I Don't Like Cats

I don’t like cats.

In fact when I first mentioned getting a cat to a few close friends they laughed it off as a joke. Couldn’t be true.

She hates cats.

I wouldn’t say now that I hate them, but I still am not a fan of cats. At least your cat, now my cats I love.

It was March 2012, and after twelve years of marriage, life was not treating us kindly in the baby department. We had signed up for domestic infant adoption a few years prior, but nothing was panning out. With everyone around us seeming to be welcoming their first, second, or even third babies we were getting discouraged.

My husband wanted a cat. He had one growing up, and it seemed to be something he wasn’t going to let go. With all the ups and downs of adoption I found myself unable to resist but…

I don’t like cats.

They freak me out. Jumping out of no where, the hissing, and I am mildly allergic. After visiting friends with cats, I would leave watery eyed and exhausted from being on edge from trying to avoid their felines. Cats are smart creatures and know when someone is uncomfortable. This means they either leave you alone (yippie) or they are glued to you and come up to sit in your lap (kill me now) or curl behind my head.

My husband became rather involved in daily checking a miniature tea cup cat website. These tiny cute kittens were hard to resist. Weekly he would send me updates on cats that were going to be available.

"They are so small and cute, they shouldn’t freak you out," he pleaded.

Over a few months I was won over, and debating putting a deposit for one of these cute micro kittens. Having baby fever didn’t help the matter. These kittens were adorable. I was slowly being sucked into the actually liking the idea of having a cat.

Which is so odd, because, I don't like cats.

One day while I was out shopping with my mother in law and sister in law my husband texted me a photo of a cat and pleaded;

I want this kitty! If no one takes her she will go to the shelter.

She was around six years old and owned by some friends of ours that were moving and were unable to take her with them. She was no tea cup micro baby kitty but she had a sweet face.

My sister in law begged me to say yes.

“He really wants a cat, come on, it will really cheer you guys up!”

Just like that. I gave in and was out buying a cat box, and other items I never in my lifetime thought I would need to own. I bought air purifiers for every room, allergy medication and was determined to make this work.

The first night after we picked her up she crawled in my lap. I was nervous, and trying to get used to her as much as she was me.

“She’s shaking! She’s scared!”

“Babe, she’s purring.”

I had no idea what that meant.

I don’t like cats.

We renamed her, Princess Tiger Lily. Our princess she became quite quickly. Sleeping in our bed, resting at my feet, and she learned she can crawl all over daddy, but not near mommy's face.

After a few matches with birth moms that were dead ends, we finally ended up brining a baby home. Home with a newborn baby boy.

Tiger Lily was great, she would sit with me and that baby day and night. When visitors would come to see the new arrival she would protectively scope them out durning the visit.

Guarding our precious bundle.

In our state, California, parents have 29 days to change their mind after an adoption. At day 29, the parents claimed the baby and we were left back to a couple, with a cat.

Princess Tiger Lily brought comfort during the hard time. Laying with me in bed as I would cry. Scratching at the babies bedroom door, letting me know, she knew he was missing and in her own way, was mourning.

That mother’s day I decided something crazy.

I’m getting another cat.

We went to the local Adopt don’t shop event and brought home a spunky kitty and named her Princess Tiana. It took Tiger some time to warm up to her pal, but before you knew it, we had two cats running and frolicking around our home.

Years passed with our sweet cats. Eventually we started to do foster care, and all the kiddos loved the cats. Tiana ended up being as playful as a puppy. Batting around toys on the floor, snuggling up next to the babies.

Late one night, our young Tiana wasn’t moving. She hadn’t ate or drank all day.

“Do you want me to take her to the emergency room or wait till the morning and see how she’s doing?” my husband asked.

“Please take her now!”

Panicked, worried, he was gone most of the night. They kept her for tests and she was dying. cancer. We were shocked. She was younger than tiger and we felt we would have so much time with her.

After dropping off the oldest of our foster children to school and myself and the foster baby went to the cat hosptital with my husband.

To say goodbye.

For days our foster daughter would ask, where’s Tiana.

“She passed away sweetie, remember?”

“Oh yeah. I miss her.”

Those children left to be reunified a few months later.

It was back to us and Tiger.

That was almost five years ago. Now we have a four year old little boy we’ve adopted from foster care, and Tiger in her old age gives him grace as he pets and asks her to play. How we wish we still had Tiana. How I know she would run and play with our son.

I am thankful for the memories with Tiana. Happy for our time with Tiger we have, and the limited time we have left with her. Above all I am glad that my husband softened me up with those tea cup kittens.

I’m more thankful for the cats we’ve saved, and thankful how they changed our lives, even though…

I don’t like cats.