Joseph Wood Krutch once said, “Cats
seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you
want”. This is true with my cat,
Rickel. Whether he is looking for a
treat, or wanting a warm lap to sit on, he will let you know. He usually gets his way.
It was a warm
night in the month of March 2005. My
husband (at the time), Chris, and I were up late watching television. Because it was such a warm night, we had the
door open to let in the air. It was
around 2 a.m. I was pregnant with our
daughter, Harmony. All of a sudden, we
heard a pitiful sounding “meow”.
Curious, I got up and looked.
Outside the door was this sweet looking, blond colored kitty. I told Chris and he said, “Let him in.” So I opened the door and in walked the love
of my life.
He was so thin
that we could see his bones showing through his fur. I immediately decided the thing to do would
be to go to the 24 hour convenience store, and pick up some cat food. He did not eat that night, and I was worried
that he was near starvation.
Rickel slept
with us that night. The next morning, he
followed me in the bathroom, waiting quietly as I got ready for work. Once I had left, he went right back to bed
with Chris until he got up.
When I came
home, we decided to give him a bath and comb him out to ward off any potential
fleas. We made a veterinarian
appointment for him and it turned out he was very healthy. The veterinarian estimated that his age was
anywhere from three to five years of age.
Rickel was
gentle from the start. He was always
patient with Harmony. There was a little
incident involving her putting doll clothes on him. Another time, I was in her room putting away
some of her clothes when I heard a small cry.
It was coming from the dresser. I
opened a drawer and he looked out at me, bewildered. Rickel never once had shown aggression
towards her.
In May of
2010, I had fallen on hard times. My
only solution was to move back home with my folks. Unfortunately, my mother was not keen on
having animals in the house. I could not
find anyone to take him in. So sadly,
the last morning I was in my apartment, I decided I would take him to the
animal shelter. My hopes were that he
would find a loving home. I had Rickel
in the pet carrier, driving towards the Humane Society. While I was on my way there, my mother
called. She told me that Rickel was a
nice cat, and that I could bring him to their house after all. I pretty much started crying and I thanked
her. This is how he got “rescued” a
second time.
My dad and
Rickel have become fast friends. I often
times come home to see those two snuggling in the chair while watching
television. My dad also loves to sneak
treats to Rickel. I’m talking about all
the lunch meats: pastrami, roast beef, ham, and summer sausage. Rickel also loves cheese, whether it is
string cheese or American. Most meal
times he is found to be sitting in the empty chair, silently pleading with us
for something to eat.
Rickel’s best
friend of all is Harmony. She always
calls him her “little brother”. She
loves picking him up and cuddling with him on the couch. I have a picture of those two together. In it, Rickel’s paws are wrapped around
Harmony’s neck, as if he is hugging her.
He will lick her hand and often times she will rub it on my cheek
saying, “I’m giving you Rickel’s kisses.”
They are inseparable.
It will indeed
be a sad and emotional day when the time comes for him to leave this
world. My mom believes he will be in
heaven for us to enjoy. As she states,
“God loves His animals”. Rickel is
kind-hearted, loving and loyal to all.
He is, as my daughter always says, “The best cat in the world.”
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