Katie’s Place has always taken in ‘unadoptable’ cats – the old, the sick, litter box issues, and the nasty grumps.
In fact, Katie, our namesake, was the epitome of a curmudgeon. She wanted to be fed and left alone. Many have scars to prove that cuddling was not her forte. She came and went as she pleased and we were certain no coyote would dare mess with her.
When she disappeared, we were all surprised to realize that we missed her dearly. She was cranky, but her personality made her a legend.
Throughout the years we have had many ‘Katies’ who ruled us with an iron paw. Then along came Bobbi Magee.
She arrived at the shelter in 2009 because her people were allergic to cats. And, yes, she pooped all over the house, was not good with children, or other animals.
Other than that, she was very loving.
We were weary and soon we knew we had a problem. Bobbi had never been around other cats and made it very clear that she would not be sharing a pen with 15 felines.
To avoid serious injuries, we allowed Bobbi to live in the hallway. She planned it that way.
Bobbi made herself comfortable. The rest of us, not so much.
Despite what the previous owners said, Bobbi did not love to cuddle, and it soon became apparent that Bobbi really didn’t have much use for any of us, period. She would tolerate a few pets here and there, then insert her claws in your hand. If you did not feed her on time, she would stand in the doorway of the kitchen and swat at you when you passed. Her seat was her seat, no one else dared sit on it.
Oddly enough, everyone at the shelter did everything in their power to make her love them. It became a badge of honour to say that Bobbi liked you.
She didn’t. At best, she may have tolerated some more than others.
The volunteers would brag about petting Bobbi. Some would tell tales of Bobbi sitting on their lap. The ones telling the tales were beaming with pride, those listening would gaze in awe and dream up ideas of how they, too, could win Bobbi over.
Everyone adored her.
In August, a mass was discovered in her intestine. The vet suggested euthanasia immediately.
But in true Katie’s Place fashion, we decided to take her home, make her as comfortable as possible and spoil her rotten.
An email went out to the volunteers that Bobbi was very ill and everyone was to give her anything she desired for the next few days. The days turned into weeks. The weeks into months. I honestly believe that Bobbi held on as long as possible simply to watch us fall all over ourselves trying to please her.
Her diet included chicken nuggets, fresh salmon and deli meats. She was in no hurry.
A few days ago, Bobbi lost her battle and was euthanized when the mass spread to her lungs.
Evelyn, our animal caregiver, took her in for the last visit.
The final entry in Bobbi’s’ file says it all: “We discuss and decide it’s time. She [Bobbi] protests and has a poop.”
Bobbi had spunk till the end. Evelyn and Bobbi did not have a loving relationship, by any stretch of the imagination. But Evelyn admitted she shed tears for the old girl. I am sure many volunteers who received the email about her passing did also.
So why did we all love her so? Why did we go to such great lengths to make her like us? A couple of days after Bobbi’s’ passing I overheard a conversation about the perfect cat and I had to wonder what exactly that was. A tiny kitten who will snuggle in your lap? A feisty youngster who will amuse you for hours? A gentle senior who needs a quiet space and a sunny window ledge? Or is it a grumpy, somewhat aggressive, cat who will swat you as you walk by?
I think, in her own way, Bobbi was perfect. She didn’t like us, didn’t really need us, and yet she taught us all so many lessons. The most important of which is that no matter how hard you try, there will always be someone out there who just doesn’t like you.
We will tell Bobbi stories, as we do Katie stories, for many years to come. No one will ever forget her and we will remember her fondly.
Magda Szulc is a volunteer at Katie’s Place, an animal shelter in Maple Ridge.
