Two Golden Nuggets

If you had asked me two years ago, “Katie, would you ever have a cat?” I probably would have laughed. Now, I have two. Two beautiful golden nuggets of joy that I simply cannot get enough of. Every morning I wake up to their purrrrs and every night I fall asleep to their cuddles. I’m sure everyone says this about their own pets, but I believe I have the most amazing cats in the world. I am officially a crazy cat lady at the age of 30.

On January 6, 2019, five lions were born. Five tiny little fluff balls. Of these five kittens, I adopted two and my friend adopted two, and we all live together in Arizona. (The fifth little guy moved to San Diego.) When we first encountered the litter at 8 weeks old, I had no intention of keeping any of them, let alone two! But alas, the Gods had spoken. Two of the kittens were orange, and I couldn’t help but watch them wander around the room. They were so adventurous and brave, exploring new territory. One of them wandered near a candle and got a little too close. I heard a tiny squeal and I rushed over to pick him up. He had singed off a little bit of eyebrow, so I swooped him into my arms like a baby and kissed his tiny head over and over again. I knew in that moment it was meant to be.

Then I saw the other orange kitten across the room, climbing into a huge bass speaker. “Bass kitten!” I pointed out, laughing. She was so cute and brave, climbing up the speakers to reach the top. I called my younger sister and told her about the kittens.

“Two kittens, Katie? Are you sure you can handle that?”

To be honest, I wasn’t sure. So, I walked over to bass kitten and asked her, “Do you want to come home with me?” She looked up with her big round eyes and gave me a very obvious wink. “She winked at me!” I exclaimed. “Well, I guess that’s my answer.”

I was ecstatic. A little nervous, but excited.

The first kitten I decided to bring home is named Jupiter. He has white paws, a white chest, and he is very vocal. The name Jupiter came to me on the drive home and it could not be more suiting. Jupiter, the planet, is associated with the throat chakra and the pursuit of big dreams. As a big dreamer and a girl with a huge vision for the future, I often communicate with Jupiter about my plans. Opening and expanding my throat chakra is critical for my success as a public speaker, influencer, author, and vlogger, and my cat helps me work on that trait; the ability to speak my truth and use my voice for good. He is very vocal and loves to communicate with me. Jupiter (planet) is also known to bring good luck and prosperity. Our unconditional love for one another has influenced my vibration and brought me to a higher state of consciousness. I have noticed an increase in my ability to manifest things quicker, and of greater magnitude. He is my little king, my ruling planet, my good luck charm.

His partner in crime, the other little orange tabby, is named Bastet. I was told Bastet was a girl when we first met, so I named “her” Bastet after the Egyptian cat goddess. Bastet is represented in Egypt as a woman with a cat head. She is a lioness goddess and ruler of cats, domestication, music, dance, and fertility. Bastet is also said to be the personification of Isis, the deity that is known to help us move from the hell of our own fear into the heaven of our own love. With her magical abilities, Isis can guide us to bring our dreams into reality.

It turns out that Bastet, my cat, is actually a boy. However, the name still fits, and he is still a Queen to me. Bastet is playful, slinky, and a little bit sassy. She/he is the one I can always count on to heal the pains of my heart. I often feel the weight of the collective in my heart (another one of my power centers, along with my throat), and when I lay down to move energy, Bastet will climb right up onto my chest and offer me her purrs. She is far more intuitive than any cat I’ve ever met, and will massage my tummy, legs, shoulders, and chest. Any area where I have pain, she can sense it, and heal it with her magical cat powers. I love that “she” turned out to be a “he”, because symbolically I like to believe that it represents identity, gender neutrality, and the ability for us as humans to love unconditionally. I am a huge supporter of LGBTQ rights, and I feel Bastet amplifies my passion for the rights of all beings to be loved and treated equally.

These two cats have been the greatest gift of my life. Unexpected, but certainly no coincidence. They have helped me through heartbreak, darkness, fear, life changes, uncertainty, and turbulence, all in the short 18 months we’ve been together. My mind has expanded into places it hadn’t gone before, and I am obsessed with expanding my consciousness!

Their other siblings are named Sekhmet and Panjshir. In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet and Bastet were representation of two aspects of the same goddess. Sekhmet is the goddess of war, fire, medicine, and protection, while Bastet represents the gentler aspect of the deity. Panjshir, the only black and white kitten, is named after the valley in which my friend’s family originated from in Afghanistan. His name, Panjshir, literally means “five lions”. I love the symbology of our cat’s names, and how true to their character they are. All four cats are the temple guardians of our home. They are powerful messengers here to teach us lessons, guide us toward enlightenment and truth, and inspire our dreams to come to life.

All of our cats are magical little beings. I am SO happy and grateful that I decided to bring home both orange kittens that blessed day. They are like two peas in a pod, and I can’t imagine ever separating them. They fill my heart with so much love and joy, and in ways I never knew possible. They entertain me for hours and I spend time playing with them every day. I just recently ordered a macramé cat hammock for them to enjoy, and I've been working on manifesting a Litter Robot ;)

I look forward to spoiling my fur babies for the rest of our lives, and making more videos like the one below.

Incase you hadn't gotten enough cuteness yet ;)

Stay blessed,

Katie Shay