My name is Jenny Lea and thanks to Bonnie I'm a cat whisperer. I'm actually a whisperer for all kinds of animals, but Bonnie opened those doors. Right now I live with 6 cats. I do Reiki on cats, other animals, and people. I also help people with animal behavior problems and communicate with animals. The first couple of posts will be about Bonnie so you know why she's in the blog title. After that the posts will be about my cats and other animals, plus whatever you need addressed. I welcome comments and questions.
For 7 short years I lived with the most amazing cat ever. Her name was Bonnie and she was born in my house, to one of my cats, in April of 1993. She was the last of 4 born, the pregnancy an "oops" event. Young cats can actually go into a pre-heat stage and that's what we thought was going on with Sugar.
I attended Sugar while the kittens were born, was there for all but the first one. When the last one was born I kept trying to dry her off, was worried. She was smaller than the others too. Eventually it became clear that the reason she looked wet no matter what at first was that she was the only long-haired kitten in the bunch. She was also the only pure black one.
The birthing box was in my bedroom and I kept watch over the kittens as they grew, much the way a mother watches over a baby. I'd awaken during the night and anxiously check on them. I made sure they were safe and taken care of. I put a barrier at the end of my bed, far from the birthing box so our 100 pound dog wouldn't disturb them. He, Guinness, was curious and kept looking over the barrier. I wasn't worried that he'd try to eat them, only afraid he'd accidentally step on them. The first kitten was born in the hall and he just looked at it, had time to eat her before I got there.
Originally I was going to keep one of the kittens and find good homes for the rest. I was going to keep the first-born, a black kitten with some white. But as they grew and began to leave the box and wander a little, their personalities began to become apparent. Over time I saw that the long-haired black girl and the only male were bonded, while the other two were independent. I also saw that the long-haired kitten was very smart, sharp, and clever. Soon I'd taken such a liking to her that I decided to keep her and the male. He was grey so I named him Smokey and gave her the name I'd already chosen for a female, Bonnie.
Bonnie was the most adventurous of the kittens, the first to leave the birthing box, the one to first explore under the dresser and bed. Once I was sitting on the floor at the end of the bed with my back to the foot board and felt kitten claws. Of course, it was Bonnie, playing with me from under the bed. Bonnie was also the first to venture down the hall and out into the living room. I followed her and watched as she walked over to Guinness (part Irish Setter and I knew he'd be a "stout" fellow) and sat down near the middle of his side. She slightly stretched her nose up toward him and he turned and leaned his head down to her until they were nose to nose. She had him wrapped around her little paw ever after.
Guinness never had anything to do with our other cats or kittens. I hated it when Bill The Cat wanted him. Bill would weave back and forth under the dog's muzzle and tickle his chin with his high-held tail. When one of the cats awoke Guinness from a nap, he'd startle and grumble. But Bonnie could do anything to that dog. When she was full grown she'd stand on the edge of the table near the back door and step on his back while he was waiting to go out. When she awoke him from a nap, he always somehow knew it was her and awoke gently and easily. He simply adored her.
Bonnie was a princess and only had use for Guinness, Smokey, and me. She tolerated petting from the kids but that was it. She avoided other people and quietly ruled over the household. The other cats just left her alone. She was very self-possessed. That's one of the things I noticed early on - she had such a firm sense of self. It was so very obvious. She knew exactly who she was and what she wanted, what she would and wouldn't do. I never saw her negotiate with another being, dog, feline, or person. She simply was.
For the first 5 years or so of her life, Bonnie regularly snuggled with Smokey. She and Smokey worked things out at some point, over me. Smokey would snuggle in my arms on the couch in the evening and Bonnie never got on the couch with me. Bonnie would snuggle against my arm during the night, up by my pillow and Smokey never got on the bed with me. I'm not sure why she eventually mostly quit snuggling with Smokey, but by then she was so totally wrapped up in me. That's a good place to stop for today, I think. Besides, I can only talk about Bonnie for so long without my heart breaking all over again.
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