2/28/09

Hi, my name is...



Hi, my name is Nigel. Mom said I should come and introduce myself to all her blog friends in cyberspace. About 4 months ago mom saw me wondering about on the deck. At first she thought I was a feral cat that she feeds because I look a lot like him, but then she saw my white paws and realized I was just a kitten. Mom thinks the feral cat might be my dad.

It was really cold outside and raining as well. She was concerned about me so she came out and tried to talk to me but I was very frightened, humans weren’t always nice to me and so I wasn't sure of her intentions. Then she brought me some food and I was so grateful because it had been a long time since I had eaten. Mom hated leaving me out there in the wet and cold but since I wouldn't let her touch me there wasn't much more she could do.

Later that night when Daddy got home from work mom was telling him about me, she decided to take a look outside to see if I was still hanging around. She flipped on the light next to the back door and saw me huddled up next to it. She opened the door to see if I would come inside, I was so cold and the warm air coming from the house felt so good so I stepped over the threshold, I hadn't intended to stay but then mom slammed the door shut and I was trapped. I freaked! I started crying and tried to claw my way back out the glass door but it no use. Mom decided to give me some space and time to calm down. She left me by the door crying and went through the house closing up all the doors except the one to her office, and then she got some more food, water and a spare little pan and put them in there.

The next part was the worst and I think mom really hated doing it but since I wouldn’t come to her she had no choice. She got the broom and as gently as she could she herded me into her office with it. She left out dry food 24/7 and would bring me canned food twice a day, then about the second day I was in there she started to pet me while I ate, on the fourth day she picked me up but I was so scared I hid my face in her arm. Over the next several days she would hold me each time she fed me and then she started bringing me out and carried me about the house. She introduced me slowly to more sights, sounds and smells of the house. She let me stay in her office for over a week just getting used to the smells and sounds of the house. Finally she allowed me to start coming out on my own but she still limited my access to the house by closing off doors to rooms where I didn’t need to go just yet. I still had to spend the night in the office but I didn’t mind because mom’s office has lots of cozy places to curl up.

Today I’m a different kitten. I love to be cuddled and I give lots of kisses and hugs to mom and daddy. I’m still freighted of strangers and mom doesn’t allow me to go outside because I get frightened very easily and she’s concerned I might run away but I’m much calmer these days.

Mom says I do have a few characteristics that make me a challenge at times but she says they make me charming as well. I have an itchy paw and I’m always looking for things to knock off table tops to play with. I dig in mom’s plants, and I chew them as well but she’s learning new ways thwart me; she’s going to share some of them with you later. I also like to torment Callie, she’s the other cat that lives here and sometime mom gets the squirt bottle after me because of it, I HATE that!

I also do some things that Mom and Daddy think are really cute. I have my own teddy bear, M left him behind one day and I claimed as my own. I carry him about the house in my mouth. I also like to play with balls and anything that rolls, including mom’s thread spools. I like to watch the water swirl around in the toilet, sometimes I look at the side of the toilet and try to figure out where it’s going.

I’m glad mom trapped me inside the house that night four months ago because Mom adores me and I adore her.

BTW Nigel, means black in Old English, it can also mean someone who has no friends. As you can see the black part fits well, fortunately the friends part not so much anymore.
All material copyrighted by Pamela Stewart. No portion may be used without written premission of the author.

2 comments:

julie (jane's apron) said...

We have a black cat (rescued from a busy road a couple of summers ago)....he may be the sweetest cat we've ever had.

Balwearie said...

When I was in college my roommate and I had a little black and white cat named Nigel. I think that's a brilliant name for a kitty.