Sweet 16

June 17, 2012 by Carol R Craley 18 Comments

Good Morning Peoples, especially those who love their felines!  Monhegan Mist here, aka Miss Misty.  This is the morning after…and I am a bit weary!    Yesterday was my birthday.  Mom had a Sweet 16 birthday dinner for me.  Before you start picturing wild cats running around and bouncing off the walls, I was only 16 in human years… in cat years I was 84!  The advantage I have over Mom is, I was born with grey hair so I can do a better job of hiding my age! Mom promised me I could be a guest blogger for my birthday, so here it goes…

I had a rather unusual beginning in my family.  My Mom had gone back to graduate school and was very busy.  She had a golden retriever named Maggie who was well taken care of by Mom’s friend, but was lonely.  Mom was thinking maybe a kitty would fit the bill.  Problem, Mom hated cats.  One Saturday Mom went to the pet store to get Maggie some food.  I was there with a group of cat rescuers who were trying to find forever homes for kitties.  Long story short, Mom saw me with my grey velvet fur and took me home.

When we got home we had a long talk.  She introduced me to Maggie and told me she realized God made me a cat, not a dog, and while she respected that she had always found cats a bit aloof and independent.  She said if I could be like a small grey golden retriever who used a litter box that life would be perfect!  I really wanted things to work out at my new “forever” home, but that was a lot to ask!  Mom sealed the deal by naming me after her favorite place on earth ~ Monhegan Island, Maine.  She said my fur was the color of the mist in the harbor in the early morning.  Add to that, I am a perfect lady who always lays with my legs gracefully crossed!

I took our little talk to heart.  Fact is, I wasn’t ready to be separated from my feline mother when I was and needed something with 4 legs to be my Mom.  That wound up being Maggie.  When your foster mother is a golden retriever it is almost impossible to be independent and aloof.  So, Mom got her wish and within 24 hours she loved me unconditionally and decided kitties were an individual decision and that she had been wrong to write off an entire breed.  I am a great cuddler!

Some of Mom’s other “quirks” I have an issue with.  She loves to dress up her animals for holiday pictures.  That behavior moves into territory I cannot abide!  I call it animal abuse!  I have to draw the line somewhere!!  I have beautiful green eyes that in pictures always look like some wild beast that belongs in a scarey movie.  She just doesn’t get it!  I HATE to have my picture taken!  I’m so much cuter in person.

One of my greatest challenges was when Mom brought home a golden retriever puppy two years after Maggie died.  Maggie was older when I came to live with her, I was not prepared for the challenges of a puppy.  Her name is Gracie.  I did a good job raising Gracie!  I was the mother this time!  People think we should be enemies because we are different species ~ why?  We aren’t enemies, we are sisters.  I wag my tail like a dog, and I taught Gracie to be the only dog who can cup her paws to scoop like a cat!  She is able to gather all of the edible treasures from the kitchen sink that Mom forgets to immediately send down the garbage disposal thanks to me!  And…did I mention that I do an awesome job of keeping my canine siblings clean and well groomed?

I’m sorry to interrupt Father’s Day to send my belated birthday message, but Mom was chasing me all day yesterday trying to get a Sweet 16 picture of me (the one at the top of the page).  By then, we were both too tired to write!

I am a very important member of the family.  I have been with Mom through a lot of life over 16 human years.  You too can have a special kitty in your life.  We can be independent or cuddly, your choice.  We can be entertaining.  We are playful.  We can keep the dog clean.  We can be your faithful companion.  We are low maintenance.

I would be remiss if I did not remind you that this is “Kitten Season.”  There are many kitties that do not have a forever home ~ young and old.  Please consider bringing a furry new friend into your home by adopting a rescue.  We are really special balls of fur… That’s my Sweet 16 message for you…

Love, Miss Misty (Monhegan Mist)

P.S. Special kitty hugs to my look alike blog friend… Teddy!