Scotch Cat just over one year ago.
I didn’t mean for this to be my dispatch this week. I had an entirely different plan in mind. In fact, I can’t believe I am about to dedicate an entire piece to a cat! But when I went to download photographs from the week off my camera, finding several photographs of my cat, I knew I had to be true to what must be on my mind … our Scotch Cat.
Scotch finds the sun on Tuesday.
Scotch has been living with me for 5 years now (you can see a photograph of him just after he came to my house right here). I think at this point he’s about 6 years old. Growing up I was never a “cat person.” In fact I very much disliked cats; they scared me! I always felt that a dog was a much better pet and then, back in 2002, I got my first kitten named Charlie (who, as many of you know, is still with me and will be turning 10 this year).
Scotch looks for birds on Wednesday.
Scotch came to live with me in 2007 on accident. While volunteering at a cat shelter, I found him in one of the crates in the intake room. He just sort of seemed like an old friend right off the bat. He, and a bunch of other cats, had been rescued from one of those bad shelters that say they are a shelter, take money from the state, and then neglect the animals using the money for their own greedy lives. Jerks.
Scotch searches out a soft spot just so he can be near while we work on Thursday.
My sweetheart has a joke about Scotch. He thinks that at night, while we are fast asleep, Scotch puts on his glasses and works on a novel he has been working on for some time. He thinks this because I always joke that … well … I joke that Scotch is dim. And he is! He’s just not the sharpest tack in the box. But my sweetie thinks that he’s fooling us. He thinks that once we’re out of sight Scotch puts on his specs and turns into the smartest cat on the block. Personally, I can’t wait to read this novel! I hope I’m a character!
Scotch sleeps on our pillows today.
A few months ago Scotch hurt himself very badly. He was sick for several weeks and barely moved from one spot. It was so sad for everyone. It was hard not to have him under foot. You see, he follows me around every morning from the moment I get out of bed until he settles down for his first nap around 9:30 a.m. I talk out loud softly to him about my day. I imagine he talks back. Picture the dog, Arthur, and the guy, Oliver, from Beginners. By the way, if you have not seen this movie you should run, not walk, to rent it now. It’s one of the very best films I’ve ever seen! It’s a perfect film. Anyway, while Scotch was sick he was not there with his usual goofy pitter-patter following me from room to room and even into the shower! I missed him desperately. Now that he has recovered I don’t take his dear company for granted. I take the time to see how much he makes me smile.
I am so grateful that I found Scotch 5 years ago this month. He is indeed a very special member of our family. And I’ll keep you posted on that novel!