By Kay Luckett
Spring has sprung and it’s time to tell a cat-dad tail. Meet Steve, a former Cali/Prescott guy now residing with Katie the Kat in Colorado. Katie doesn’t just love spring; she loves anywhere that Steve is all year round. She follows him wherever he roams, or while tucked away in their cozy mountain home. This is the current situation. But first, let’s meet Wookie, Butch, Maggie, Teddy and Sammy and, of course, Katie.
Steve’s cat story starts out sadly but ends gladly, as tails of woe often do. This cat-daddy’s childhood traumas were caused by losing various pets. Some crossed the rainbow bridge; others were lost because the family moved around quite a bit due to their dad’s profession. These losses affected little Steve, because he loved all animals, and letting go—as most know—is hard to do, especially for this little boy.
When he was all grown up and residing in Orange County, Steve and his daughter Gail adopted Roxy the dog who lived to be 16 years old – a happy experience for them both. But Steve and Gail wouldn’t let Roxy’s passing stop them; they continued to visit both dog and cat shelters. Steve says they did so because they got so much out of those friendly vibes—the purrs and the wagging tails created mutual joy. (Note: It’s a scientific fact that cat and dog vibes are some of the highest joyful frequencies in the world.)
A new home gave birth to a clan of dogs and cats who grew up around Steve and his family. They always had two or three cats and a few dogs—including Wookie the dog, who was Steve’s sidekick for over a decade. Many years later, after Wookie had crossed the Rainbow Bridge, Steve attended a celebration of life for Wookie and a cat named Tiggy hosted at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. The ceremony was sacred and fun, and it combined tears and laughter as attendees decorated a special rock-altar with shells and gems. This was followed by a vegetarian feast at the Sanctuary.
Wookie’s absence, and a friendly divorce, left Steve with newly adopted kitties: littermates Butch and Maggie. They were the loves of his life, playful and very mischievous. They happily shared their home with Tiggy the cat.
Steve, as always, was ready for more fur babies, so when Butch crossed the Bridge, Steve was once again gifted with littermates Teddy and Sammy. Big tomcats, sweet as can be, except that Teddy teased Maggie and muscled her out of her comfort zone.
Maggie moved back to her original mom, Steve’s ex (with visiting rights) and their nine-lives world just kept turning. Eventually, Steve and Sammy were the two left standing, and they moved to Colorado.
After they settled in, Steve continued to visit more cat shelters, and then adopted a senior tabby named Katie. Now, more adjustments had to be made for the two picky felines. Territory and sacred safe places became the paramount issue to be fairly worked out.
The situation was described by Steve as “peaceful co-existence”, with Sammy sleeping with him under the covers and Katie sleeping on top.
Sammy lived to be 18, and as soon as he passed, little ole Katie perked up and took over the whole place. She was adopted at age 12 and is now a healthy 17 years young.
Steve says, “When Katie is hungry, she goes and sits by her plate and stares at me. If I don’t start to get the food, she meows loud and then louder. Then, as I get the food, she meows softer and softer.” Katie is said to really howl when Steve is out of the house for too long.
When asked about why he has become a cat lover, Steve replied, “You get no fake friendships from cats. They are their own person and generally know what they want and let you know they want it.”
He admits to having an easier time with animals than with people and, “Katie is a good companion who keeps me from spending too much time thinking about myself.” He adds, humorously, “She doesn’t seem as grateful as I think she should be and acts like I am lucky to have her. I know that’s the truth, so I tell her that every single day.”
Steve still wants to adopt more cats, but with Katie the answer is always “NO.” So, as an alternative, he donates adoption fees to some local shelters for seniors to adopt senior cats.
Senior cats are often overlooked because of their age. Donated adoption fees help seniors, who also can be overlooked and live on tight budgets. The end result is that the cats get to have forever homes, and the seniors are blessed to have loving companions.
Meow.
