Mutt and Jeff

This coming weekend we are likely (depending on my father) getting two new cats, Mutt and Jeff. I find their names ironic, as they are very similar looks-wise - fat, siamese/orange tabby mixes. Both are declawed. Really, it should be Jeff & Jeff, as they are as alike that tubby, round fellow as they could possibly be.

Us on the way to the cat food store, apparently.

These new members of the family I am happy to take in, but it is with a heavy heart. My aunt, my father's oldest sister, will be passing soon. Meeting her again in later life (I hadn't seen her since my Far-Far's memorial, when I was about 16, due to family estrangements) has been extremely fulfilling, as I now understand a lot more about myself simply by listening to her. She is a spitfire, who stands on her beliefs and morals with two feet, but is still willing to listen. She doesn't like to talk about others, but if she does, it's nothing she wouldn't say to their face. Losing her will feel like losing a part of myself, and the regrets that come will be of not reconnecting sooner, of not being able to enjoy this woman, her stories, her opinions and her jokes, for longer than the brief period we've been able to snag.

I'm starting to realize that I'm losing my grandparents. I didn't know two of my grandparents - they'd passed on before I could, one before I was born, one before I was 1. My mother's mom passed when I was 6, and is the one I relate to the most. We often become our mothers if we leave nature to its business, but I remind my mother of her mother more often than not. My Far-Far, like I said, passed when I was 16, but he was not a good man, from my understanding. My parents have said he tried to kick us out into the cold in the middle of winter because my parents were separating (I was 9), and since then until the Saturday before he passed, I saw him only once behind my father's back. All I remember of him was his playing blackjack with me with pennies. I'd be so excited to go home with a mittful (likely about $1) and dreaming of the penny candies I'd buy the next day. He'd collect the pennies weekly and make sure I got them all before the end of the night. I have no recollection of him being mean, cruel or petty, but apparently he was. But not to me, and I will leave it at that.

Losing my Uncle Buck last year, who was effectively my grandfather for most of my life, has been hard. To this day I still cry when I hear his laugh in my head, or see something he would have enjoyed. I have many of his things, knickknacks he built a story around that was likely only 20% true and 80% complete and utter magic, and they bring me comfort.

Considering that, I'm excited about Mutt and Jeff. The history here is that we offered to take them in when I heard that they were likely going to be put down when she passed. Not in my world, thanks - offering to take them in gave her a lot of relief, but it came about that her daughter decided they wanted them, as the kids enjoyed them. That was fine with me, as long as they weren't put down. Cats at 8 years old are just getting started, and these two deserved more than that. But then we went to see her a couple of weeks ago, and I brought my husband along. Boy o boy did they LOVE him - and vice versa - and her seeing the cats take to us and us take to the cats made her realize that she wanted them to come to us, and that to me is the greatest compliment I could ever receive. It's akin to someone wanting their child to go to you if they pass on - this is their most precious possession, and bestowing it to you is a gift to both of you at the same time.

Ted (my youngest cat) is only 5, and very rambunctious, not to mention smart. With only Mulan, our 16-year-old grand dame, to play with, he's been getting into a lot of trouble. Having these two around him should a) keep him entertained and b) get them exercising. They are tubby, and were declawed before even my aunt got them, so will need to keep his nails trimmed regularly. They remind me of Hedonism bot in a way, moving only when the sunbeam does, and refusing to hunt for even the smallest spider.

Just wait until the 'nip hits.

Don't get me wrong, we don't take on animals willy-nilly or without due consideration. With 2 dogs and 2 cats at home, it's always a concern about who will get along with who, and ensuring you can give them appropriate care. But these two are pretty easy going, and the diet we're putting them on should fix a lot of health issues they have. I find that our menagerie tends to take on our own personalities, which means lots of snuggling, playfulness and relaxation. I've never had a group of animals of my own that has had problems with each other - they tend to bond pretty fast. I'm pretty sure this will happen again with these two.

I'm looking forward to getting to know them better, and see them grow. I'm glad I have something to hold onto when she goes that reminds me of her. And I'm glad that, at the end of her day, I was able to do something to give her peace, to hold a little space for her beyond, and let her feel that she was cared for.