give me a daisy

celebrating Naima

This is my cat, Naima—the cat I definitely was not going to get. First of all, I wasn’t going to get another cat, period, after Tashi (my previous cat) died. Secondly, I certainly wasn’t going to get a kitten. But three months without a cat wore down my cat-free insistence. After some deliberation, I decided a 1-1/2 to 2-year old cat would be a good idea.

So off I went to Animal Humane in search of a young adult female. Unfortunately, the gal who was assisting me had to go in search of keys to unlock the doors of the individual rooms in La Casa de Los Gatos, and she left me standing in front of a room full of kittens. When she returned a long five minutes later, she went right to that door and opened it. Of course, I followed her inside.

And there was my cat—a 3-1/2 month old kitten—curled up next to a look-alike sibling. The difference between the two was that my cat got up, stretched, and went off in search of a bite to eat, checking first one food bowl and then another (a cat with a mind of her own) till she found one to her liking. When I picked her up, she immediately started licking my arm. Sold! I said and adopted her on the spot.

There are so many things to celebrate about Naima, also known as Naima-the-Wonderful and Best-Cat-Ever! She’s ridiculously smart, extremely well-trained, and sleeps through the night (usually curled against my legs). She is more amusing than any other cat I’ve had. She’s quite affectionate and interactive and greets me whenever I come home. And she’s damn cute, not to mention cross-eyed. Here she is in action:

Every morning after breakfast, I take my coffee into my bedroom and sit in the comfy wicker chair by the window. Naima jumps into my lap and hangs out with me, sometimes getting brushed, sometimes watching birds in the yard or keeping an eye on the neighborhood activity. It’s the perfect way to start a day, every day.

Naima will be five years old this summer. I will celebrate by getting her another catnip filled fluorescent green plush mouse. She will love it.

Do you have a furry or feathered friend to celebrate?

This post is part of April’s 30 Days of Celebration. To read more, click on the Celebration category link.