This is my beloved cat Whiskey. He is a rescued cat that we adopted 18 months ago when he was still a kitten. Whiskey had a rough start to his life. When he was 4 months, he was found almost dead by a major highway. A kind soul took him to the local vet where my daughter was working as a co-op student. He was unconscious, blind, with a hole in his head. It took a couple of months, but he was coaxed back from the brink of death. He is a fighter.
And Whiskey (formerly known as Sparky) became a bit of a TV celebrity. He was featured on “Animal House Calls”, a local cable show that highlights these sorts of miracle stories.
My daughter built a bond with Whiskey during his recovery as she was responsible for cleaning his cage and playing with him. We had managed to stay a pet-less family for a good 20 years but she was relentless in her pursuit of his adoption. I gave in first, my husband the “cat hater” took longer. She won the battle. We paid $100, changed his name to Whiskey and brought him home.
We instantly feel in love with this little guy. I took my early retirement 5 months after he joined our family so we spend a lot of time together every day. I have come to the conclusion that I’ve become a “cat lady”. Here are 10 reasons why.
- I spent hours and hours researching cat food. I now know what the optimal combination of protein, fat, and carbs that make up a healthy and well-balanced cat diet. I even monitor his daily caloric intake so that he doesn’t gain weight.
- I have many, many “pet” names for him. These include Bunny, Little Guy, Baby Boy, My Little Kitty as well as You Pain in the A**, Annoying Kitty, and Stupid Cat.
- When I talk to him, I refer to myself as “mummy” as in “Mummy says it’s time to go inside now”
He is an indoor cat yearning to be an outdoor one. So we compromise. My husband devised a system where Whiskey can easily navigate the backyard (using a harness and long leash) to hunt squirrels, birds, bugs and enjoy the fresh air. I spend at least an hour every morning (rain, snow or shine) with him ensuring he doesn’t get tangled up. 
He can tweet high scores - I take him on local walks. I’ve tried to introduce him to the neighbourhood cats but that’s been a flop. He is very territorial and seems to hate them.
- He has his own (albeit a discarded 1st generation) Ipad for cat games and bird videos.
- I only buy him cat toys on Amazon that have lots of reviews and 5-star ratings.
- I have taken more
photos and videos of Whiskey than I have of my entire family du
ring the same period. Especially of him sleeping. We all seem to find those the cutest. Then I send them to our family IMessage account for my husband and kids to enjoy. - I give him kisses with my eyes (really)
- I carry him in my arms and rock him like a baby. Or sometimes over my left shoulder like you would hold a baby to be burped. He hates it from me but he sure loves my daughter’s cuddles.