For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I have finally found the love of my life (sorry Parker), my cat, Smokie. Smokie is my pride and joy, my soul child, and my best friend. Being a life-long animal lover, I did not know it was possible to love an animal so much until I met Smokie. It was an instant connection. I was at the animal shelter with my roommate and boyfriend, the man named Parker referenced above, looking for an addition to the family. I knew I wanted a cat, as they are far less work than a dog and are much more suited to apartment living. I went in looking for an adult cat no more than 2-3 years old and preferably a black cat, since they tend to be harder to adopt out. I did not want a kitten. Looking through the aisles of cats in metal boxes, I found a few cats that were, “options.” After walking through the room twice, I realized a small aisle just outside the door I had missed. It was there another young girl was holding a small, gray tabby kitten. Smokie, being the feisty little girl she is, was climbing up the girls shoulders as she desperately tried to keep hold of her. She asked me if I wanted to hold her, probably looking for an exit from the crazy cat. Nervously I pick her up and cradled her in my arms. She immediately started purring and chattering away to me. The young girl smiled and said, “she likes you, those are happy sounds.”
After a few minutes, I reluctantly put her back and ran to go find Parker, who had wandered over to dogs by that time. I told him that I had found a cat I thought he’d like, and he followed me to Smokie’s, who had the time was named, “Tiddly Winks,” cage. Without exaggeration, within ten seconds of holding her, he was whispering to her in a soft voice, “okay, we are your new parents.” With some coercion, he put her back in her cage and we went to the front to sign the papers and pay $20 to take her home . We had found our baby. On the car ride home, we contemplated, or argued over, names. Being the hippy I am, I wanted Luna or Karma. Parker wanted Spike or Lazer… which I was absolutely never going to let happen. After throwing out two or three dozen names, somehow we came to Smokie. I wanted it to be spelled with an “ie” to make it more feminine. We agreed to let it sit for a day and see how “Smokie” stuck. After realizing just how fiery her personality is, it seemed like the perfect name for our little girl.
Every morning I am woken up to lots snuggles and soft purrs. We spend about fifteen to twenty minutes in bed cuddling before we get up to eat breakfast. Usually, while I make myself breakfast, we will have our morning game of fetch. Yes, my cat plays fetch, it’s her favorite game and it’s amazing. Then, I sit down on the floor with her while I eat and sip my tea, and she sniffs my food or sunbathes on the carpet. Next, we go out on the balcony to water the plants. We finish by going to my bathroom so that I can get ready for the day, where she sits on my counter and watches while occasionally taking snack breaks at her food bowl. I never had a morning routine until Smokie, and I love it. Words cannot describe how much I love this little fluff-ball. Maybe it’s because she is my first pet that is fully mine. I think she is part of my soul family, and we have probably been together for several lifetimes. If I am a witch, she is my familiar. I can see why cats were chosen. Adopting her has brought so much joy and love into my life. I couldn’t imagine it without her. Thank you for reading about my little angel. Adopt don’t shop, and blessed be!
