VII.
Steve the legend.
A long-legged Bombay
with a personality as large
as his male parts,
as noted by his vet,
who claimed Steve’s testicales
were the largest he’d ever seen
on a cat.
That was Steve.
A daredevil with a baritone meow,
jumping from three stories,
not once, but twice–
off an apartment window ledge
and an upper level deck.
If there was trouble,
Steve was in the middle of it.
Like the time I found him encircled
by an enraged gaggle of honking geese.
He was independent.
If he needed a drink,
he turned on the faucet
If the room was dark,
he flipped on the lightswitch.
If he was bored,
he dropped a hair tie at my feet.
(Yes, Steve played fetch.)
Steve was a traveler,
moving with me
from Michigan
to Tennessee
to Georgia
to California
and finally
to Virginia.
Steve was a life coach
helping me navigate through
my twenties and thirties:
relationships,
careers,
and family life.
He was a cuddler.
Snoozing on laps,
across pregnant bellies
and in the baby’s crib.
He stretched out long
pressed against warm sides
paw draped across bodies,
Steve hugs.
Steve was the life of the party.
He commanded a crowd
and left an unforgettable impression
on all those who met him.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/bombay-cat-black-cat-584192512-5808f21c3df78c2c730fe3c1.jpg)
Stay tuned for the final installment of My Life in Cat Years tomorrow.
The Way I See It 
He sounds like such a special cat. The list of all the places he traveled with you really spoke to me about how constant he was during lots of changes in your life. I love the stanzas about his personality–the vivid details about his daredevil nature, ability to find trouble, and independence were so fun to read.
LikeLike
I loved this piece, especially the description of his personality. You’re lucky to have known Steve and thank you for sharing him.
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing Steve with us. He sounded like quite the supercat- turning on faucets and lights, FETCH?! Looking forward to your next installment.
LikeLike