Ode to Fluffy, Wickey Woo, Tiddles, Ginger, Chelsea, Nutmeg, Katie, Emmy and the many other pets whose names I can't recall.

I always thought I was more of a cat person than a dog person, but now I’m not quite sure.

The first family pet I remember was Fluffy, a large sheep dog with long scruffy red hair. He was a very loyal dog, having such a strong bond with my Dad especially. It was a sad day for us all when we moved to town and had to take Fluffy to another farm where he could continue being a valuable sheepdog. On the few times we went back to visit him, he would act so wildly excited, and it was obvious he remembered us well.

Wickey Woo left an indelible print on my heart. She was a brightly colored Calico Cat, and was with us for the better part of my growing up years. She was such a great little Mother to far too many litters. In those days no one thought much about spaying and neutering, but nowadays I’m sure Bob Barker would have something to say about it, and rightly so.

One of the things I’ve always loved about cats is their independent nature. Unlike a dog, they won’t come when called, and also they are very territorial, thus you never have to worry about a cat getting lost. They just seem to know where home is.

Snuggled up on the couch together, there’s nothing like the soft purr of a cat to make you and the cat both feel content. It’s really fun to wake a sleeping cat and see them become playfully feisty. I guess I owe a collective sorry to all those sleepy eyed cats and kittens I’ve woken up.

Now fast forward to Jana and Robyn as very young girls. I was on a summer shopping trip in Salt Lake with my sister in law LuAnn. After a purchase, the Sales Clerk said “Oh by the way, I have some free kittens – are you interested?” I looked at LuAnn, she looked at me, and the next thing you know we were at the woman’s house picking out a kitten. I hadn’t even discussed it with Leland! Fortunately, these were the days before cell phones, so it wasn’t as easy to call. That’s my excuse anyway.

LuAnn drove home and I held the kitten, or so I thought. The little darling was so nervous that somehow she managed to jump right out of my arms and wedge herself down near the pedals of the car. Amid squeaIs from both of us I quickly retrieved her, and this time hung on super tight, all the while sprinkling little drops of water on her to keep her cool. This was a very hot summer day.

All the way home I wondered what I was going to say to Leland. It was the same kind of feeling you had as a child when you knew you’d have to face an adult after you’d done something wrong.

The girls instantly fell in love with the kitten, a classical grey tabby cat, and we even named her Chelsea. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Leland to come home to see if we could convince him.

At about 5:30pm he walked in the door, and I immediately blurted out “Um…dear…I did something today. I brought home a kitten.”
“You brought home a what?” he said.
“Well it was FREE,” I said, knowing full well that FREE was a word Leland really liked. Surprisingly, he wasn’t really upset, especially when he saw how much fun the girls were having with this cute little ball of fluff. For someone who’d never grown up with a pet it was amazing how well he adjusted to our newfound friend.

We let Chelsea have two litters before we had her spayed. One of her offspring was so cute we just had to keep him. His name was Nutmeg, and he had the softest creamy colored fur, along with little black paws and ears. He was so adorable and cuddly, but sadly he met an untimely death, which was quite traumatic for all of us. We had a little family funeral for him in the back yard, and Leland and sobbed so hard we had to ask one of the girls to say the prayer.

Chelsea lived until she was about fifteen years old, and by this time the girls were in High School. We think she may have died of antifreeze poisoning because at that time we didn’t have a garage, and one of our cars had been leaking antifreeze. It was very sad for all of us.

Now Jana and her family have a cute little black dog named Emmy, which they rescued from the pound. Being what I thought was an avowed cat lover I didn’t think I could warm up to her. However, I have to say that Emmy has really grown on me. She’s sweet, she’s smart, she’s house trained and she never bites. What more could you ask for in a dog? They even bring her with them when they come to stay, and we’re even okay with it. We do have a running joke with Jana’s husband Jon, who’s highly allergic to cats, that the day we get another cat, he’ll know he’s in big trouble with us.

I’ve decided a house pet is like a little slice of heaven in your life. All it asks is to be loved and adored, and it will love and adore you in return for no particular reason, just for being you.



Hilda S. Gamette
October 26, 2010