Our Family Cat

When I was 12, in the late summer of 2002, my mother got a cat for our family.

She had paid for an orange British Shorthair kitty. She had intended to attend a yearly cat show that was held in walking distance from our home.

We all immediately fell in love with the kitty, and named her Cora. Short for corazón (Spanish for heart), and a reference to one of my mother’s favorite authors, Cora Sandel.

We later went on one of those cat shows without Cora, to see what she would have to take part in. But we decided that it was not for her.

The judges had to hold the cats up from under their bellies, and stretch the cat out to its full length. We knew that this was something she would never be comfortable with, and would likely scratch the judge’s arms off.

Cora is actually still with us today, and lives with my mother in her new apartment. On average, indoor cats live 16 to 18 years, and she turns 18 this summer.

18 years for a human is like 88 years for a cat, so she’s pretty old.

She’s had a good life, but these last few years she has gotten more and more health issues. She has some kidney and joint problems, which she is getting special food and medication for.

But worse yet, her sight is going. My mother has to make sure that she does not move chairs and other furniture around, or else Cora will bump into them.

She seems to still get enjoyment out of life, but I think her end is drawing near. She’s been a great addition to the family. I have so many good experiences that I can share about her here at some point.

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