cat lovers – Appreciation Magic

I have two cats. They’re both black. One is almost 17 years old, named Zelda. The other is named Linguini and today is his 7th birthday. While I love and appreciate both cats, I’m writing about Linguini today for his birthday.

Linguini is so special with a unique personality. I adopted him as a kitten in August of 2019 because I thought my other cat could use the company. Plus, I’m a huge cat lover so why not? The shelter had named him Cosmo but through discussions with my kids, we landed on the name Linguini because he had a nose that resembled the character from the movie Ratatouille.

The shelter told me he’d probably never be a lap cat but he loved other cats. So when he first hissed at me after bringing him home, I thought they might be right. After a day of keeping him separated from Zelda, I decided to open the door and see how things went. The shelter was right about one thing: he loved other cats! Both cats took to each other very quickly and it wasn’t too much later that Linguini was laying on my lap!

Linguini is a talker. He answers me when I talk with him and he lets me know when he wants something. He is always very chatty when I go into my kitchen, always hoping for a treat or two. He’s also very loud!

He loves to climb on things. He gets up on tables, desks, kitchen counter tops, the cat tree and on top of doors.

He loves to climb into things: drawers, dryers, under the covers in my bed, in the linen closet and in boxes.

I love how playful he is. He even plays fetch with me by bringing me back toys I toss out. If I haven’t played with him enough on a day, he will bring me a toy and set it at my feet and ask me to play.

He is entertained by playing with Zelda and by the endless times wildlife appears on my deck. I appreciate the “cat tv” through my sliding glass doors. He stalks birds, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and butterflies. Both he and Zelda don’t quite know what to think of the deer that often roam into my yard.

Linguini really has provided me with hours and hours of entertainment. This was particularly so during the pandemic when I was homebound. But despite the fun he creates, he is a very loving cat and daily makes his way to my lap to snuggle. He’s very heavy, too! The vet says he’s just a big cat!

Others haven’t been able to witness his loving nature because he’s very skiddish with anyone but me. He runs and hides if someone rings the doorbell and usually will hide the entire time someone is visiting.

I love this big boy and appreciate him in so many ways. Happy birthday, Linguini!

For more information on Linguini and Zelda, check out their Instagram page at linguini_and_zelda

After Hurricane Sandy, I rescued a cat from a shelter. You might also say that she rescued me! Of course, we chose each other. Her previous owners had named her Lindsay, but after two days of thinking I’d call her Daisy, my youngest daughter came up with the name Zelda, and the name stuck. This photo is the one from the shelter website, before we met in person, but I knew when I saw her online that she’d be mine. I love my cat, Zelda!

A 3 year old and tiny, she is obsessed with this little cardboard box that was within a much larger package. It has become one of her favorite places to hang out!

She makes me laugh because she would only go into the comfy cat bed I got for her when the cardboard was there! lol

Animals bring such joy to one’s life and Zelda is no exception. I love how she is so gentle, loving and talkative! She talks a lot, albeit quietly, and I love all the sounds she makes. She comes when called upon, never scratches (even when she wants to be let go from a human’s arms), and loves to play.

While she’s a little one, she has a big heart. She’d make an excellent therapy cat, as she immediately senses when humans are sad or distressed and talks while jumping on a lap. She soothes the soul. Her gentle, loving spirit has been such a blessing to me these past 7 months.

She is beautiful, inside and out! Patient- extremely patient- she often tests the human who is playing with her, in a game of who can have the most patience! You’ll often find the human waiting and waiting to see when she’ll jump and catch one of her toys. (The only exceptions are her Da Bird toy, which she is really crazy about and a cute purple fuzzy thing that I got her on the first day home.)

She won the praise at the vet clinic for being the best behaved animal of the day! She really is patient and calm, even in circumstances that aren’t that much fun (like a shot at the vet’s office, and having people poke around her body and in her ears).

She sometimes watches TV. This photo is one I took when she was on my lap (one of her favorite places) and was looking toward the TV. The reflection in her eyes made them appear blue.

I love how she loves to look at herself in the mirror, too! After all, she is a beauty!

Zelda has brightened up my life since she came into my family. Even family members who are not known to be cat lovers remark about how great of a cat she is. I love my Zelda and am so appreciative that she’s now a part of my family.

She likes one of my silk pillows from China as a bed these days – so fitting for Princess Zelda!

P.S. Oh, and in case you didn’t notice: Zelda is a Hawkeye, too! 🙂