Name, Gender, and Age of your Cat When Adopted
Muffin, male, about 3 weeks old
Your Cat's Age Now, or Age When Deceased?
Muffin was 7 when he died
How I Came About to Adopt This Cat
My husband works in a factory. One day he heard tiny kittens mew under the floor next to his machine. Through a crack in the floorboards, he saw a tiny little nose.He removed the floorboard, and discovered two orphaned kittens.Their eyes must have been open just a day or two, and they still crawled.
I was very upset when he brought them home, because I'm highly allergic to cats! I decided to give them to my Mom in law. Well, two days later they'd stolen my heart, and they stayed.
Why I Think my Cat Deserves This Title
Since Muffin I've had eight other cats, but none of them as special as he. He was the most gentle, loving cat I've ever seen. One day he caught a baby bird. I just yelled"Muffin, no!" He sat down where he was, and gently put the tiny bird between his paws.
On another occassion, Chanel was chasing a mouse all over the house. Muffin was in the lounge, and the mouse ran between his paws. He just licked it, reviving it enough to run under a chair where I could rescue it.
We do not have children, but when our friends with small children came to visit, he would lie next to them, allowing them to stroke him, and even put their toys on his head or back!
His favourite game was to chase shadows on the wall.Every night before bedtime he would sit looking at the wall, just waiting for me to make shadows that he could chase.
He had the strange habit of laying on his back, rolling over and kicking the bedroom door closed every night, and during the day whenever he wanted to take a nap on the bed.
He loved coffee, and I would always leave a little for him. He taught himself to stick his paw in, and then very civilized sip the coffee from his paw. He would do this until every drop was finished.
He loved cookies, and knew how to get the lid of the jar, so I always had to make sure it was where he couldn't reach it! He also loved salad, and as soon as the fridge opened, he would grab a few leaves. In winter, we couldn't eat soup without giving him his bowl.
When I was reading in the bath, he would lie on my shoulder. When I was working at my desk, he laid next to me with his head on my arm. Of coarse he slept in my arms. He was like my shadow - always near me.
When he died, my husband and I was devastated. He died at the vet's, and my husband took time off work so we could fetch him. When we came home, we sat in the livingroom with him on our laps, crying. Even today, ten years later, I cry when I think of that day. Muffin's death left a void in our lives the same as what I think parents who has lost a child feels. He tought me what gentleness, kindness, patience and love is.
He was truly an exceptional animal, and although he only lived till the age of seven, he made every day count. I will never, ever forget him.
Advice
- The best advice I would give a friend who wants to adopt a cat is to take them as small as possible. The fifth week in a kitten's life is very important. In that time they must have contact with people and be handled by them, otherwise they will not be at ease with humans and always stay a little aloof. I would also advise that the kitten be subjected to many different situations, animals and people. At least for the first few months, they must be around people as much as possible. This will help them mature into well ajusted, calm cats.
