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The Yoda:

He Puts the Cat in CATitude

By Laura KodetPublished 4 years ago 6 min read
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The Yoda: He Puts the Cat in CATitude

By Laura Kodet

In the summer of 2013, my niece, Morgan, was wandering around Staten island with her then boyfriend. They spied a scraggly gray kitten chilling in a backyard. Morgan scooped him up without hesitation. Her boyfriend was going to adopt him, but his house was having some work done on it, so my niece took the kitten home to her house in Yonkers, temporarily. Morgan took one look at this tiny kitty with his fleas, eye infection, large ears and very long-haired fuzzy body, and named him appropriately, Yoda. As luck would have it my sister had just adopted two crazy ferrets and I already had a cat, so Yoda stayed in Yonkers for a year. In a very early picture of him, he had a concerned, troubled look on his face. In the spring of 2014, my lovely little girl-cat Shansala died. After a grieving period, my sister asked me if I would take Yoda because a cat and two ferrets was too much. I wholeheartedly agreed.

As I stated, he is a long-haired blue-gray cat. But wait…there’s more. He has an extraordinary mane (or ruff) around his neck which makes him look quite leonine. Fur juts out of his ears, between his front and back toes and cascades off his tail and body. His hind legs sport pantaloons and he has a silver undercoat. He is quite handsome. I then tried to figure out what breed he was. We always had cats and dogs growing up, but nothing like this big boy. While looking at cat pictures online one day, I came across a breed called a Nebelung, a rare breed. A what you ask? Petfinder states that “Nebelung cats have well-proportioned, athletic bodies. They have pointed heads with large, pointed ears and slightly oval, medium-sized eyes. Kittens may have eyes that change from yellow to green, but by the time a cat is an adult, he will have striking green eyes.” What was this rare breed of cat doing hanging out in Staten Island? Well, that’s my Yoda.

It seems a cat breeder crossed a Russian Blue with a Maine Coon and got what is described as a long-haired Russian Blue with a blue-gray coat. The name “Nebelung” came about first because the Russian Blue breeders objected to the first description. Secondly the woman who originally bred them had cats named Siegfried and Brunhilde, thus the German influence. In German, Nebel means mist or fog. So, a Nebelung is a “creature of the night.” If you know opera, you will be familiar with Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelungen, which features Siegfried (the warrior) and Brunhilde (the queen.) What is ironic about this mixed breed is that I once had a Russian Blue and a Maine Coon at the same time!!! What an illustrious history for my Yoda to have.

The Yoda has many traits that both amaze me and keep me laughing. He is crafty, persistent, gregarious, and intelligent (when it suits him.) He shuns a traditional, expensive, boring cat toy and opts for the empty box or stack of paper or bags. He goes wild over a stalk of broccoli or asparagus; today he played with a brussels sprouts leaf. You must keep your eye on these when he’s done, or you will find a gross, shriveled surprise under the couch a month later. When he starts his manic romps with veggies, we call it “going to Crazy Town.” After these forays I must go around and straighten all the rugs out. He loves to sniff flowers, vegetables, and plants. We have houseplants which are safe for cats, but we still keep him away from them. He loves his “crack” catnip and we plant greens for him to chow down on. Good for digestion.

Yoda’s personality has many facets. He can be pesty, fierce, independent, quirky, aloof and even a little fresh. He will get your attention by smacking you as you walk by, or most annoyingly will nip you on the calf (when you’re wearing shorts, especially) if he wants a treat and if you don’t acknowledge his presence. He likes to get a running start, then slam into you with his big butt and bounce off. While he bathes constantly, brushing and nail-clipping are big projects. Because of his layers of fur, I actually use a horse comb, which he likes. But his flip side is awesome. He is soooo schmoozy. He’ll jump onto the bed at night and usually slam down on my chest or stomach. Did I mention he is a big boy? He’ll then serenade me with the loudest purrs ever. He absolutely does not like being picked up or held. Only Morgan can do this. At 10:30 PM almost nightly The Yoda will come out of a hiding place, curl up on my lap, tap my cheek and look at me adoringly, his look of concern gone temporarily. I’ll ask him if he was a good boy and pet him incessantly.

We haven’t had a mouse in the six years I’ve had him. The other day, he was staring intently at the floor. When I looked, I saw a large spider crawling across the floor. After I said a prayer for his soul and killed him (they bite!), Yoda sat diligently and stared at the spot for about twenty minutes. If he sees a fly or a pigeon he will start “clacking.” Basically, rapid jaw movements accompanied by a weird meow-like chattering. This boy earns his keep.

I am not embarrassed to share some of my pet names for Yoda: Poo-Poo, Pesty, My Boo, My Big Boo, Boozy-Boo, Kitta-Katta, Ca-Ca Head, Oh You!, Chi-Chi, Poosy Poo-say, etc. While I’ve had many pets in my lifetime Yoda is pretty special. He loves the cool weather and will sit in front of an open window on a chilly day. But he will also find the tiniest patch of sunlight in a sunless New York apartment and bask in that one-foot-square surface. He will splay himself out on the arm of the couch with his head and front paws hanging low. He will jump in the bathtub and chase his tail. At least he stopped attacking from behind the shower curtain.

I know a few people who grew up without having any pets for a number of reasons. I feel sorry that they missed out on this great, life-changing part of childhood. While a child learns responsibility by caring for a pet, a pet gives unconditional love and affection, is cheaper than a shrink, provides comfort and solace and most of all makes you laugh. My Yoda does all these things and more. He can change my bad mood in a second. He loves to be kissed and have his nose rubbed. We live in very trying times these days, no doubt. Life can be very bleak sometimes. I am grateful that I have a buddy like Yoda to keep my mind on an even keel, to show me affection and to swish his massive tail in my face and make me sneeze. There’s nothing like having a pet.

On August 30, Yoda will be seven. My only wish is for many more happy, healthy, crazy years. “There is no try; there is only do.” - Yoda

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