The Cult 'Love'

It has been almost two months since Nikki has disappeared. Nikki was a cat and I say “was” because she’s been gone so long that we’ve given up hope of her being alive.

Nikki lived a very long life. She was nineteen. That’s a long life for a cat. Cats will do that to you when it’s time for them to die. They just up and leave.

Tina, my sister, found her huddled up next to the curb on Cone Boulevard during some very busy traffic. Tina just couldn’t allow the little Siamese mix cat to get squished by a vehicle so, she stopped to pick her up and bring her home.

Right off the bat, Nikki didn’t take to Mr. Bill, our orange cat. Nikki was trying to take over the top spot in the house and she did. She made the house her own. She didn’t back down to anything. Nikki was a butt kicker. If any of the other neighborhood cats came around... It didn’t take long for them to disappear and never come around again.

I’ve seen Nikki stand up to dogs four times her size. They would come up and sniff her and bark. Nikki stood her ground and gave them a pop on the nose. The dogs usually backed down and went away. But, if they didn’t, Nikki would start going for the eyes.

I loved watching Nikki hunt in the yard. Birds, squirrels, bugs, and even snakes, nothing was safe in Nikki’s yard. She would always take her time and she was stealthy as hell. Before her prey knew it, they were getting a big whiff of her awful kitty breath and that was probably one of the last things that passed through their nasal passages.

To put Nikki in human terms... She could have easily been a quick tempered, tattooed, beer-swilling bouncer for a biker bar.

Over the years, Nikki started to chill out a little. She still claimed the first bites at the food dish, but she became quite the lap cat. She and I had a standing date every night. I would come home and she would usually greet me in the driveway with her tail up and vibrating. I eventually settled down in the recliner and Nikki would find her usual spot on my lap while I watched the television.

Nikki will be missed.