Moving Day

By Elle

I've lived in a total of five neighborhoods on the island of Montreal, but there's nothing like moving day in Saint-Henri.  It’s incredible how many cats get left behind.  I wonder if it’s partly intentional or if most just get lost during the move.  I mean before Poodle I never understood what the big deal was.  A cat? What’s the point.  But then it happened.  Moving day in my neighborhood.  This is the story of how I a little feline made her way into my heart. 


Here I was, coming home from the market, when I notice this skinny, filthy, black and white ball of knotty fur.  It was just lounging next to my door with this look on her face: “And where have you been?”  The attitude on that cat!  I tried to ignore her, after all she was not mine.  The thing is she was just there. She wouldn’t leave.  I would come out to BBQ, she would be sprawled on the picnic table.  I would be on my laptop, enjoying my coffee on a longhair, she would be grooming herself close by in the shade.  I would come back from work, she would be massaging herself against my Teracotta cactus pots, purring.  Incredible, I hadn’t even feed her yet.


Poodle's timing might have had something to do with how we ended up bonding (that's right, I named her Poodle).  I had just recently broken up with my ex, and it was a messy situation. I found myself lonely and sad.  Kind of like a cat on moving day who returns to her owner’s apartment only to realize that nobody is home.  I was tired of talking my friend’s and family’s ears off about my broken heart, especially because there really was nothing I could do about it.  I guess I just needed to have something to look forward to, some sort of affection or attention.  And that’s exactly what Poodle gave me.  She didn’t judge me or even care about my problems, she just wanted to be around me, hang out.  And that’s how I began reciprocating that affection.  She became my friend, my confident, and just like that we made an agreement: we were gonna live together.  So moving day became “moving on day”.  

When I first started feeding Poodle, she was pretty skinny, after all she had clearly been homeless for a couple weeks.  I wanted to give her something delicious, treat her to quality holistic food.   So I did some research and discovered Nature's Variety, makes a product called Instinct Freeze Dried Raw.  It was recommended to transition cats to raw holistic food and it can be stored at room temperature.  Didn't take long for Poodle reach a healthy wait, plus she loves it!  

Now I get it.  I understand why people get so attached to their pets, because at the end of the day, feels great to have a bond with someone who couldn’t care less about anything else but your presence and cuddles (and maybe her feedings).