MY FIRST CAT
Lorraine Schofield tells of her first feline friend.
My first cat came to my life quite unexpectedly when I was 11 years old. My sister and I had been playing with and stroking a neighbour’s cat and so our dad thought that it was about time that we had a cat of our own. So it happened one Sunday evening in 1978 that my dad and brother arrived home clutching a tiny, fluffy, tabby kitten.
The kitten had been purchased from a cat’s and dog’s home and the details we were given was that he was about 10 weeks old and was a long-haired domestic tabby. Therefore, my dad suggested that we call him Tabby, even if that was not very original. It was definitely a case of love at first sight for me and I was soon totally besotted with this adorable bundle of fluff.
Tabby was very playful and also so mischievous as he loved to climb up the curtains and during his first Christmas, he also managed to scale up the Christmas tree before it came crashing down, much to the annoyance of my mother.
However, about four weeks after we adopted him, he suddenly fell ill. Tabby stopped eating and drinking and also had no energy. An urgent visit to the vet revealed that Tabby was suffering from cat flu and it was touch and go whether he would survive. I remember lying awake at night unable to sleep as I worried about my precious kitten. Fortunately, Tabby recovered and was soon back to his mischievous and playful self.
Indeed, Tabby developed a great love of the outdoors and loved to sun himself in the garden during the spring and summer months, squashing my mother’s flowers in the process. Tabby also developed a crush on one of our neighbour’s cats who was a beautiful tuxedo cat named Perky. Every day without fail, he would call for her and stand on her windowsill staring into the window trying to catch a glimpse of her. Unfortunately for Tabby, it was a case of unrequited love but we admired his optimism and persistence.
Over the years, Tabby became a cherished cat and he also got on well with another cat of ours called Lucky, whom we adopted several years later. In fact, Lucky was a very lazy cat when it came to grooming himself and so Tabby would diligently wash and groom Lucky most days, which suited Lucky just fine.
Tabby enjoyed a long and happy life before he passed away in 1993 aged 15. By this time, I had left home and I had my own cat but still I felt his loss keenly. I have so many happy memories of Tabby and he will always have a special place in my heart as my first cat.
It was definitely a case of love at first sight.