Dressed for the occasion

When I went to the adoption center, I saw him right away. He chose me, really, and this is one of the best parts of the adoption process. We never know what is going to happen. Across the room, I saw an adorable black kitten with long white whiskers. I walked over to the cage and gently placed my finger on the glass. I was in awe of him, a tuxedo kitten. I was unfamiliar with tuxedo cats and noticed his paws had white on them when he put one on the other side of the glass, right where my finger was. It was an instant connection.

My parents had adopted a few cats throughout my childhood, so I grew comfortable having cats around. When I moved out of my parent’s house, I missed the companionship. I loved them all dearly, but the cats of my youth offered a much different experience. They could take or leave catnip and weren’t fans of anything fish. They were not at all playful and often hid under the furniture.

After I got him home, I showed him around his new forever home, and we started learning about each other. I found out quickly he is loving yet strong, cuddly yet playful, full of spunk, and by far the smartest cat I’ve ever adopted.

Vinnie turned everything I knew about cats upside down. Pets tend to be affectionate by nature, and Vinnie set a strong standard. He cuddled with anyone that would let him and often purred by default. His confidence was unmatched by any cat I’d ever met, and he enjoyed eating raw vegetables. Vinnie helped me finally understand the cat toy market.

My son and I loved how much vitality he had and how playful he was. We played many games of catch with the cat, using some toy balls; he would catch the ball in mid-air with his paws, and then roll the ball back to us. He pushed more things off various shelves than I care to count and covered himself from head to tail in catnip every chance he got. He always kept me company if I was working on the floor by placing himself right on top of what I was working on, especially if I was sitting in the sun shining in from the windows.

What did Vinnie love the most? When I made tuna casserole for dinner. I found this one recipe that my son and I love, and it is on the menu regularly. Vinnie loved when I began cooking it because he knew he was going to get his favorite treat, tuna water. I made it standard practice to gently drain the tuna juice into a Vinnie-sized bowl and put it on the tile for him to devour. It got to the point that as I was gathering all the ingredients for the casserole, he knew the sound of the cans hitting the kitchen counter; the sound of the tuna can is different than a standard can when I set it down.

Without fail, the moment I started opening the cans, he would end his mid-afternoon nap, saunter into the kitchen, and gracefully jump up into the bar stool chairs. As he sat and stared at me from the other side of the counter, lovingly sniffing the sweet tuna-scented air, he knew he would soon be enjoying it. It was usually gone in less than a minute. After that, it was time for his early evening nap.

There was a lot that he understood about me that it seemed like no one else did. It feels awkward saying that about a cat, but I honestly think it is true. He provided me with a lot of snuggles and comfort, and even more when he knew I was feeling sad. How do animals know when we are sad? It’s a mystery to me. He was by far the best example of an emotional support animal I’ve ever loved.

Vinnie passed away at 16 years old, and he is fondly remembered for chasing the laser pen right up until a few days before the end of his life. He died peacefully in his sleep, and I hope he had dreams of tuna-flavored treats dancing in his head.

I adopted him early in my relationship with my ex, who considered himself more of a dog lover. Vinnie provided me with a lot of comfort, or did it just feel that way because my marriage wasn’t offering much? Ironically enough he passed not long after the divorce was final. He was in my life from the start of the abusive relationship I was in and helped me well into my healing journey. I’ve never experienced a karmic connection on that level, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have shared that time with him. I have to wonder, did I rescue him, or did he rescue me?

Even though I’ve always been a cat person, and may always be, there’s a possibility that Vinnie’s vibe is irreplaceable. He was a special cat. In some ways, I wonder if tuna casserole is a favorite in our house, because of how happy the tuna juice made him. I’m willing to bet he will arrive in spirit when I begin to get the ingredients out the next time I make his favorite dish.