My Grandma Libby always had Siamese cats. They were always so mean and hissy. I could never get close to them or pet them. My mom always had lots of cats, and she always had at least one Siamese. When I was a baby, she had one named SD. It stood for something in Yiddish, something that meant Shit Head, I think because she shit under the bed a lot. Then SD had kittens, I have vague memories of these cats. The names I remember were Tiger and Bok Choy. My mom kept three of SD’s kittens and sold the other three. Then, when we moved to Florida, she got rid of all of them except for SD. When we drove to Florida in the big, woody wagon, my mom gave SD a pill to make her sleepy. She was in her kennel and I remember I stuck my finger in and she bit me, which was unusual because she didn’t usually bite. I was six years old. My middle sister was three, and my mom was pregnant with my youngest sister.

SD died when we were living in the Boca house. I remember my mom being very sad. Then, my mom got another Siamese. A lynx point. We named her Coco and she was the most wonderful cat. A special cat. She was not really an animal, she was more human, and she was a sister to us. She lived for 19 years.

When Aaron and I moved to Portland in 1997, we moved with a big, beautiful, all white cat named Toby. I got Toby at the animal shelter somewhere in Central Florida when I was a sophomore in college. I had Toby before I met Aaron. Once we arrived in Portland, we saved up and got a Siamese for Chanukah. We named our seal point Siamese Vashti and she was a truly wonderful cat. So intelligent. So loving. She loved everyone, including babies. She and Lavi had a special bond and when Vashti died a few years ago, we were all devastated. Heartbroken. And that hole in my heart has never healed. I still miss her so much.

And now we have Athena Star. A chocolate point Siamese. A beauty show failure. She is sassy and smart. She has already bonded with Lavi. She follows him everywhere. Sleeps under the covers with him. She is in love. He already loves her so much. We are all still getting to know her and she is getting to know us. Plus, Sunny, Moko, and Honey Bird. It’s a big transition for Miss Athena. Honey wants to love her too much. Sunny is pissed and growly. And Moko hisses. I hope everyone settles down. Maybe Honey Bird will be the peace maker.

puh-puh-puh