The story of the cats Susie

I had a friend who was owned by a seal-point female named Sasha. Every time I visited these friends, Sasha would welcome me and have quite the “conversations” with me. When I spoke to her, she always “talked” back to me. Unfortunately she also always went into heat when I left. Seeing as we are both females this boggled my mind.

At any rate, my friend Bev decided to breed Sasha. Some weeks later I received a call from Bev to say that Sasha had delivered three beautiful kittens – 2 males and a female and would I like to come to see them. Of course keeping me away would have been a lot more difficult! Bev warned me before I came that Sasha would not allow her or her husband near the kittens and for me not to be disappointed that I could not touch them. I could handle that – well if I had to I suppose!

I arrived at their place and immediately was taken to the spare room closet where Sasha and her 3 babies were peacefully curled up on a nice soft blanket. I knelt on the floor in front of the closet and talked to Sasha as I always did and she talked back as she always did. Not wanting to overstay my welcome, I left Sasha and went to the living room to enjoy a tea with my friends. I was having one of my bad female days and put my legs up on the sofa with my back against the arm. As I was sitting there visiting with my friends, Sasha carried one of her babies out, jumped up on the sofa and deposited it in my lap. She proceeded to do this with the other 2 as well. Sasha then hopped down and sat beside the sofa and meowed up at me as if to say “would you kitty sit for me”. By this time my friend was crying. She couldn’t believe that Sasha would bring her kittens to me but would not allow her or her husband to touch them. I felt bad for her, but honoured to be treated so special by Sasha.

When the kittens were old enough to go to a loving home, Bev called me and said that she and her husband would like for me to have the little female whom they had named Susie. I had just recently separated from my first husband and was living alone so I jumped at the opportunity to have this little meezer.

A short time after this, Bev and her husband went on vacation and another friend of theirs was going to take Sasha for 2 weeks. The day after Bev left, her friend called and insisted I come and get Sasha as she was going frantic and was very scary. I went to her apartment, got Sasha and brought her home with me. Sasha curled up with me and Susie that night and every night thereafter until Bev and her husband returned. When they came to pick Sasha up, she did not want to go with them. Again my friend was in tears and told me she was never going to let me look after her cat again. She was devastated that her cat preferred me to her as she loved Sasha so much.

During the next couple of years, Susie and I lived alone together. She always seemed to sense when I was down and blue as she would leave her warm bed beside the radiator and come and cuddle with me as if to let me know she loved me and that she was there for me.

Several years later, one day I accidentally closed the walk-in closet door where Susie had her litter pan. My roommate heard water running and went to the bathroom to check. There was Susie sitting up on the toilet seat doing her business in the human toilet.

Another time I was in the kitchen and she kept crying her Siamese yowl. I went to investigate. I went to the bathroom and as soon as she saw me she sat up on the sink and looked into the sink. I went over to look and there she had passed some urine with blood in it. She was smart enough to know I would probably not notice it in the litter and as soon as I saw it she stopped meowing. Amazing! A vet visit later it turned out she had a bladder infection and we got medication to clear it up.

When Susie was 10 yrs. old, I had met and married my one true love and we were expecting our first and only child. Everyone told me I would have to give Susie up as she would be very jealous of the baby because she was so close to me. I naturally refused. When Jennifer was born, I made a point to allow Susie to sit on my lap as I was breastfeeding, since Susie always sat on my lap when I was sitting. By the time Jennifer was able to crawl her eyes would light up when she saw Susie and she would make every effort to reach the cat. Susie was always patient and loving to Jennifer and never once bit or scratched the baby. In fact Jennifer could get away with things with Susie that nobody but me could ever do. Jennifer’s first word was “seesuze”. I lost Susie when she was 14 yrs. old and I’ve never stopped thinking of her. She and I had the most amazing relationship and I can’t help but wonder if her mother Sasha had something to do with it.

I will see Susie at the Rainbow Bridge and we will have an amazing reunion.