To be clear, I have no idea when she was actually born. But it was December of 2011 when my mom brought home a kitten, someone abandoned just outside her work. She was adorable, these big beautiful blue eyes on this little black face. Actually, the first time I saw her, I didn’t know what she was. I’d come home from work and my mom was asleep on the couch with this odd ball of fur on her neck. Only when Mom woke up, did I learn it was a cat. Ava made herself at home pretty quickly. Sleeping in the middle of Pharaoh’s, my dog, bed.
It was funny when they first met. Pharaoh came into the living room and saw the kitten for the first time. Now, putting this in the perspective of Ava, a 125 pound golden lab coming right at you nose first would be pretty terrifying when you weigh half a pound and and stand maybe 6 inches off the ground. So, obviously, when he got up to her, she hissed. They looked at each other. Ava hissed again. Pharaoh licked her… Everywhere… At once. I like to imagine she realized that with a tongue that is bigger than her, she couldn’t win. Because after that, they were best friends.
Shortly after Pharaoh passed away, I moved on my own. Ava was supposed to be my mom’s cat. In fact, she still holds that against me to this day. However when I moved, Ava came with me. But I didn’t steal Ava, contrary to what my mother might say. Ava was just attached to me. Like, if she walked into a room with both my mom and I in it, Ava would go to me 9 times out of 10. So I’m of the mind that Ava picked where she wanted to go.
But all that feels like so long ago. But some things will never change. She’ll always lick my nose to wake me up, she likes to greet me at the door when I come home, and she’s a great napping partner. 8 years of her purring softly on my lap, and here’s to many more.