My father-in-law was a tyrant who hated cats. He ruled the household with an iron hand. He wasn't a bad man, just a controlling one, and he felt he knew what was best for everyone. My mother-in-law didn't question this rule. She loved all animals, especially cats, but for the 55 years of their marriage, she had no pets.
When my father-in-law died after struggling with diabetes for years, my mother-in-law was already starting her struggle with breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease. She had been a caregiver for a long time, and her body and mind were wearing out.
One day, the mother of a classmate of my son told me she had a litter of kittens at home, including one that was black and white. I am a huge fan of tuxedo cats, and I told her right away I'd like the kitten when it was old enough to leave home. About a month later, we picked up one of the cutest kittens on Earth. At first, we planned to add it to our cat family, but my husband had a brainstorm. Why not give the cat to his mother? She lived upstairs from us, and we could take care of the day to day needs of the cat, while she just enjoyed it. The one problem we anticipated was my brother-in-law, unmarried and living at home, as Italian sons often do. He was in his 50s and set in his ways, and knew nothing of cats.
We took the kitten straight up to Nonna when we got home with it. She fell in love in an instant. She was crying with happiness at the thought of finally having a cat, after so many years. But she, too, was worried about her son's reaction when he got home from work.
When we got a call on our cell phone from my brother-in-law that afternoon, we braced for his tirade. We will never forget the reaction we got instead. He, too, was crying with happiness. He couldn't say enough about how much he loved the kitten. It was as if a cat lover had been in stasis for decades and finally was unthawed! He was instantly and totally smitten with Micio, as they named him.
The next year was a happy one for both my mother-in-law and her son. Their lives centered around the cat, to the point you almost dreaded talking to them, as there was nothing else they wished to talk about! Micio was a delightful kitten who grew into a delightful cat, full of fun and very affectionate.
Toward the end of that year, Nonna got much worse. She was losing her struggle. Micio was there with her all the time in the final days. The last conscious sound we heard from her was laughter as my son made Micio dance for her. She died the next day.
Now Micio was all my brother-in-law's, and he continues to love him as few cats have been loved! The family curse of diabetes is now starting to eat away at his body. At sixty, he's been in the hospital for the last week trying to stave off an amputation. Micio is down here with his cousins, happy but obviously missing his master. All the calls and visits from my brother-in-law involve Micio---asking about his goodwill, asking if he is sad, asking how he's doing. It makes me so happy to think that he will have a loving cat to come home to, whether he has his leg or not.
I only regret the many years my mother-in-law was without a cat. I think often how bittersweet it is that she only had Micio during the last, declining year of her life. I wish she could have had cats to love all her life. I hope in Heaven she is surrounded by cats to love.
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Comments: 22
Such a touching story. I, too, love cats. When my mother-in-law had both her legs amputated from diabetes we took a kitten to the nursing home and told her it was hers. She always looked foward to seeing her cat.
i wish you many pets