Kevin Ryan
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1046 Words
NIKKI: A BEAUTIFUL SOUL
I’m a dog lover. How many times have you started reading a cat story and the first thing the author says is that he’s a dog lover? Well, I am. I grew up with dogs all the time. I can’t remember any time we didn’t have some kind of dog or dogs running around the house or yard. There’s a real bond between a dog and his family. Oh, there were the occasional cats around, strays picked up and brought home, but it was dogs that were the family pet. A dog plays with you. He worships the ground you walk on. His only "job" in life is to do whatever you want him to do. Not cats. Cats exist. Cats judge. Cats laugh if you even think they are going to do anything you want them to do. Not going to happen!
Fifteen years ago, my wife at the time said, "You know, I’d really like to get a cat". Sure. Fine. I had my dog. I was happy. If getting a cat would make her feel more like a person then more power to her. So I suggested that we make a trip to the humane shelter and find us a cat. "Oh, no", she said, "I want a Himalayan". Now, being the type of person that does not believe in "bred" cats when there are so many cats that need homes, I was not exactly supportive of that idea. "Why", I thought, "are there so many animals put to death each year and people still keep breeding them?" But, that’s what she wanted and, as every good husband knows, that is what she was going to get. We found a breeder close to our home that had Himalayan cats at, what I thought, was an outrageous price. She only had two left. A seal point male, which is a rich brown with very dark tips on his ears and tail, and a blue point female, primarily a cream color with grayish blue on the tips of the ears and tail. I fell in love with the seal point male. My wife, of course, wanted the blue point female. Guess which one we got? While my wife was finishing the transaction with the breeder I was watching the last two playing. Running around oblivious to the fact that one of them was about to leave. They were just enjoying life, not a care in the world.
We brought our new "purchase" home and the first thing the little female did was scream. Crying and crying just like a newborn baby! I made my move. I told my wife that she was probably crying over missing her brother, the seal point that I wanted. That it was a terrible thing to separate them when all they knew was each other. In a moment of weakness, my wife suggested that we call the breeder back and see if we could get the brother as well. "Well", I said, "Not at the same price! We can’t afford it and she should give us some kind of deal since it’s the last one!" The breeder agreed to give us a break on the price and we went back to pick up the brother.
They were dubbed "Nicholas and Alexandra" or "Nikki and Alex". We were a cat family! You know what? It wasn’t too bad! Those guys would play around the house, snuggle up with you while you watched television, and, basically, took care of them. Nikki, had this ability to purr like a time bomb! The loudest purr I ever heard! And, man, did he take to me! He would follow me everywhere just for a little rub of the tummy, or an affectionate pat on the head. What? Mr. Dog Lover was finding himself falling in love with a cat? How absurd! As the years past my wife left me but the cats stayed. Nikki and Alex became parents twice. I know. It was in my plans to get them spayed and neutered but things just got away from me, so to speak. I justified the union in my mind by giving the kittens away to good homes even though I could command a fortune for them. I thought it was better to find them good homes then get into the "breeder’s market". When my daughter was two, she took them both with her to daycare for "Show and Tell". Here were twelve two-year olds poking; fighting over whom was going to get to hold them, and generally abusing the cats. Nikki and Alex just took it and loved every minute of it. I know! I have it on tape! They didn’t care just as long as they were getting love.
So these two wonderful cats were showing me, the dog lover, those cats are important too. They love. They are fun. Just because they don’t fetch a ball doesn’t mean that they are not an important species to the planet. When I remarried years later, they convinced my then wife how wonderful they were as well. And Nikki had me in the palm of his hand! I called him my little "Butterball" because he would just come over and flop on his back for me to rub him tummy. Not always. Just every once in a while to show me his affection. If I didn’t feel like it or was watching a game on television he would just go about his business. His business consisted mostly of sleeping on the heater vent and eating. This was a cat that not only followed my every move but also became, well, me. Lay around the house and rest. Important work for a man and Nikki was all man! Nikki showed me support, friendship and unconditional love.
Nikki died yesterday. Tears fill my eyes just writing that line. I’m a cat lover now as well as dogs. Alex is still with us and I will treasure every minute with her as I now cherish the moments I had with him. He truly blessed me with his presence. I read a book once that asked the question if animals had souls. The response was that anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of animal would know the answer to that question. I know the answer. Nikki, we will be together again.