Michi, my beautiful cat

Name
Michiko

Nicknames
Michi, Michikito, Michikitochan, Michikochan

Age
14 years

Birthplace
North Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.


Foes :


Chobi Rambo Marimo (& Pushkin)


Marimo (and Pushkin)
and any stranger


Michi, A 6 toed girl cat
"Michi", my beautiful cat, your paws are big beca






use you have 6 toes on each one of them. I named you after the word children use in some Spanish speaking countries to call a cat: "michi, michi". Also, since you are a girl, I thought I could call you "Michiko" (美智子) because this name means "beautiful and smart girl", and this couldn't be more accurate to describe you. I guess officially this is your name, but I still prefer to call you "Michi" because it is shorter. Sometimes, I also call you "Michikito", which in Spanish means "Little Michiko", my little one.

Michi arrives
You were born in 1994 in North Lawrence, Kansas. Your dad, like you, had big 6 toed paws. Of the litter, you were the last kitten left. You came to me inside a shoe box. You could fit on the palm of my hand. You were unlike any other kitten I had seen before, because you were so thin and had little hair. But you were very sweet and liked to play hide and seek. I am sorry, I don't have pictures of when you were small because I was poorer than now and didn't have a camera. Also digital cameras were very rare back then.

Hide and Seek
I remember you were already trained when you arrived. In a small cookie tray, I put some sand and you already knew what it meant. The first time I thought you got lost, I couldn't find you during the whole day. But you had found a hole under my old couch and were sleeping inside of it. How funny you thought all this was, I was running desperately everywhere to find you and called your name so many times until you finally revealed your hideout. All the time, you knew, you knew I was looking for you, you silly.

Your friend, Bunny
Do you remember Bunny? Bunny was an albino rabbit. For some reason, one of Bunny's ears was always folded down. He came home before you with a big cage, the one Bunny was so excited to see it thrown away the day we moved out. I got Bunny because nobody wanted him anymore at the child care center where he lived as a pet. Bunny had another name, "Jack", but before you were even born, I changed his name to "Bunny". I know, I couldn't have been more original. He liked to escape outside of his cage, he loved to roam free. And you loved to sleep next to him. How many times I saw you curling with Bunny, but you may not remember this.

As you grew up, you learned to hide behind the doors. I remember you would surprise passers-by and bite them really hard on the shoes or legs or jump in front of them with your front paws up, like a big bear trying to scare someone away. Somehow you had learned how to jump like Bunny.

Missing in the winter
One day during your first winter, you were suddenly missing. It was snowing outside and I couldn't think where you could be. Two days later and still missing, when I was coming back from work at night, I saw something small cross my path like a sudden flash in the basement of the apartment building at 15th street. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was small and it was fast. Later at home, it clicked me. Somehow you had escaped outside of the apartment. The little something that had flashed in front of me, was you. I went to the basement and I found you there. Hiding in the storage rooms. I was so happy to see you again, did you know? I worried about you so much.

I am sorry I took you to the doctor to fix you. Because of this, you cant have babies. I know, my darling, you were never the same sweet cat you were before. I am so sorry and I hope one day you will forgive me.

Our trip to New York City
When it was time to move to NYC, you and Bunny, each had its own pet taxi. In the car, all night you cried and cried, until finally, 2 days later, we arrived to NYC. Our Honda was so loyal, it had over 135,000 miles on it. And it never, never failed us. Happily, we arrived to Queens and you could get out of the car.


A long long trip to SouthAmerica
When it was time to move to South America, you came too. You and Bunny. I got you both an airplane ticket. You had never before in your life gotten in an airplane, but Michi, we couldn't drive there, the distance was too far and one day, we sold the Honda, as it was no longer useful for us in NYC. We said goodbye to that good old car.

I really believe you have spent your happiest days in South America, because you could roam freely. Bunny was happy too, I am sure, until one day he disappeared. I will never know exactly what happened to him and I don't want to think too much. But you know, I miss him. The reason why he came with us was you. Before we began our long trip, I thought maybe I should let Bunny go free. I had seen some woods around the Meadowbrooks apartments, and I often thought Bunny would be happy there. I never wanted him to go to the animal shelter or "humane society", because I knew he wouldn't have a chance to survive there. Then one day, I saw you play with him and I realized he was your friend. So I never questioned it anymore. Bunny came too. So many years later, I am sure Bunny is dead, but you and I, we both know, he is alive in our hearts forever. Do you remember him always eating a carrot?

Again, Missing!
I remember the time you disappeared for almost one week. I put signs in the neighborhood, offered a reward, asked many people if they had seen you. One night, I saw in the corner of a small room in somebody else's house, your little face looking at me. I know you had been looking at me all this time, waiting for me to come rescue you. The next day, I went to see the neighbor and told him I had seen you inside his storage room. We were reunited and I don't think since then, you have ever gotten lost.

A new home
When we moved to the new apartment, I know, things changed. Now you don't have the space to roam free. You are always inside the apartment and never go out anymore. Because of this, now you have gained a lot of weight. But sometimes I see flashes of my old Michi when I see you running wildly across the rooms, playing soccer with the cap of a bottle or watching to catch birds on the TV screen. I know Michi, the new LCD TV is yours, just like everything else in the apartment. Everything is yours. I know.

Michi, I love you. It will soon be 13 years together. Your personality has always been, deep inside, the same, you have not changed. You do not settle for things you don't like. Like me, if you think somebody is not true, you show your discontent. If you believe something is unfair, you growl. You are opinionated, stubborn and independent. But deep inside, a good cat. And you understand compassion, as you were with Yemci and Leska when it was time for them to leave us. You were there for them too, you knew the pain and suffering we had. During this time, you have always been there for me, from college until now. Without you, how could I imagine life? Michi, my black and white cat, I often think of you. Do you know? I miss you terribly.