The Wedding Cat

I was raised with animals, mostly dogs. Dad was the animal person, Mom?  Not so much.  I think we tried the cat thing when I was about 4, but I had an allergic response.  At least that's what Mom said.  Now come to think of it....she just doesn't like cats.  I think she lied to me.  She said I was allergic to chocolate too.  Another parenting trick, I think.  Maybe all my years of eating chocolate has built and immunity, but I don't seem to have an allergic response.  One might say I'm even addicted.  You can thank Grandma's chocolate chip cookies for that.  Anyhow, the only cat I got to know belonged to Auntie Jo.  I don't remember its name, just its personality.  This cat would be all sweet, sitting in your lap, purring as you petted him, and then, for no reason in particular, he'd just bite the holy heck out of your hand.  I'd freak out, he'd go running and I'd forget about doing that again.  He'd sneak behind the couch when my arm was stretched across the back.  I'd be content, pacified by the TV when all of a sudden, pain would tear through my elbow as cat claws from behind added new scars to both my arm and my childhood. 

Forever scarred I decided I hated cats.  I have always considered myself an animal person, but I hated cats.  This was my state of mind when I met my wife, and I made sure she knew this.  My wife and I met at a Karaoke bar.  She could sing!  We both frequented there and had met several times when she finally asked me, "Wanna come home and meet my dog?"  I had never heard such a line before, but she talked so much about this dog that I had to meet him.  Ben was a golden retriever mix, and the best dog this world has known.  What a beautiful soul, and moreover he talked.  He'd ask to go out side, he'd say "I love you", and let you know if he wanted a treat.  Bash, on the other hand, was a cat.  I don't remember her mentioning a cat.  But much to my surprise, he was very friendly.  He'd bash his head against you, asking for attention.  And he loved my wife.  I called him her familiar.  But he was cat and he didn't speak.  He didn't say, "I love you," like Ben did.  He showed affection with little 'love bites' as my wife called them.  Apparently he liked him.  He'd bite…not hard, but enough to not change my opinion of cats that much. 

Despite a feline presence in the household my wife and I get married, and to celebrate our marriage my wife buys me…..A CAT.  Great, day one and she's already not listening!  I can see how this marriage is going to go already.  She gave me this four-month old gray kitten with white feet.  He was all fluffy and soft, but he was a cat.  I didn't know what to say, but we had just gotten married, so I tried to take it well and graciously accept her gift.  If I remember right, I bought her flowers.  But let me tell you about that cat.  He instantly took a liking to me.  He followed me everywhere, like a shadow.  He'd follow me down the hall, into the bathroom, under the covers.  He was my cat.  Of course, I wanted to name him Shadow for both his color and proclivity to follow me…but Nooo…my wife had to name him Frosty.  I tell you what…when you go to work and she doesn't, she has all day to make sure the name she picks, sticks.  I think she just sat at home, holding him, saying, "Frosty, Frosty, Frosty, Frosty……"  Well, we all call him Frosty. 

Day one of our marriage introduced a new animal into the household.  A cat.  It's not something I would have planned or prepared for, but it happened.  Frosty has turned out to be a great cat.  He comes when I whistle, follows me when I walk the dog, and sits with me when I need the company.  I didn't take long for me to fall in love with that cat, but he was just the first in a long line furry friends grace our home. 

MB
www.mabrooks.com