Luckie's Sisters
TK
In 1995, I was living in a studio apartment and it was the first time I had lived without a roommate. I decided that I wanted a cat. I wanted a little black kitten. I guess it’s important to know that I am violently allergic to cats. I had been since I was 9 or 10. I would get all stuffed up, my eyes would itch and burn and I would have trouble breathing. But I still wanted one. I had learned through living with my last roommates that I developed a tolerance for a cat that I lived with, and that over time, the symptoms would decrease. I was willing to suffer through the initial symptoms to have my own cat. A co-worker of mine had a friend who had some kittens. He said that one of them was black. The kittens were 7 or 8 months old, but if I wanted one, he would bring me the black one. Fabulous. We set a date.
He arrived at my door telling me I needed to go out to his truck and help him get the cat because she had gotten out of the makeshift carrier that he had used and was hiding under his seats somewhere. I remember pulling this cat out from under his driver’s seat and thinking, “She’s not black and she’s funny looking.” I brought her inside and put her down. She scampered away and was a ghost in my apartment for several days. She hid under the futon, but at night she would crawl up onto the futon while I was sleeping. Slowly, she began to be more visible. She was skittish and afraid, but I was patient and gentle. It wasn’t long before she was waiting to greet me when I got home from work. I would pick her up and put her on my shoulder and walk around with her, then I would put down fresh food for her and she would go find a place to sleep.
TK has always remained anxious, but she has come a long way. She is neurotic about food. She is not a huge eater like some of her sisters, but she cannot rest if there is not a full dish. Sometimes, she seems so desperate for you to fill it, then, when you do, she walks away and goes to find a cozy spot to sleep in. She has become more affectionate as she gets older (and as more competition has been introduced into the home). She sleeps with us most nights and is always on the bed first thing in the morning to get her “lovins”. She has always been a big purrer, but her meow is broken so she chirps a lot. Sometimes, she opens her mouth to meow, but no sound comes out. She gets teased a lot about that.
TK doesn’t really like being part of a big family and keeps mostly to herself when the other cats are around. She is wary of them if they get too close and will easily give up her spot if she feels them encroaching on her.
TK is and will always be my baby.