If you’ll allow me, I’d like to share the story about how I became a cat father. It was during a sabbatical I was enjoying in South Florida near my family two and a half years ago.
My sister found a stray kitten, no more than three weeks old, in a supermarket parking lot in Miami. Being a singer, who travels around the globe to perform, and allergic to cats, she could not keep this kitten. She called me to come to see this kitty and asked if my wife Karen and I could take care of this tiny kitty in her absence until she could get home and help find it a home. I took one look at this kitten on July 4, 2017, she “meeped” at me, and I was love struck.
I brought the kitten home, Karen too fell in love with her, and we agreed to name her Liberty Belle, and we call her Libby for short. Over these last two years, we’ve watched her blossom into a beautiful Maine Coon, full of catitude and affection. Seriously, nothing beats Libby crawling up on my lap when we’re watching a movie or when she decides to say “Hi” to me in the meow-rning.
Our Second Cat
Six months after we acquired Libby, we decided to bring a friend home for her to play with. We had just weathered a devastating hurricane and many cats were brought to the Fort Lauderdale shelter from the Keys in the wake of Irma. One we fell in love with was this bright-eyed orange tabby, who was only a couple months old. Much to Libby’s chagrin, I brought this beautiful boy home, and because he was such a fun, happy little guy, we decided to give him a fun happy name. Taco Shell never ceased to bring so much fun and joy to our lives and brought out a playful spirit in Libby we had never seen before. During Taco’s short life he traveled from South
Florida all the way to Indiana when I came to work for 95.5 WFMS and seemed to love his new home, until one day he was breathing heavy, and we learned there was nothing we could do for a rare congenital disease he had which caused his body to fill up with fluid. We had to make a decision that devastated us. We had to send Taco to over the Rainbow Bridge in July of last year. He had just become a full grown cat in that time and we were so excited to spend many years with our beautiful boy, but sadly he was only here for a short time. Karen and I miss him terribly, and so did Libby. We swear we can still see his ghost in our townhouse.
Enter Oskee
We weren’t prepared to bring another cat into our life until one day in August last year when Karen and I had just dropped my parents off at the airport and we were near the Indianapolis Animal Care Services, so we decided to stop in. There he was. It was like he was calling to us, “Hey, Taco wanted you to take ME home.” This orange tabby resembled our lost buddy, Taco, and was just purring and as happy as a four-month-old kitten could possibly be. We fell in love, and as a lifelong Illini fan (I’m from Peoria), I was down to two names, either Butkus or Oskee Meow Meow (a derivative of the Illinois fight song.) We went with Oskee, and he’s filled the hole in our hearts left by Taco.
In the short eight months that Oskee has been in our life, we’ve fallen in love with yet another beautiful creature who is just as playful, happy, and fun as Taco was. He and Libby get along for the most part, but he does present challenges for our spoiled little princess, but they both provide Karen and me with so much joy, and we’re grateful to have them in our lives.
I write this blog entry on National Love Your Pet Day, a day no cat or dog can understand, other than that we love them every day. I never had a pet until I was forty years old, and as I get set to take my forty-third trip around the sun, I cannot imagine my life without a cat in it for the remainder of my time here. I have become a certified 100% Cat Daddy. These little creatures have captured my heart in a way that I never knew was possible. Pet ownership makes us kinder, gentler, and more caring. These beautiful animals allow us to keep them, take care of them, and they give so much back in return. I am grateful that my sister brought Libby into our life, I am grateful for the time we had with little Taco, and look forward to many years with my new buddy, Oskee Meow Meow.
Our pets are not here for a long time, but just like us, they are here for a good time, and they provide us with so much. Honestly, I’m not sure who rescued who during my sabbatical in South Florida, but I so glad these critters became part of my life. Every day should be National Love Your Pet Day. I know for Karen and me, it certainly is.
Thanks for indulging me,
