Claudia

Today was my cat’s 15th birthday.

I remember when we first got her as kitten, I was 6 years old so the idea of having kittens blew my tiny mind. We adopted her along with her brother Boots (named because he was all black except his white paws.) My family always liked to get cats in pairs because it would help them entertain each other, and it also increased their chances of survival outdoors. Survival? Well, cats in our house didn’t just get the luxury of being inside. Their job was outside as well. Killing mice or rats or any other vermin that would try to invade our garden or house. But none of this life was forced upon them. We simply let them go where they pleased, and their hunter instincts take over. Unfortunately, that came with some hazards. Coyotes, cars, dogs, other cats. All were dangerous and cost many cats their lives.

Claudia lived through it all. Over the 15 years she has spent in our house, she lived through 4 other cats. First there was Angie and Peter, two other cats that we had when Claudia and her brother joined our family. Peter was lost to the coyotes, and Angie (we suspect) joined another family without us knowing. Then Boots passed away, most likely eaten by Coyotes for he was known to get into fights with them. We then got another cat, Jasper, who was wild and dumb and after only a year of having him he disappeared. Most likely he was hit by a car or another family took him, as he spent much of his spare time laying in the middle of streets and going into other people’s yards.

But she lived through it all. Now that’s she’s older though, her way of life has changed as well. Instead of hunting and exploring like she did for the majority of her life, she has retired to the upstairs of our house. No longer bringing dead mice to our back door, but playing with loose socks left next to the hamper and napping in the sun all day. Her demeanor used to be standoffish, only letting my older sister pet her. But now she was affectionate, constantly meowing for another pet, another scratch. If I happened to be laying down on my bed, she would take full advantage by climbing on top of me demanding I give her attention. Very different than the younger Claudia, who would never even let me touch her.

For her 15th birthday, we brought her some new toys. She happily batted them around, jumping and zooming around the room. It was like a glimpse into her younger self. After some time she got bored of the toys and found a place to nap. What a simple life it is she has. I wonder what stories she would be able tell after 15 years hunting and surviving. Because she truly has lived through it all.