Everyone claims they have the perfect cat.
Yet in our house it
was true. We first spotted our big
gray fluff ball as he lumbered by our
patio door in pursuit of our birds.
Certainly as dog lovers we weren’t
prepared for his efforts
to win our attention and affection. It was
April 1996.
Then one day he sauntered across
the front walk as I warily
watched him touch noses
with my precious poodle Tammy.
He rubbed his body along hers marking her
as his own. Next he focused on me doing a
full body flip baring his luxurious white
undercoat for me to pet.
Tammy and I were an easy sell;
Al took some coaxing. Katz sat in Al’s
lap winning him over with his loving gaze.
So our daily visitor became
a semi-permanent resident. At first we
thought he was a girl because
he was so affectionate.
My friend pointed
out that he was a neutered male.
By then he wasn’t content to just visit
Tammy in the yard; he wanted inside.
And the soft-touches that we are,
we granted his wish.
Even after our Florida vacation and
Thanksgiving away he kept returning.
By November it pained me to put him out at
night because he spent the entire day sleeping
on a throw rug by Tammy’s
bed. Little by little he earned
access to the entire house. By
Christmas he was posing in family pictures
a great leap forward into our
lives. Then he got in a cat fight and
that sealed his fate. We went
door-to-door with his photo
to find his owner.
We never met her in
person but found out Charline Samples
had rescued him as a stray.
Coincidentally she called him
“kitty” as we had.
She graciously gave him to us.
It was January 1997.
Thus our love-affair began
with this marvelous cat.
We named him Katz a variation
on the German spelling of
“katze” the word for “cat.”
It was truly amazing how easily Katz
fit into our household. He
discovered favorite windows
to observe his domain: the living-room
window seat the patio door
my office writing desk. In fact he
“penned” a short essay about it
becoming a finalist in the Purina
Spokescat of the Year contest.
Al quipped that he was watching “Squirrel
TV” as he lay for hours observing
their antics and doing his “meow chirp”
at the birds on the feeders.
Our vet suggested that his large size meant
he might be part Maine Coon.
He lived up to the breed’s characteristics.
Katz became attached to one
lucky human me.
But the minute Al voiced
his disappointment about
Katz’s inattention to him he would
intuitively land in Al’s lap purring
again. He also changed his sleeping spot
like clockwork about every five
days–typical behavior for a farm cat.
His chatty nature however was
not indicative of the breed.
Routinely after an hour outdoors I would
go fetch him calling his name.
I never ceased to enjoy the warm glow
that would wash over me when
he came running to me just like Lassie did
on the 1950s TV show.
His interest in Tammy somewhat waned
but I felt nonetheless that he was
my “angel” cat a gift from God
to ease me into the slow demise of my
beloved Tammy. And what an angel he was!
How many cats do you know
that don’t jump up on kitchen counters
or the table climb drapes or get
into things? This boy was a joy
because he was well behaved definitely
a credit to his former owner.
Also much to my enjoyment he modeled his
behavior after Tammy.
Whenever he got spooked he would come skulking to
me and I would hold him like I did Tammy.
He would wrap his paws around
my neck clinging to me.
I would speak softly until he calmed down,
rewarding me with his purring.
One thunderstorm Tammy and Katz nestled
on my chest. He heard the thunder;
she felt it. Thus he inherited
another nickname “Chicken Katzatorri.”
We truly realized the depth of his love
for Tammy when we lost her. He
was very aware of my sad moods and
stayed with me during the tough times:
at my feet when she was alive in my bed
when she was gone. It was
touching to see him look for her each night.
As the weeks went by we
became closer. He carried
on a “dialogue” with me all day.
I grew to understand his different meows.
And what an expressive face. To look
into those beautiful Chartreuse eyes
it was easy to see if he felt
playful sleepy content
sad frightened or hungry.
We began to limit his outdoor forays
because of a burn injury and another
cat fight and this year he became
an indoor cat. He balked for a few
weeks trying to open the kitchen door
perched on the trash can but
quickly accepted it.
He crouched and hid amid the plants
on the window
seat his “outdoors.”
We played with him more to dispel
the pent-up cat
energy. We got him a carpeted cat stand
with a scratching post and Susie
sent him a scratching box.
We delighted in his swooning addiction to
catnip. Anything—other than toy mice—became
prey: a nutmet ball a
walnut a cat treat.
I became eager to start
clicker training with him;
he was ready.
The tragedy of his untimely death
(sudden heart failure) stunned us so
soon after losing Tammy.
Yet his short life was so worthwhile.
Animals are gifts from God—a daily reminder
of His unconditional love for us. In
my life Katz and Tammy provided me
the love and acceptance that my
biological family cannot give.
Outside of Al and loving friends these
two pets were my only immediate family.
Our comfort is that Katz
“Kitty Coo,” completed his
God-given mission here.
Now he’s reunited with his poodle love Tammy.
Rita Maria Sansone
Love always,
| Katz Beales-Sansone |
| 14, Apr 1998 |
| Rita Maria Sansone |