BLOBBY'S BLOG

Lucky 13

Tovah turns 13 today. She's a pretty girl - no? I've loved all our cats, but she does have the bestest markings of any of the girls.

Like Kylie before her, we got her sight unseen. I came home on day one to find that she escaped from her dedicated space to see her on the stairs looking down at me.

Tovah is a variation of the Hebrew word for 'good' - which as a kitten was exactly what she was not.

Tovah wanted to be Kylie's friend. Kylie would have nothing to do with it. Kylie and Tovah pretty much co-existed, but friends they were not. I would catch them snuggling when it was cold, but other than that led separate lives. Tovah is experiencing the same big sister thing now with Sophie.

Tovah is, or was, a talker. Full conversations could be had with her. Since we've gotten Sophie, she's much quieter, but not seemingly mad at us for getting a little sister. Just peeved at Sophie and her constant attacks.

Tov is all about control. Born in a barn she didn't have much human interaction those first formative weeks, so we rarely get to hold her and she isn't a lap cat. She loves to sleep with us and likes to sleep ON my arm. This way she knows I'm there but she can control where the hand goes. Smart girl. She only comes on top of us while we are in bed so she can attempt to strangle us knead our necks. It's some kind of soothing thing for her....and for us. I can fall asleep as she does it to me.

Unlike most cats, she isn't about the food or treats. She LOVES water. Fresh water. Fill her water bowl and she comes running. She also fancies herself to be an outdoor cat - which she is not. She gets supervised outdoor time in good weather. All she really wants to do is chew on our ornamental grasses then come back in.

Tovah is a pretty happy cat. She has a great purr, and even when it is not in full volume, she likes to keep it on what I call a 'maintenance rumble'. All the girls hold a special place in my heart, but Tovah will always be extra special to me. For her special day, we'll give her some outdoor time. No special wet food this year - mostly due to the poisoning thing still going on. I'm not above giving her tuna water though.

...but we try to make every day a special one for Tovah. She does it for us.