The Real Swing Shady

My second kitty has one eye and two names. She's about five years old, but the vet says she looks twelve. She's one of the sweetest, calmest creatures I've ever known. I named her Aisling, which is Gaelic for "vision" or "beauty." It's a form of Irish poetry, as well as a given name. She's not Irish, of course, and neither am I, so it sounds a little silly. The thing is, she had bad eyes as a result of kitty herpes, and I just thought it fit her, foggy-eyed vision that she is. She was tiny when I brought her home, so she was quickly dubbed Mini, and it stuck with her even as her belly grew round. Since then, the two names have been interchangeable replacements for her SPCA-designated name, Swing Shady. I always thought of her as a little bit of a bad ass with her link to Eminem, but they called her that cause she liked to ride on shoulders (swing) and her eyes were shady.

Long name stories aside, she's led a short, sweet life, and now she's become Skinny Mini, refusing to eat because there is a growth in her belly that's getting in the way of food. I noticed about two weeks ago that she quit eating, and then we found out why when she spent two nights at the animal hospital. The only difference in her behavior before that was spending lots of time cuddling Matthew and me whenever she got the opportunity. The less logical part of my brain feels like she was spending her last healthy moments with us, and it feels like a nice little gift. Since then, she hasn't quite been herself, and I think we will ask the vet to euthanize her tomorrow. I am going to miss her something terrible.

Matt has asked me why I like cats so much, as I've seemingly become the cat lady next door in my early thirties. There are cat candles, and cat sweaters, cat-destroyed furniture and carpet, and four cats living with us (note, that's one over the legal limit). It's difficult to explain, but these guys are some of my best friends, and those don't come often for me. Being a shy introvert is very much like being a cat. We're hard to get to know, but show us some care and attention, and we'll be loyal for a lifetime. Also, we can just hang out together with no need for witty conversation. It's really a win-win kinda friendship.

All that said, there's nothing I can say to express how happy I am to have shared Mini's short life. I'll always remember her little paw raising the roof to greet me when I got home, her wet nose and drool dribble on my face at night, and her silly face shoved in any unattended cup of water. Love you, Mini Moo.