This tribute is to Sadie, my niece’s cat. Sadie Mae was born on one of the islands in the Philippines. My niece was serving a tour with the Peace Corp and adopted Sadie shortly after her birth.
Sadie Mae came to American in 1989. She couldn’t have weighed more than five pounds, and she was nothing short of five pounds of muscle.
Sadie didn’t make friends easily, and in fact, only liked my niece and my great niece. The rest of the world represented the bad guys, and Sadie was on perpetual alert.
Sadie met, faced down and out lived several dogs. Her final two canine buddies were two 90 pound Doberman. There was never any doubt about who the alpha cat was in my brother’s household. One swipe of a paw, and the Doberman gave her a wide berth.
One interesting thing about Sadie is that her claws were never, ever fully retracted even in sleep. Everyone and everything preyed on cats where she was born, and her survival instincts were amazingly strong.
I believe what really earned my respect was the bravery displayed by this tiny little gray tabby colored kitty. She was afraid of nothing, and just absolutely knew she would whip the world.
Sadie Mae used the dog door, and she loved to hunt. Several times we spent our day catching a bird that Sadie had brought into the house and let go.
When Miss Sadie decided it was nap time, she had a favorite spot. She would get between the two pillows on my brother’s and his wife’s bed, burrow down under the blankets and snooze away. Even in Tucson I think Sadie found it to be a bit chilly compared to her homeland.
There was one occasion when Sadie would befriend just about anyone. If there was raw shrimp being peeled, she was right there mooching her share. She didn’t care then if a human was friend or foe. She just wanted to make certain that the human shared the shrimp.
We all loved Sadie. When my niece went to Oregon to get her master’s degree, Sadie stayed in Tucson. By the time my niece returned, Sadie had bonded with the great niece, so she remained there rather than being uprooted again to go live with her first mommy.
Sadie and Jess had a bond like I’ve never seen before. Eventually Jessica grew up, went to college, and moved into her own home. By then Sadie was 15, and everyone felt it best that she continue to live in familiar territory.
Sadie developed cancer, and eventually, she lost her battle with that dreaded disease. Losing Sadie was a terrible experience for all of us.
We were never treated to long lap sitting, lots of purrs, or the usually affection one little companion shows us. We were treated to a display of bravery the likes of which I’ve never before seen. We respected Sadie. She knew what she wanted and how to get it. She was independent
to the very end.
I know Sadie is having a great time at Rainbow Bridge. I bet she can now relax and pull in her claws. I bet she is running in the grass and chasing butterflies. I also know this.
When Luana and Jess go to the Bridge, their sweetheart will be right there waiting for them. In all honesty, I hope Sadie greets me as well. We weren’t “close” but I certainly did admire and respect that five pounds of independence.
I love you, Sadie…….
Climb those trees...enjoy being free,
| Sadie Mae |
| 2003 |
| Luana |