To My Bambi

The first time I held her, she fitted into my palm. She was so tiny and had barely learned to walk at one month old. She tottered and wobbled getting from Point A to Point B. Clumsiness is adorable in a kitten and it made her more endearing to the heart.

6 months old and a teenager moving into adulthood. She was at her worse behaviour then. Always skulking, biting fingers, being naughty and exasperating as expected in an adolescent. Now, she understands the word NO. When she is on a rampage, at least I can restrain her by pointing a finger at her and talking to her sternly. She backs off... ears flat, sour faced and evil eyes staring daggers.

She hates baths. Hates getting her ears cleaned and her claws clipped. Hates to be have her fur brushed. How can one cat be so uncooperative but vain at the same time? The most affectionate time of the day is early morning when she had just awoken and is a bit woozy. She'd climb up to bed to seek attention, knead the pillows and allow you to pet and massage her. And then she would switch to the Neurotic Clean-Cat mode - starting with her face, using her paws to wash her whiskers and reach the behind of her ears, moving to her fur coat and ending at the tip of her bushy tail. Ahhhh... NEVER attempt to touch her once she's started. First warning is a glare followed by vigorous licking of the area of fur you messed up. Second warning is a swipe with her paw, claws retracted. Do it a third time and you're playing chicken with death.

She's a health nut. She does not eat meat. No kitty gourmet for her thank you. Salmon, cod, chicken, beef she doesn't like. She only eats Friskies kibbles. She's crazy about oats, Brand's essence of chicken and Gardenia white bread though. I can never understand why. Oh, and she has this fetish for confined spaces and boxes.

She gets her vaccination every year right on schedule. She has breathing problems since kittenhood - panting, sniffing, laboured and noisy inspiration on occasion. The vet says she might be a carrier for the Feline Herpevirus (cat flu virus). There's no point giving treatment currently and she needs to be isolated from other cats to prevent transmission. The vet says to monitor her in case the symptoms worsen. When she sneezes or have a runny nose, I worry. When she is off her feed and is lethargic, I worry. When she has a fever (check by feeling the ears and paw pads), I worry. I love her. She's been with me for 8 years now. She is loyal and follows me from room to room. She licks me when she knows I hurt myself. She stayed up with me when I was cramming for exams. She is sleeping in her usual chair by the computer as I am typing this.

The average lifespan of a cat is 15 years. Every time I look at her, I feel warmth and love for this furry creature. I steal a kiss on her forehead when she's napping. I play with her dainty paws and scratch her around the ears and shoulders just the way she likes it. I'd even get down to the floor to catch 40 winks with her.... just to be near her. When she wakes up and sees me staring at her, she gets up and walks away with a flick of her tail like she wants to have nothing to do with me. Ever. Then she settles down just 5 cat-feet away from me and continues her snooze. It's her way of saying "I'm outta here... you're in my space." but stays near enough to keep me in her line of vision.

She's quite a character, isn't she. =) I love you Bambino. Muaaaksss!