carry an emptiness within me that only she could fill.
Years ago as a novice breeder, not following my inherited good senses, I purchased three felines sick with ringworm. One was a ten-month-old white Persian female. She had lived a totally caged existence and never experienced freedom. She attempted to show her desire for affection however became fearful whenever I interacted with her. I sensed her desire to respond and knew only too well the depth of her loneliness and sense of abandonment. I was totally drawn to her and slowly attempted to regain her trust. I began with changing her name from Danaluk to Dana. By working within her emotional restrictions she eventually trusted enough to leave the confinements of her self-imposed caged life. I was finally able to bond with her and she became one of the foundation queens in my cattery.
Dana
I owned her for several years but always believed she deserved to become a beloved pet. It was during those years that my dear friend Judy was also passing through a difficult period in her own life. Instinctively, I knew that Judy was the right person for this lovely Persian queen. Now, years later, I believe my instincts were correct and Dana has brought Judy great contentment. With Judy’s loving care this little female is extremely affectionate and totally devoted to her mistress. She loves her mother’s lap and at times is demanding when she believes her dinner should be served. There is no greater reward than to watch a once fearful cat blossom and flourish within the right environment. You will also notice this gradual change in Mia’s personality with the passing of time. I am sure you are already sensing a natural rhythm and flow to your relationship.
Maggie did not sense Mia to be just another cat as you both projected the same familiar flow of energy. As you and Maggie have an established and loving relationship, Mia was also not fearful in Maggie’s presence. The relationship between both your dog and cat was a comfortable transition as each accepted the other as a loving projection of their mistress.
The importance of a feline’s name should never be underestimated. You were wise to provide Mia with some time in assisting you to select a comfortable name for her. My advice to owners is to never capitalize on a negative aspect of their cat’s personality when deciding on a name. A cat given a skittish name will surely remain skittish. A troublesome cat with a rambunctious name will likewise live up to the energy that name implies.
A cat with a troubled past such as Mia’s will eventually rename themselves after living within a new environment. Many felines will completely accept a loving owner, thereby leaving the negative energy of their old life behind. The name Mia is a soft, endearing name indicating “Beloved cat of mine” and “My cat, a part of myself.” How appropriate, as now she is loved by you.
Perhaps Mia’s first adoption was unsuccessful due to her inability to socialize. However I prefer to believe that it was Universal intervention. The “allergies” were simply a part of the Universal plan for Mia to be in the right place to claim you as her rightful owner at exactly the right time.
I would be interested in learning how you selected her lovely name because it is most appropriate. I have a theory about such situations and I am curious as to whether it proves correct in your case. Will you please let me know?
Once again, thank you Catherine for your wonderful story. It always warms my heart when an owner and cat are reunited as you have been with Mia.
Best wishes,
Jasmine
Another cat? Perhaps. For love there is also a season; its seeds must be re-sown. But a family cat is not replaceable like a worn out coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another.- Irving Townsend
Catherine’s story continues…
It’s now September 25th, and on October 8th it will be two months that Mia and I have been together.
She is my fourth cat since I became an adult and the seventh cat in my life since I was 7 years old. What I didn’t tell you was that a couple of weeks before I found Mia, my beloved boy Dave passed away in my arms at 1:30 am on July 27th. He had just turned twenty. I found him at the Vancouver SPCA in November 1981, while looking for a lost dog that belonged to my boss.
Mia is still very shy; however she has started to come out of the bedroom within the last week. I share my home with a friend, and Mia only comes out when no one is around. She still doesn’t like being picked up but after a game of hide and seek under the bed she will give in. She continues to like hiding under a blanket on my lap when we are in the living room. But mostly she takes off like a bat out of hell and wants to explore and not be touched.
She plays a lot with her toys and Maggie’s too. At first she would only play with them when we were out but now she plays with them in front of both me and the dog. I lost my cell phone last week, only to find it under the bed up near the headboard surrounded by her toys.
When I first brought her home it took her days to purr, and now she’s so loud it wakes me up. She wouldn’t sleep with me at all but after a week or so, she now gets on the bed; only when I’m almost asleep does she get as close as she can to my neck and shoulder. She also gives me kisses on my face regularly. Last week was the first time she did the kneading thing against my neck. A couple of days later she climbed into bed, curled up against me and started to lick my ear. Dave and Cleo used to do that to each other all the time; Cleo passed away in 1996 when she was 15 years old.
Last Friday night I was up rather late when Mia started running around the house like crazy, just because she could. She even started doing that wiggle, the hind legs thing, before she took off. Now if I’m home and don’t open the door to my room right away, she cries. Whenever Maggie and I leave she sits in the bedroom window and watches us get into the car. When I get home she starts as I’m walking up the stairs.
She also rubs herself against the dog’s face, back and forth every morning, and sometimes before bed. Mia has even tripped me from under the bed and she plays with Maggie from under there too, batting her legs and face. Once in a while if Maggie gets too rambunctious with her, she will hiss.
All in all things are coming along fine, slowly but surely. She only acts like a cat when no one other than myself is around. She is still taking it very slow with my roommate and her boyfriend, as well as anyone else who visits.
As for her name, I was going to call her Tess, but I wasn’t sure, and I got negative feedback. So I started to look up different web sites. I was drawn to the letter “M” then I saw Mia. I’m still not sure if it’s her. I’ve called her Tess, Muffin, Tasha, Mika… I still don’t know.
Well that’s it for now. Thank you for writing back to me.
Regards,
Catherine
I am going to identify Mia's response to Catherine's loving and devoted care from the perspective of a Feline Behaviour Consultant.
Catherine describes, “She continues to like hiding under a blanket on my lap when we are in the living room.”
Mia’s prior
