Furry Friday

 

Meet Lotus. This is my favorite feline and best pal. I adopted him a year and a half ago from the Belmont County Animal Shelter. They, in fact, warned me of his eccentric ways, gently nudging one another and mumbling, "She's taking the bad kitty." This was not an overwhelmingly encouraging sign for a soon-to-be-owner-who-just-lost-her-beloved-cat, but I thankfully chose to follow through with the adoption and was madly in love with Lotus shortly thereafter.

It didn't take me long to choose a name for my new addition.  I had, sadly, lost my other cat, Lewis, very suddenly due to what appeared to be a congenital heart defect.  So, going through the motions of adopting a new friend was something very therapeutic.  In doing so, however, I definitely didn't want to lose sight of what I had just lost.  I wanted to honor my previous experience but also capture some sense of renewal.  Deep, I know, for naming a cat.  In any case, I loved the idea of the lotus flower, which grows out of the muddy bottoms of ponds and yet breaks the surface with a glorious flower bloom.  My hope was to have the same experience with this new little spirit.  

Lotus has become a hallmark of home for me.  He's very dog-like in many ways, playing fetch with his favorite stuffed mouse and bird, greeting me at the door, hanging out with friends (because cats need friends, too!).  But, sometimes, at the end of a long workday or long day, period, I'm pretty sure he has no idea the humbling reminder he hands me.  His entire life is built around my comings and goings and the time I make for him.  And regardless of how often I leave, he's always at the ready when I return...full of love and kitty vigor.  What more can a kitty mama ask for?