Shalom

About 5 years ago, I decided that I need a cat, specifically a brown tabby short haired male cat. I went to the pet store with the intention of buying all the supplies and the next day going to the humane society to give a kitten a home. At this pet store, there were tons of kittens from a local rescue agency.

I remember asking if I could look at the cats - and lo and behold, there was this really cute brown tabby cat that happened to be male. I asked if I could hold him. Instantly, the kitten purred in my arms. At that moment he was mine - I could not put him back in the kennel. I quickly searched the store for all the supplies that I would need while they finalized the paper work and got him ready. The store clerk handed me the kitten in his new carrier and said "Congratulations on your new son". Okay, it's a bit goofy - but I felt like a proud mother carrying home her baby from the hospital as the kitten meowed the whole way home in the subway.

I am big into symbolism and at the time was trying to learn Hebrew. So I picked a Hebrew name that had meaning in my life - Shalom. Shalom means peace, wholeness, wellness. I decided to call him that as a symbol of the journey I am on - one of shalom. So Shalom became mine and instantly we bonded. After being kept up all night by him, I wondered for a moment what on earth I had done - but that was a short moment. He was too darn cute for me to give up! (I sometimes wonder if this was God's plan in creating babies and kittens and puppies and all other animals cute - they are just so stinkin' adorable that they can get away with just about anything!

Shalom was into everything. He loved my shoes. He meowed at every spider that crawled up the wall often in the middle of the night. He proudly brought me his first catch - a wasp that was still alive and looked pretty mad and ready to sting. He growled when strange men were working on the side of the house. He knocked over my items from the window ledge early in the morning whenever he was hungry just to get my attention.

But when I'd arrive at home, he was always at the door eager to greet me with a snuggle, a purr and a playful spirit.

Today I went home for a bit and just played with my cat. He was eager to see me and I him. Eager is probably an understatement - he misses me when I'm not around much. I laid on my purple bedspread (he loves purple and won't sleep on my bed without the purple cover!). He stayed there literally for hours. He started by trying to sleep on my face - I'll put up with almost anything from him, but having a 20lb shedding cat lie on your face is not the most comfortable! I don't think he stopped purring. Except maybe once when he was snoring ;-)

I love that he is curious. He gets into everything. He has to check everything out. I love that when he goes to explore the great outdoors, it is not long before he runs home.

I love that he is discovering new and wonderful and strange places to sleep.

I love his little quirks. Like he won't eat out of a half empty food bowl. Or the months he ate by scooping out one kibble at a time, putting it on the ground and eating it off there. He makes me smile as he pokes me with his most adorable paws on the morning or gently "combs" my hair with his claws because he is hungry - it is hard to get mad at a cat that is smart enough to poke you in the eye as a wake up call in order to get what he wants!

I love his yawn. I love his purr. I love his tail that flips back and forth. I love it when he stretches his paws or kneads his sleeping space.

I love my Shalom. He makes me smile in the roughest of times, reminding me that I am loved and I am on a journey of healing.