The Worst Advice I Ever Received
By Laura Bickle
Hands-down, the worst advice I’ve ever received is this
little gem: “You don’t need any more cats.”
Ha.
There were cats in my life off and on, when I was a child.
My mother would let her cat, Sam, sleep in my crib when I was a baby.
Consequently, the purring of a cat is the greatest sound in the world to me. I
am certain that Sam whispered into my ear what was expected to me later in
life, in my role as Cat Servant.
Cats have come and gone in our house. They always turn up. Some
have stayed for a short period of time, as I’ve been successful in fobbing them
off on friends and relatives. Others have stayed, due to circumstance or luck.
There are, sadly, a whole lot of homeless animals out there. And they seem to
find us, like they have little antennae strapped to their heads, searching for
the Mother Ship.
Our most recent acquisition, Gibby, came by last August. He
was a skinny tomcat, all beaten up from getting in fights (and clearly not
being very successful at it). He was clearly a tame cat – he approached my
husband as he was leaving the house for work and howled at the top of his lungs
for food. We fed him, and he decided to make our back porch his home. My
husband named him “Gibby,” after a favorite baseball player. He loved to be
petted and sit on our laps. When I’d stretch out in a chair, he’d crawl on my
chest and fall asleep. I felt around his neck and found scabs from where he’d
been in fights. There was a sore lump on his ribs, where I could only guess
that someone had kicked him. He had clearly been someone’s pet, and he
desperately wanted a home. He would sit on our back step and meow at the door.
He wanted IN.
Poor guy was skin and bones. Gibby was clearly a massive
cat, but starved. He began to plump up, and we frantically began searching for
a home for him. One of my husband’s co-workers was amenable to accepting
another barn cat, so we took him into the vet to be neutered and checked over
before we took him to his new rural life.
Gibby, unfortunately, tested positive for FIV, Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus. In good conscience, we couldn’t turn him loose on a
population of barn cats. Nor were we able to find an indoor adoptive home for
him. I contacted every rescue organization that I could find, fully aware that
he was going to be a tough adoption. And we had no luck.
Since we already had FIV-positive cats, we decided that fate
intended for us to keep him. Our other cats with FIV have been with us,
asymptomatic, since 2003. I am hopeful that Gibby will have the same experience
of a long, happy, healthy life.
During this time, I received all kinds of unhelpful advice,
mostly from relatives. It boiled down to: “You don’t need another cat.”
Probably not. We already had five cats, and Gibby would be
the sixth. I spend a whole lotta time scooping cat litter, washing dishes, and
keeping track of vet appointments and medications.
But you know what? He needed a couple of humans. We had the
room. The bed gets a bit crowded with our current crew of cats. But, as any cat
owner knows, cats can defy the rules of physics and squeeze in.
And as Gibby snuggled up to us and began to fill out, we
realized that we did need him, after all. We needed him to stretch out on the
couch while we watch television, to sit in the co-pilot’s chair while my
husband plays video games. We needed him to sit in the windowsill and trill at those
scary squirrels outside. He’s needed to hold down the quilt at the edge of our
bed. And he definitely is needed to cuddle when we have bad days at work. And I
love to listen to him purr when I put my head on his chest. The most soothing
sound in the world, that is. Like coming home.
So, to all the folks who say we didn’t need another
cat: No one can ever know what
anyone else needs.
- Laura Bickle
Laura Bickle’s professional background is in criminal
justice and library science, and when she’s not patrolling the stacks at the
public library she’s dreaming up stories about the monsters under the stairs
(she also writes contemporary fantasy novels under the name Alayna Williams).
Laura lives in Ohio with her husband and six cats. THE
HALLOWED ONES is her first young adult novel. For more information about
Laura’s work, please visit her website at http://www.laurabickle.com/.
Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.
9 comments:
Oh, I loved post! Thanks for sharing this with us, Laura. As a fellow pet lover, I totally understand the continued acquisition of cats, and I'm so pleased Gibby came into your life. Heaven always knows just what we all need : )
Laura, I don't like cats, but I *love* the description of your book! An Amish thriller with a dystopian bend? Yes, yes, yes! I can't wait to read it!
PS: I'm glad those poor kitties have you to look out for them. I'm not totally heartless. :)
Laura, what a wonderful story! I have one cat (ONE) that was a rescue kitty. She disavows all knowledge of this previous existence and now is living the dream. :)
And your book sounds AMAZING... I need to move it from my TBR list to my RAL list (Read-And-Loved). Your new book THE OUTSIDE looks stellar too!
You are so right, Jennifer! Gibby is a happy, healthy little dude right now, with a primary ambition of holding down the couch! ;-)
Thanks, Melissa! It was a lot of fun to write. And there are dogs in it, not cats! :-D
Jennifer, isn't it funny how they just snuggle right in? And they really appreciate the dream! Thanks for adding my book to your TBR list! :-D I hope it does find its way to your RAL list!
Awww, sweet story about Gibby!!! Long may he be healthy (and the other cats too.)
Thanks so much, Veronica! He is a happy, healthy dude now. And putting on weight! He's like a cat in a bear costume.
Laura,
What a great post! I'm so happy that Gibby found a home and that you found more happiness with him finding his home with you. :-)
Your book sounds great. I can't wait to read it! An Amish dystopian thriller? Wow! Just....WOW!
Hi, Laura! Cats are always so adept at choosing the best people to be with. I'm glad to hear Gibby's healthy and now a part of your family.
Our second one chose us. We had gone to a breeder to buy a noble British shorthair, but a scrappy "failed" ocicat kitten that was also for sale kept climbing up our jeans legs on perching on our shoulder. We think she was trying to tell us something. So we took her home instead and 14 years later she's still our "baby" (and has her own blog). :)
Congrats on the release of The Hallowed Ones! I'm looking forward to reading it.
Thanks so much, Kimberly! Gibby has certainly been a ray of sunshine for us. And he keeps my pillow nice and toasty. :-)
Vanessa, ocicats are adorable! I'm so happy she chose you...and is a prolific blogger!
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