Christmas ‘07.
All my life I’ve had a passion for animals. I loved the black Labrador my parents had when I was born – Sally. She was an amazingly patient and caring dog, and when she died, part of my heart went with her. I’d also loved our old cat, Timmy. We never had another cat, it was too hard when they died – he met his end on the High Street, having been hit by a car. However, my Aunt had a cat and I loved him dearly, even though he was a scratcher and a biter. I’d lure him onto my lap and endure his assaults, just so I could run my fingers through his soft, gingery-red fur. It left me longing for a cat just the same as him.
I’ve had 7 cats since then and still have six of them, thank God. I never expected my dream to come true, but this Christmas it has. My Vet has a beautiful, compassionate nurse working there and when a litter of abandoned feral kittens came in, Lauren (and Tania) started the painstaking task of hand-rearing them. All three were boys, one was black, one black with white socks and the last – a warm gingery-red. I fell in love at that moment. A lot needed consideration; affording the costs of another cat, providing him a safe home to grow up in, fixing him when the time came and keeping him healthy with his annual vaccinations. It was decided it could be managed, so I went and asked them to allow me to have the tiny red-furred baby, and for them to start to call him Nikau.
He finally came home just over a week before Christmas. He still likes to be syringe fed his formula, but happily munches on soft meat and a few hard cat biscuits. He had been well socialised with dogs as at night when he and his brothers (and another 6 companions who needed hand-rearing) went home with Lauren, they had her dog and her house-mates dog to play with. Heath was so excited, seeing a new kitten in the house. I got him a nice dog crate to stay in, where there was room for a bed, a litter box and his food, so when he needed peace, he could be there and still be with me. He and Heath are very firm friends and this tender moment was captured quite by accident. I get a lump in my throat when I look at the image!
He is growing fast. At somewhere around 7 or 8 weeks now, his exact age isn’t known, he has a lovely nature and purrs like an engine all the time. He has had his share of adventures, getting to know his feline brothers and sisters, most of whom now ignore him even when he is right in their faces. As it is Christmas Day as I write, he has settled to sleep on my shoulder, his purr like a drone in my ear. Part of the day has been spent exploring the insides of empty boxes, tangling with pretty coloured ribbons and climbing the tree. It’s funny – the tree has been up the entire time that he has been here, but only when everything that could’ve been compromised (gifts, etc) had been removed did he start to clamber upwards!
Today was a glorious New Zealand Christmas day. The sun was out from the moment dawn broke and with a dear friend staying, it was an ideal time for a long, leisurely walk on the beach with our respective dogs.
Heath loves Watea and together they had an absolute blast, running through the surf and along the compacted sand. It was terrific, the blue of the sky seeming to melt into the salty water, seamlessly.
Part way between Ocean View and Braids Hill, we stopped to watch a young male sea lion as he swam along the waters edge, in and out of waves, thoroughly enjoying his time alone in the sun-kissed water. It wasn’t warm but the sun has started to reduce the icy feel quite nicely!
We all had a lovely time and came home sandy but happy. The dogs needed a drink and a rest but soon perked up and started playing again. All I need do now is get Watea used to having Nikau around – he adores the cats and wants to love them, but is rather big, boisterous and somewhat clumsy! He’ll learn!