Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Finding Miss Lilly

For the first year that we knew each other Partner and I lived apart. Our apartments were three blocks away from each other on Seattle's Capital Hill's During that time we both had roommates (this was 21 years ago) One day my roommate found a black and white tux kitty stranded in a traffic circle at a very busy 5 way intersection. She brought it home and named him Galadriel. From some Hobbit book you couldn't pay me to read - sorry.

A few weeks later we had a house party and many guests got to meet the new kitty. We had to be careful because this street smart cat would make a break for any open door. We were vigilante to keep him in.

About a week later I was home from work with a cold and had decided to make the shlep to the drug store for meds. Very carefully I left the townhouse making sure the cat was inside.

I returned about an hour later to find, low and behold, the cat on our front steps. Incredulous, I scooped him up and unlocked the door. Only to be faced with the same cat in the entryway. So there I am holding one cat and looking at the other. Same markings, they were nearly identical. Later we learned that friends that had been at the party that night had found the poor soul blocks away and thought it was the same cat. They had kindly "brought it home".

We kept them both. The new Baby turned out to be a girl but I named her Charlemagne anyway. Later in life she became known simply as Mommy. Why I'm not sure, she was never very loving to anyone but me.

When Partner and I re/co-located we ended up with the kids. We moved to a third story apartment on Capital Hill's Broadway. The cats at different times both took perilous 3 story leaps out our front windows hoping to catch pigeons on the utility lines that were eye level to them and so close ! Many hours were spent walking around the neighbor hood calling 'Mommy' and 'Galadriel'. Red faced, but I found my furkids. How they survived I'll never know.

Later, we moved into our house in Madronna and shortly after that lost the Boy. Busy road - stupid cat parents.

They were both black and white tux's with white blazes on there chests. But Mommy had an interesting white 'garter' around here right rear leg - It really did look like a garter. Mommy made the transition from the old house downtown to this place and she lived long enough to love it, and Bear and the chickens. Mommy lived to be 19 years old before she past away in her sleep, quietly under her favorite bush in the sun in the front garden.

I knew I needed to let some time pass before getting another cat. But about this time last year, I walked into the feed store where we buy chicken food and turned to see the cat cage.

And there she was.

A tiny kitten with the exact same markings.(Same Dam Garter!) I know it's me projecting, but she saw me and came to the edge of the cage, meowed and held up her paw to the cage. We bonded instantly, and instantly I knew her name was Lilly, Miss Lilly.

Partner came in the door a minute after I bonded with her. He looked down at me squatting by the cage and asked 'What are you doing?' and I told him 'This is Lilly and she's our cat'

Let's just say there was quite a bit of balking, but the cat and I had him won over in about 3 minutes.

Miss Lilly turned out to be the most loving cat. Always ready for a snuggle or a little rough housing.

She's also a fierce warrior in the 'War On Terrorist Mice', voles, gophers or what not be warned, anything appropriately size she'll take on. And she's not shy about bringing home the trophies.

I tried to get a shot of her as she walked over my keyboard as I typed this but she wouldn't stay still. So here's her stand in, her pwned boyfriend.

6 comments:

fiwa said...

What a sweet story about Miss Lilly, but the other names had me howling! Miss Lilly's boyfriend (Bear) is very fetching.

"Some Hobbit book..." You blasphemer, you.

Brad said...

'member - I'm a non-ficton kinda guy. Unless it's movies like 'Gone With The Wind' or 'Giant' or anything with Katherine Hepburn or Bette Davis.

Yeah, I earned my gay card.

Mo said...

I want a picture of Miss Lilly. I am selfish like that.

I am glad your kitty found you. Both of mine found me too. I could not imagine my days without their furry goodness.

Summer said...

I love this story.
Found you via Mo.

dawn said...

honey, you couldn't pay me to read a hobbit book either, but cats are another story.

she is beautiful.
story even beautifuler.
(the 'er' just sounded right.)

Cheryl said...

HI Brad,

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I see my buddies fiwa, mo, summer and dawn here. Isn't the blogging world amazing? What a 'web' it is.

Great story about your furkids. Very cool about Miss Lilly and her garter.

And now for the word verification...