This post originally appeared here in 2009...
My pets---Phoebe, Angel and Jacob---mean the world to me. They are all foundlings, and the two girls have never known another human friend or family.
Angel, the geriatric Siamese, is thirteen, and was no bigger than the center of my hand when I found her in a garbage bin years ago. I righted it and out she came---a furry ball of fawn fiestiness, yowling at the world for a crumb, her blue eyes fixed on me from the start.
She has always been high strung and vocal. It took me several years to convince her she did not have to search our kitchen garbage bin for scraps.
Phoebe, a black shadow, is a mix born of feral parents and brought indoors. She doesn't like anyone but me and climbs to the highest spot in our apartment to avoid guests. She's a ham with the other cats, and lives up to the word princess in every sense. Her favorite spot is my lap.
Jacob, the handsome black and white tux, is a gentleman. Affectionate and sociable, he spent months as an orphan before I brought him home on my birthday four years ago. He was an adult then, and the girls were miffed for months over his inclusion in our family, but with one well-aimed swipe of his front paw, he chose me.
Once a cat selects a human, the human has little choice. The love and faith of a cat isn't easily bestowed, particularly if the cat has been abused, orphaned or left to its own devices. Jacob guards the girls and me from intruders. He loves to cuddle and play and is a fanatic for unattended salad greens.
All came with health problems and though indoor, developed and carry feline herpes virus, a highly contagious airborne disease that remains in the cat's body after initial exposure. All receive medication daily. Happily, this trio hasn't had an outbreak in months. They eat well and chase each other around the apartment with an abandon I often envy. Angel and Phoebe, star soccer divas, swoop and dive for balls of paper at every opportunity.
Their lives spared, these three provide hours of fun and lend an element of grace and comfort to our small abode. I believe that we were gifts given to each other, and I wish that humans had more respect for the animals and other life forms on this whirling planet we call home.
Until Next Time...
