Maggie’s Story

by Natalie

I decided to do a little something different this week and dedicate this blog to cats! Some of you may or may not know, but along with Sierra, I also have two cats, and they are the silliest, sweetest, cutest kitties ever. My journey to Sierra begins with cats, so I feel like it is only fitting that I write about it. So, without further ado, here is my cat story…

I have always liked cats ever since I was a little girl. I was lucky to grow up and form bonds with them without prejudice. I was young enough to give them a chance. And now that I’m older, I must admit that cats are one of the most misrepresented species of all time.

I love all animals, but I always thought I had a special kinship with felines. It may be because we share similar characteristics; like cats, I enjoy my independence and can be very reserved, but I also crave attention when my mood strikes. Unfortunately, however, cats have a stigma against their name, and are often seen as isolated, snobbish creatures; this is far from the truth. In reality, they are very social animals, but get a bad reputation because many don’t warm to people until they trust them. And misguided people don’t help the cause! In fact, they make the mistake of comparing cats to dogs. Would you compare a seagull to an elephant? An ant to a snake? A dinosaur to a robot?

Unlike dogs, cats don’t allow a person to claim ownership of them. When they learn to trust a person, they claim their friendship. If a person understands and accepts this, they enter into one of the most loyal friendships they will ever encounter. Some could even argue more loyal than a dog (I’ll leave that up to you to decide).

A little over four years ago, I adopted a tiny little calico kitten named Maggie. I was in college at the time, and I remember going to see her with her little siblings. While the others were frightened, she boldly walked up to me and sniffed my hand – I knew in that instant that I had to have her. And it was a great decision. Maggie was easily the best cat I ever had. She would cuddle with me at night, wrestle with me during the day, and follow me wherever I went. She not only taught me responsibility, but also not to take life so seriously. And that was something I really needed to learn at a time in my life when I was really struggling at discovering who I was.

As everyone who has ever owned and loved a pet knows, relationships run deep between a human and their animal. I looked at Maggie as if she were my own child. Unfortunately, I lost her a little over a year ago. She was an indoor/outdoor cat, and one day she went outside and never came back. By this time, I was already back in Chino where coyotes roam the streets daily.

Losing Maggie was extremely hard for me. She was the one constant thing in my life that I could always turn to. She was never far away when I needed a cuddle and her loving purr to calm me down. At the time, I was constantly asking “what ifs”. I kept going over and over it in my head, wondering what I could have done differently to make sure she was back in my room, in my arms safe and sound. I scoured my neighborhood for days looking for signs of her. My boyfriend and I left flyers at every house and called her name through the night, using flashlights to guide us. I went to the Humane Society every day for weeks, hoping they had brought her in as a stray. She was microchipped, but I never received a call.

It was difficult then, and it still is, but I look at my life and know I wouldn’t be where I am now without her. Before Maggie, my boyfriend wasn’t too fond of cats. She won him over by really putting on the charm (she would even ignore me when he came over!). Because of Maggie, Nate stopped riding his bike when he heard a tiny kitten mewing near the street. He took the little guy in and cleaned him up only to find he had an upper respiratory infection. He was hours away from suffocating to death. The vet told Nate that if he surrendered him, the Humane Society would put him down. So, Nate claimed him as his own, nursed him back to health, and that little boy is now known as Booger. He’s over a year old, spoiled as hell, loves to cuddle and drives us crazy with his incessant (but adorable!) need to get into everything.

Because of Maggie, I would go into the Humane Society and not only check the stray cat hold, but visit the adoptable cat room. Those poor cats never got as much attention as the dogs. One medium-haired tortoiseshell female in particular. Other cats would come and go, but this one was always there every time I went in. I don’t know why – whenever she saw me, she would reach her paws through the metal bars and try to grab my hand so she could pull me closer and rub against me. She had been at the Humane Society for a while by the time I discovered her, and I knew her time was coming to an end. So, I did something about it. Her name is Autry, and she’s lying next to me, purring, as I type this.

These two wonderful babies wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Maggie. I know that cats can come off as stubborn, distant, rude or arrogant, but if you put in the time and effort, I guarantee they are worth every heartache they put you through. Their independence is necessary, but just as important is their need to feel comfortable around someone they trust. If you’re on the fence about a cat, please don’t believe the negative stereotypes. Just like pit bulls, they have been stigmatized as something they are not – cold, unfeeling creatures. In reality, most cats are extremely friendly, approachable and downright loving. Make sure to give your cat a hug today! Or at least let them rub against and claim you. They’d probably prefer that actually.

Natalie

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