C is for Cat

Of course, C is for Cat. You all know Mason, right?

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Isn’t he beautiful?

I’ve always had a Siamese cat, even before I was born. You see, when my oldest brother was 11 he started begging for a cat. My parents agreed and sought permission from their downstairs neighbor and landlord. The landlord said okay but only if they got a Siamese cat because that’s what they had. My mom went out and got a book on Siamese cats and the search for the Siamese kitten began. It wasn’t long before they found one and they named him Simba, after a champion Siamese cat in the book my mom had purchased. Please note this was way before the lion king – this was 1964.

I came along in 1965 and Simba lived to be 18 so I really did have him my whole life. I was devastated when he died of old age as he really was the most wonderful cat. My parents eventually got another Siamese but I was in college then so I never really bonded with him. When I got married, of course, I wanted my own Siamese cat and we got Maxwell. He was wonderful and friendly but rather independent. I know, I know, he was a cat and that’s their nature but Max just never really needed people all that much.

When I married Dale I brought Max along with me to the marriage. He got along fairly well with Dale’s dog but I worried about him a lot because he was a cat who was used to going outdoors and we now lived on a very busy street. My worst fears came true when Max was hit and killed by a car. I shall pause for a moment now for all you cat lovers to collect yourselves.

I grieved for Max for a long time and it was over a year before I was ready to let another cat into my heart. But then came Mason. We got him on Valentine’s Day, 2002. He was so tiny he could sit in the palm of my hand. I was sewing a lot in those days and he loved to lay on the arm of my sewing machine, right under the light. He was truly the sweetest and cutest kitten I had ever seen.

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And he has grown into the most wonderful cat. He sits with me while I knit and he sleeps in the crook of my arm – under the bed covers – most nights. He is quite vocal and has whole conversations with me about what he does all day when I’m at work. He is my buddy in every sense of the word and I love him far more than any woman should love a cat.

C is for cat. A cat named Mason.

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  3. What wonderful cats you’ve had. C is also for Charlie, our sweet little kitty. We only had him less than four months, and Saturday we lost him to renal failure. I’d never had a pet before, and he taught me so much. As devastated and heart-broken as I feel right now, I wouldn’t have traded my short time with him for anything. *sob*

  9. What a sweet photo at the top, with the sunshine. We had a Siamese when I was a kid, and he ran away to live with my grandparents. Mason looks like a sweetheart.

  11. He is beautiful. We had a Siamese when I was a kid. He was a wonderful cat. I wish I felt so attached to Scooby. I think I had more affection for the hamster. Great C!

  15. Mason is handsome and charming, a true gentlecat. He reminds me a bit of Ed (sniffle), although Ed was not in the least Siamese.

  18. Mason IS a beautiful cat, such gorgeous colours, and the striking difference between the colours of his eyes and fur is beyond lovely.
    Even more important though, his character, sounds like a darling sweetheart.

  20. I grew up with Siamese cats too. Like you, I was born into a family with a Siamese. Aggie lived to be 19 and was fierce as all get out. My mom and I were talking the other day about how only family members could pick her up, and even then you could only approach her from a certain angle. She was blind in one eye from a fight when she was young. Even with her limited sight, she would chase the neighbor’s dog out of the yard if he was foolish enough to wander over. One time she even jumped on his back and rode him around the yard before he finally fled.

    Claudia, aka Dee-dee joined us when I was a senior in HS. She too lived to be close to 20.

    Sadly I have grown to be very allegic to cats. My husband and I tried to have one early in our marriage, (also a Max) we finally had to give him up when I was pregnant with my girls. My asthma had gotten bad enough that I was risking my health, and I didn’t want to take all of the drugs necessary to control it while pregnant. The day I gave him away was one of the saddest of my life. I cried and cried.

    I love to hear about your Mason and his wonderful talkative Siamese ways. I can just imagine his voice – distinctly Siamese.

  28. Mason is beautiful and looks very sweet, unlike the one I grew up with. My mom got a Siamese just before I went off to college and that cat hated me. He would lie in wait under tables and behind doors and shred my panty hose! He would attack me until I moved out of “his” chair. When my kids were born, he’d hide during our visits, then come and slap my mother after we left. He lived to be 22. Fun times.

  30. What a great post! Mason sounds like an awesome cat. We were reiminiscing about my first cat yesteday – Lola. (yes she was named for the Kinks song, when I first got her I was told she was a boy, but noooo!) Cats are great. Love ’em. :o)

  33. What a lovely cat tale – thanks for telling it Carole 🙂
    As you know, yes, I too am another cat lover. Life just wouldn’t be as wonderful without them. I love that Mason snuggles with you while you knit and spin.

  35. I have always loved cats! And, I have had a few in my lifetime!

    I cried when I read about Max! I know that had to break your heart…everytime I’ve lost one of mine I have been crazed…

    Mason is so beatuful! What a sweet little face he has! His coloring is stunning!!

    I’ve had my Killian for eleven years now…he will be 12 this May…and he truly has my heart! They become our children just like the two legged ones we bear!

  36. hi mason!

    i can’t do “c is for cat” this time around since i did it the last time.

    so here’s a cat story for you. i had this friend who had a horse that he kept at a stable north of boston. one day he took me up there to see his horse. his horse that he was so very proud of. a beautiful animal, it was true. i gave the horse a carrot, patted it on the nose then became enthralled with a double-pawed orange barn cat. my friend wasn’t very understanding.

  38. aww.. great story Carole. My Max died 2 years ago and I am still not ready for another one. Maybe one day.

    Thanks for sharing!

  39. Mason is a gorgeous cat. There is just something about having a cat around…I don’t know what I’d do without my cat some days. It would be so strange to come home to silence instead of incessant meows.

  40. Of course, I know Mason. I’m his crazy Auntie Cookie after all. ;^)

    I don’t think you can ever love them too much. Precious is a daily reminder of how the tiny things can bring joy and a sense of peace. Besides, not everyone can say they knit with a tiger at their side. ♥

  41. You mean there is a cat breed besides Siamese? I never knew that!!! I thought all cats were either Siamese or they were some sort of other species. It is always amazing how each and every Siamese can be different. And a baby Siamese is always a treat since they are generally so white and sweet. But than they grow up to be even cuter.

  43. I disagree. A woman should love a cat in measure with the quality of the cat’s companionship, be it of the cuddly variety or the distant observation style. It is never bad to love a living creature.

  44. ah, I have a baby like that. My Booboo was feral, and I bottle fed him at 4 1/2 weeks until he was properly weaned. he’s a complete mush. He is now ten, and we are certain there must be Siamese in his blood — he is very vocal, too, and has a that lovely sleek body.

  48. When I was little, we also had a Siamese cat named Simba. Simba died and a few years later, we got another Siamese cat. We named him Simba, Too.

  49. Yeah, reading about Max made me cry a little 🙁

    Mason is such a handsome kitty man…isn’t is amazing how well they get to know you and much a part of you they become?

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