Love and Devotion

People don't choose cats, cats choose people. Sure, you can walk into any shelter and head home with a perfectly nice feline. You signed the papers, but that won't make the cat yours. You'll feed the cat, pet the cat, talk to the cat but the cat still isn't your cat until the cat decides you are their person.

Dogs aren't like this in my experience. You get a dog, feed the dog, pet the dog, talk to the dog, you then own the dog. The dog will be loyal and devoted until you (repeatedly) mistreat the dog. Then the dog *might* decide whether or not to love you back.

Our family has four cats. Our four cats have their person(s). Sebastian is largely contented these days to choose me as his primary person and M as his close second person. Bina and Phineas have chosen M as their primary person, with me being a close second for Bina. G belongs to Genevieve.

We got Genevieve from a local Petsmart as an SPCA shelter cat. I had seen another cat online who caught my eye. Once we got to the location, the cat we went to see certainly was beautiful and sweet, but Genevieve took the cake. She was talkative, Siamese AND Calico and had zero fear of three-year old G. No Fear of a Miniature Human Being being the primary trait we needed to find in a new cat. Which is a fairly rare trait, FYI. (Our older two felines, Sebastian and Bina tried to remain blissfully ignorant of G as an infant and just made sure to steer clear when that strategy miserably failed.)

Genevieve took to G immediately, to all of us really. She fit right in. She didn't care that the other cats hissed at her. She has no fear.

After we got G his bunk beds, Genevieve quickly learned to negotiate the ladder to the top bunk. She tucks him in almost every night and goes to wake him up in the morning. The top bunk is her own personal "happy place." During the day, that is where you will often find her, sleeping away on the top bunk at the top of her world.

This past weekend, I think it really hit home with all of us just how much she loves her boy. G went to the lakehouse with G2 for an overnight. When he finally got home early Sunday evening, M and I were excited to see him. But not more than Genevieve. She made a beeline to the front door and talked at him excitedly in her Meesy voice. Once M scooped up G and plopped on the couch, there was the cat. Throwing herself on G. Kneading frantically in the air. Purring like a freight train. Repeatedly rubbing his chin with the response of much giggling.

Yep, people don't choose their cats. Cats choose their people. It's a beautiful thing: A cat and her boy.

P.S. Genevieve usually doesn't mind her picture taken. I forgot to ask, therefore, she wasn't happy. Oh well, a little encouragement from M got the picture I wanted. My bad cat etiquette.