Love and Understanding

And Then There Was One

 

9/25/2023- Edited to add this: This entry was started on 1/7/22- I’m guessing I was too depressed and anxious to finish it and hit ‘publish’. I can remember suffering panic attacks at night as I tried to fall asleep. The feeling of my heart in my stomach that I had misplaced Charleigh or that she was stuck somewhere and I couldn’t get to her was too much. I’m publishing it now to get it out of my drafts- but I haven’t proof read or edited anything previously written here. 

For anyone who has loved a creature that isn’t human, you know what I mean when I say that the loss of a pet is overwhelming and dare I say, equal to losing a human loved one. I’ve watched my mother pass and my grandfather on my Dad’s side. I still felt and went through the same ‘flashbacks’ I did as I said goodbye to my Charleigh- My Gooooood Baaaaaby. That last part has to be said in the most ridiculous baby voice, dripping with all the love and adoration that I said it to her- Every. Single. Time. It became such a love language, that Charleigh would ‘make biscuits’ with her little beanie paws as I was saying this to her. I loved watching her do that. To me, that was her, ‘I love you, too.’

I’ve been saying that Charleigh came into our lives in 2009. She had me at the Hardin County Animal Shelter as a kitten, not yet spayed, even, she stepped on the rest of her cage mates to get to me. Meowing so loudly and sticking her paw out of her prison bars as if she’d been waiting for me to get there. That was it. I stood there and waited for a worker to come to me, because I was afraid if I walked away, then one of the other customers would claim our Charleigh. I knew the clerk, so I was spared all the formal paperwork, though I would have gladly pricked a finger and given blood for her. But they didn’t ask. 

Near Mother’s Day- Radcliff Arby’s dining room. I remember what booth we were sitting in. Anthony and Matty on one side, London and I on the other. Anthony asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day. London leaned over and one hand over her mouth whispered to me, “Mommy, tell Dad you want a KIT-ten.” Not ‘kitten’. But ‘KIT-ten’. We even name the future addition right there. Well, London named him. Charlie. No recollection of why she chose that, but okay, Charlie it is. We assumed we’d get a male KIT-ten, but the one that picked me was female, unbeknownst to me when she so boldly reached for me. I remember seeing on her cage card- “Mother- Pickles”. Not sure why I remembered that. Maybe to make sure Charleigh knew her Mama’s name when I told her her rescue story. 

Charleigh made her way into our heart and into our home right away. She loved containers of all kinds she could hide in, run through or explore in every way possible. But…for a kitten, no matter how different they are to dogs regarding social behaviors, she had pent up energy when we were home and and took it out on my youngest child’s bare legs. Charleigh liked to attack. We’re talking jumping with all four, with some air to her jumps, paws up and ready, claws out to grab whoever came around the corner. Usually our youngest. I’ll never forget the morning I heard blood curdling screams from my bare legged child in the kitchen. In a flash, heart racing, I made it to her in time to see her backing away from a two leg dancing Charleigh who thought she was playing with the screaming child each time she scraped her claws across her legs. I knew we had to do something. 

I consulted with some friends who didn’t have children, but had multiple cats and asked what I could do. I was told that Charleigh needed a sister. Same age, if possible, to grow with and play with. Because we we’re gone so much of the day, Charleigh made the most of the time she did have with her humans. So getting her a companion was to be the start of ending the blood shed in our home. Mindy was rescued from the same shelter on December 2nd 2009. Completely unplanned (by me, I mean, it was destiny really) as we had gotten out of an employee meeting early and I was right across the street from the road the shelter was on at that time. Something just told me to go take a peek. I left there with a cardboard carrier with Mindy inside. From that day on we didn’t have a cat. We had ‘The Girls’. 

Life with Charleigh and Mindy was eventful. Sick kids, the girls were always nearby. Company over, the girls were hiding most times, unless it was someone familiar. When we would be away on vacation, our neighbor, Teri, would make sure they were cared for while we were gone. Charleigh was a healthy, active girl with a giant personality. And her voice was unique to her. One of the kids noticed that at meal time Charleigh’s meow sounded like a rude, “NOOOO”. While Mindy’s sweet, high pitch almost chirp sounded like, “P’ease!” I’d give anything to be annoyed by Charleigh right now as we opened cans of anything. Anthony was the one who spoiled her with tuna juice. After the very first time, she was ALWAYS under foot when she heard the electric can opener.