Peekay at Two

I was not going to have another cat.  My life was already full of unanticipated detours and obligations.  Kit was and continues to be a resident at the care facility in Grass Valley that we call “the Lodge,” and I reside four miles up from Nevada City’s historic downtown on a quiet road at the edge of a woods.  Taking care of our home is up to me now.  Watering the raised flowerbeds and pots on the decks, house repairs and maintenance of our car, and all of the bills that arrive without fail over the course of the year.  It is a lot, and whatever time is my own, I fill with preparing simple meals, reading from the pile of books that I continue to order, and writing a new blog every week.

As I said, I had no room in my life for a cat.  But that is not how the cat world works. As I learned decades ago when Kit and I moved to Missouri and bought a home in the country with a barn, sooner or later a cat finds you.  That is precisely what happened two years ago when an employee at the Lodge brought a seven-week-old yellow tabby kitten to Kit’s room in the hopes I would give him a home.  And of course, I instantly fell in love.  

Two weeks later, I arrived in Kit’s room at the Lodge with a cozy kitten carrier ready to bring this adorable little fellow home and into my life. I tucked him into his carrier with his familiar blankie and a toy kitten that looked exactly like him.  That way he would have a faux litter mate to keep him company in the hours I was visiting Kit each day.

I named him Peekay after a brave little boy in Bryce Courtenay’s novel The Power of One. His look-alike stuffed toy Peekaboo has been his constant companion since day one. Over the course of the past two years, Peekaboo has lost his whiskers and his faux fur has grown scruffy from being carried around in Peekay’s mouth, vigorous wrestling matches, and the daily preening Peekay gives him as if his friend were real. And while Peekaboo has not grown a whisker or pound, Peekay is now a full-grown cat with the personality of his feral parents—one a tabby, the other a Bengal that exhibits that breed’s wild nature. 

While he was once tiny enough to climb up my pantleg and sleep flat on his back in my lap while I was seated at my computer, he now fills the chair next to me and snoozes while I’m writing.  When I wash my face at night, he sits on a towel next to me and does the same.  He loves the fresh-caught fish I order from the Wild Alaska Company and especially favors the salmon and cod filets. He also eats wild meadow grass out of my hand, harvested each morning as a daily dietary supplement. 

What he dislikes above all else is riding in his cat carrier up and down our winding foothill road for his feline checkups and shots at 4-Paws, our super cat-friendly veterinary office in Nevada City. And although his beloved Peekaboo always goes with him and gets weighed, too, Peekay meows mournfully all the way to town and back. 

These warm June days, Peekay spends time outside in his multi-level screened-in Catio on the deck, watching birds and squirrels fly through the woods or catching hapless bugs that wander through the structure’s wire screens into his quick paws and waiting mouth. While he plays with various toys, birdwatches,  and naps,  I water my deck gardens and enjoy reading with an afternoon tea while sitting in a large wicker chair with my feet up on a wide ottoman.  Late afternoon is  a peaceful time for both of us to relax and recharge before we head back inside for the evening.

I wish I could let him roam free through the woods and climb trees but a fox passes below the deck each day, occasional bears wander up the road, and neighbors have dogs he is unsure of. By nature, he is not a cuddler, but is showing signs of becoming one when he gets older. We play when I’m home, and he tolerates my hours of quiet reading though I know he’d rather be outside following his wild side.

Peekay is now two, and we have grown to understand each other’s needs, likes, and dislikes. Feisty, rambunctious, and an agile high jumper when awake and eager to play, he is relaxed to the max while catnapping when he resembles the kitten he was at two months old.  Happy birthday, Peekay.  You’ve filled an empty place in my heart, and I love having you in my life.