insisted you love him. Sometimes he would bite you just to be sure you knew who was really in charge, or he would push you out of your spot on the sofa...he was so little and clever, whomever it was that was being pushed out gave in with a smile of disbelief. Whatta cat!
With his death, life has changed. Sure we have two new kittens, who are full of mischief, but not Spike's brand of mischief. Oh no. No one can ever replace Spike. He was truly one of a kind and everyone he ever snuggled with continues to miss him, and will always look back on their time with him as unique and comical.
That was my boy. My little orphan that came into my life and turned it upside down. My mourning is winding down, though, I will never stop missing him, or laughing whenever I think of the quirky little things he did. But life must go on. And Lucy and Cleo need some guidance. And so begins the next chapter of the crazy cat lady. Thank you to those of you who stuck by me through this ugliness. You are true blue. Yea I said it.