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May 5, 2004

the story of ch0mi

Ch0mi was just a fluffy handheld kitten when we adopted her, back in 1994. My boyfriend looked at her pointy little ears and christened her “Ch0milakashloo” (“the charming nutty one”), shortened most often to one, two, three syllables. For the very first year, she was the invisible kitty! Always hiding under sofas, behind warm electronics, swatting defiantly everything.

The following year, we moved to Quebec city, where she spent a blissful year munching grass, soaking up sunshine at Cap-aux-Chats, chasing butterflies with the locals. She would come home late every evening, hungry as hell for ouananiche, her purring heard across the street. I know she had her happiest time as an outdoors cat, but then I moved back in the city, and my familiar tagged along with me in every sucessive move.

My cat has long lost the nervousness of her youth and have turned into a graceful old tabby, about the size of a pillow, and I know her so well that she remains for always my timekeeper, whenever I look into her deep green eyes.

Happy sweet 10, Ch0mi!

Posted by nathalie at May 5, 2004 9:44 PM

Comments

oh my goodness, i’ve just spent the evening celebrating the birthday of one young pablo cat (and the return of my friend gladys from too many years away from texas in boston), but i didn’t know yon gatito was in such good company.

felicidades, amigos!

Posted by: tam on May 6, 2004 1:52 AM

merci, belle amie! bravo, pablo gatito! best wishes to gladys… and champagne for everyone and any reason

Posted by: nathalie on May 6, 2004 9:24 AM

happy birthday chomi! here are two excerpts from “the character of cats” by stephen budiansky to enjoy:

“the spread of domestic cats from egypt was slow at first. for a long while egypt actually forbade the export of cats, and egyptian travelers apparently scooped up any cats they encountered in foreign lands and repatriated them.”

“cats do, then, form a mental map of their environment, but it is an interesting sort of map, one with a cat in the middle.”

Posted by: chris on May 6, 2004 6:50 PM

wonderful quotes… i love the mental images brought by the first one. and i need to keep in mind at all times the second one!

Posted by: nathalie on May 7, 2004 1:46 PM