Encore: Our Sweet Baby Bodhi :-)

Today marks 14 years since this beautiful, scrawny little kitten came into our lives. And July 26th being just before our anniversary, that’s why I remember it so well. 🙂 Here is an encore of my last post about Bodhi, this time with pictures!

“It’s been a year to the day since my husband and I said goodbye to our feline child Bodhi, and I couldn’t bring myself to write this any sooner. It’s heartbreaking when your beloved pet dies, even when you have other pets in the household. I work from home, so I’m fortunate to have my furry kids with me most of the time. I count my blessings every day. Still grieving takes its toll, and I start crying when I happen to look at Bodhi’s favorite places to curl up and take his naps. I do find comfort in having our other cats, Pierre and Isabella, who are 4 1/2 yrs. old, beautiful, strong and healthy. Bodhi in his prime was totally in charge of the household, with me as his Pet Mom, pampering him and indulging his every whim. I even sang a lullaby to him, as he sat on my lap. We’ve had many cats over the years, but I bonded with Bodhi the most, aside from Sabrina Faire, our very first mother cat. Like her, Bodhi chose to be with us, rather than being born into the family.

Our sweet baby Bodhi began life as a stray, just an abandoned kitten. That’s one of the things I liked best about his entrance into our lives. He came to us humbly and in need, left us and went feral again,  then Bodhi miraculously came back – just showed up in our backyard after being away for almost 3 months! Most feral cats once they leave, they’re gone. But not Bodhi! Our furry “prodigal son” returned of his own volition. It was his choice to come back and stay with us, even if it meant being neutered and domesticated.

My husband and I joked about how Bodhi – a handsome Russian Blue – had returned from “Tom Cat Boot Camp”. Why? Because he was bigger and had jowls, and looked every bit a dominant male. He was really “buffed” and strutting his stuff! That soon changed, once he returned on February 4, 2009.  Exactly two weeks later (happened to be my birthday), we took him to our vet and he got “fixed”, de-wormed and vaccinated.

I should really call this, “The Saga of Bodhi”. It all started when he showed up, starving and mewing outside our guest bedroom window. We had just moved to and were settling in to our first home in San Jose. It was July 26, 2005 (day before our anniversary)  I was typing away at my desk, when I heard “Mee-you!” and thought I’d imagined it, then again, “MEEE-YOU!!” more insistent and louder. So I looked outside the window, and there he was gazing up at me, with his little mouth wide open — non-stop mewing. Poor baby! I went outside right away, and saw this scrawny, grey kitten underneath a tree. I named him “Bodhi” for the famous Bodhi tree that the Buddha sat under, and from which he received enlightenment.

Bodhi lounging on unicorn blanket, grooming himself. 

Despite my husband telling me not to take in any strays, I immediately put out cat food and a bowl of water.  We saw Bodhi every day in our front yard, but I wanted him to be safer in our backyard, so food and water bowls were moved there, and that became Bodhi’s territory. Aggressive male cats challenged him, and our backyard became a battleground. But Bodhi prevailed, so he was officially designated the Alpha Cat!

Bodhi may have conquered our backyard, but he was happiest in our home, as a member of the family, along with mama cat Sabrina Faire and her kittens Buddy and Midnight. It was a gradual transition, from the garage, which was Bodhi’s playroom for almost a year, to being part of our household. He had the freedom to come and go as he pleased through the side door, while our other kitties were kept strictly indoors. Bodhi had everything he needed in our “finished garage”:  kibble, water, his own litter box, toys to play with, and a comfy cozy kitty bed to take his naps. But his favorite place was curling up in my lap, as I sat in an old rocking chair. I sang to him a lullaby I wrote, to the tune of “Barney’s” song: “I love you, you love me, that is just as it should be. With a lick, lick, nuzzle nuzzle, give a little scratch.  Behind your ears which perfectly match.” Bodhi was our only cat who balanced freedom of the outdoors, with the safety of indoors. He truly had the best of both worlds!”

Speaking of different worlds, my husband and I just saw ET: The Extraterrestrial for the umpteenth time, and I love the scene with ET hiding in the closet. The mother doesn’t have a clue there’s an alien in the house!

Can you find the kitty in this picture?  Here’s Bodhi’s imitation of ET posing as a stuffed animal.  Fooled us when we were looking all through the house for him!