Yes, you’re looking at a bit of a weight problem here. Actually, BooBoo is most definitely her mother’s daughter, almost identical in all physical aspects: size, weight, conformation, facial expressions, and even the habit of lying down on my hand and rolling over when I rub her belly. Both mother and daughter are grey-striped, short-haired tabbies, though BooBoo is a somewhat lighter shade of grey. BooBoo is also polydactyl, as are all of the other babies with the exception of BooBoo’s sister, Lamie.
As a very young kitten, BooBoo was never far from her mother’s side. Though she was gratefully too young to be traumatized by the early tragedy which left her male cousins without their mother, she was and continues to be, a very dependent little soul. She drew all of her courage from her mother, and when her mother went to live with a friend, BooBoo lost quite a bit of her nerve.
This little girl is now emotionally wedded to her cousin, Noddy. She awaits his return from obligatory yard patrols and cries when he enters the house, gluing herself to his side the moment he crosses the threshold. If Noddy isn’t readily available for emotional support, BooBoo will seek the companionship of the Moondog, who adores her feline charges and is overjoyed with any opportunity to groom those tiny ears with her big old pink tongue.
If all else fails and there is no adequate companionship to be found, BooBoo will take comfort in her pink blanket. She works herself into a blissful, hypnotic state holding her blankie firmly in her teeth while kneading like a little piston engine and purring like a motorboat. Moments later, she’s sound asleep.
BooBoo is definitely a homebody. Oh, she will sojourn outside in temperate weather, but she lacks the adventuresome spirit of the other felines. She stays near the yard, leaving more extensive explorations to her siblings. Frankly, she prefers to lounge indoors where she is never far from the security of her food dish. She’s a sweet one, this little girl, but hardly the most lion-hearted of our pride.
Obituary
My tender-hearted BooBoo joined Shadowood’s Angel Pride on April 22, 2015, just shy of her 20th birthday. She had developed an abdominal mass which, in combination with kidney disease and very advanced age, left her body unable to continue. She is now reunited in spirit with her cousin, Noddy, whom she adored; her other cousin, Capri; her aunt, Sister; and her sister, Pretty. I am taking comfort in the belief that my emotionally dependent little girl is surrounded by the love of family now as she always was in her life with me.
