My Baby Juliette

To all past/current/future pet owners and animal lovers:

I, until very recently, could not hold her for more than 10 seconds without her trying to escape from me. All cat owners know this feeling: “Cats are just cats.”

Two Sundays ago, the switch of trust flipped.

Jul came to me on the couch, sniffing, inspecting carefully. Slowly, she crawled onto me, and after much further inspection, she settled down for a nap.

I had grocery shopping to do and dinner to make, but I dared not move.

Time halted. I was awestruck. My heart quietly bathed in joy, a kind so pure it washed my blues away. That moment, the little creature decided to give me her heart and slaked my thirst for peace and certainty. Even if the world had come crashing down right there, right then, I knew I was loved. That alone was enough.

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Bio

Juliette is a 2½-year-old orange tabby feline. I got her from Manhattan Animal Care & Control on October 1^st, 2013, which became her unofficial birthday. Her name was decided on the spot when the vet asked me “What’s your cat’s name?” and I had 3 seconds to answer. I abbreviated it to “Jul” as my cat-expert friends advised that cats don’t remember multi-syllable names.

Jul, unlike the delicate connotation of her name, is ALWAYS HUNGRY, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I FEED HER. Like owner, like pet? She has learned to open doors for bedrooms, bathroom, wardrobes, trashcans, and kitchen cupboard. She dives into my roommate’s, my roommate’s dog and my food whenever we leave it unattended for more than 10 seconds.

She lets me trim her nails, spray her with dander removal (to stop my allergy), brush her, and carry her upside down with surprising patience. Due to my allergy, I seldom let her in my bedroom and close the door when I sleep. Every morning, she waits outside my door, lying tummy down on my slippers, patiently waiting for me to say good morning. Every evening, she storms to the front door to greet me after a long day apart.

It took 7 months for Jul to go from a scared and confused kitty to accept, then to like, to love, then eventually, to trust me enough to fall asleep peacefully on me. It’s been a gradual but sure, nurturing love, more fulfilling than I could have imagined.

When I adopted her from the high kill shelter, I thought that was the most meaningful thing I’d ever done. Jul was sneezing, which could have meant a capital punishment had she stayed at the overcrowded facility. In a way, by opening my door and my heart, one that was endlessly longing for a furry companion, I saved her life. If that’s not significant, I don’t know what is.

Does she know? People who think animals don’t have feelings have obviously never owned pets. Jul’s an irreplaceable part of my life; but I am her everything. There’s an unfailing sense of comfort loving her. In this chaotic world of unknowns, I hold on to the truth that as long as I love her, she will always love me. That sets her apart, and beyond any other human beings. You know there’s pay-as-you-go phone plans, and then there are unlimited ones? There, my baby Juliette’s the latter: Unlimited supply of love.