Day One

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Patti, aka Gigi, to my grandkids. I am an animal lover. I currently live with my husband and two Bullmastiffs, four cats, one bunny and a hamster. Along the way I will introduce them all to you. There is always something happening - good and bad - lots of laughs and a few tears.

I have been thinking about writing a blog for quite awhile. I just couldn't settle on a topic. Then it hit me - write about what you know. That's easy. I know animals. So, I hope to entertain, perhaps enlighten and maybe even encourage you with tales of what it's like to live with other creatures. There's never a dull moment...

Here we go -

Someone recently commented that cats don't act at all like dogs! I really had to laugh at that because there was a time when I thought cats were just dogs that could hang on your drapes! I thought cats liked the same things as dogs, too. Like having their fur ruffled. I truly believed that if I whistled and called a cat, it would happily trot to me, like a - dog. Wow - what an eye opener I got when my first cat, Eli, came into my life.

Eli was not the first animal that came into my life precisely when I needed it. He was, however, the first cat I ever lived with, and he did come with a message from a friend. My very spiritual friend said something to the effect that I would get a cat and it would come to me when I really needed it. Oh, and he even told me when my cat would appear - around Valentine's Day, 2009. Yikes.

For about a year I worried myself sick wondering if something awful was going to happen. I imagined the worst. Also, during that time I had been seeing cats everywhere - specifically Ragdoll cats. There were cats on TV, in magazines and in books. One friend was involved in feral cat rescue. When I was in a bookstore one day and picked up a book on cats and opened it to the page on Ragdolls, I figured the Universe was telling me to get a Ragdoll cat.
(Notice I did not say, "It happened for a reason!" Now, here are some things you won't hear from me. I won't ever say, "Things happen for a reason." Or, "It was God's will." No. I will tell you my story and you can draw your own conclusion. )

If you aren't familiar with the breed, Ragdolls are by nature, sweet cats with blue eyes. They got the name by the way they sort of flop over when you pick them up.  They are a good cat for a novice.  I recommend finding a reputable breeder if you decide to get a Ragdoll.

So, I was on the train to Cat Town - whether I was ready or not. Long story short, Eli came into my life on Feb. 12, 2009. One month later, on March 9th., my world fell apart. A terrible family tragedy had occurred that took me on a two year downward spiral. I can't go into the details, but it was bad. As I sat clutching my precious kitten, crying into his soft fur, I knew why he had come into my life.

If you have ever been blessed with a dear creature (dog, cat, horse, bird - whatever) coming into your life - or being in your life - when you need them the most, you understand what I'm talking about. I don't know why we're so lucky this way - honestly I doubt we deserve it. Just, please, remember it when they need you.