Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite animal?

View all responses

Paws down, my favourite animal is the cat. I’ve shared my home with at least one my entire life. Well, there was that week or so after my little calico girl, Lexie, crossed the Rainbow Bridge when I did not have a feline companion.

I was heartbroken. Lexie had been, as they all are, a unique soul. She was also the last of the cats that my mum and I had shared as pets before Mum passed away in 2013.

We had adopted her along with a handsome male snowshoe (Myster) and an older female tabby mix (Mog) as company for our old man (Pippin). Lexie wasn’t pleased to be a member of the clowder, but she adjusted, becoming frenemies with the rest.

Over time and attrition, she became my only cat. She really blossomed. Formerly silent and aloof, she became chatty and affectionate. I promised her then that she could be an only cat for the rest of her days. She enjoyed seven years of solo status before her passing peacefully in her sleep.

I decided try a pet-less existence for a while but found that I missed sharing my home with a furry body almost immediately. So, I started checking out websites of local shelters. I really thought it would take some time to find the right individual. I was wrong.

On the second or third shelter’s site. I knew I had found my new friend. I believe in serendipity, and her name told me she was the one. Beasley. She shares the married name of my mum’s baby sister, and my adored aunt. I made arrangements to meet her. We clicked.

This tiny tortoiseshell has filled heart with her big personality. I still miss Lexie, but Beasley’s chatter and affection remind me why I love cats so much: they are tough, independent, strong-willed, and charming beings. And now I know that I can’t live without one (or two) in my home.

[Photos: Lexie the Calico (top) and Beasley the Tortie (bottom)]