My parents promised my sister she could have a cat as soon as we moved back to Canada as a bribe to keep her happy when we lived in New Zealand. She didn't adjust well to the changes and the promise of a kitten kept her going. We moved back near the end of the summer and I don't even think it had been a week before she demanded her kitty. Luckily, my uncle's cat had a litter of kittens ready to go. She picked out a pure white one and had me name her on the drive home. My favourite movie at the time was Willow.
My mom had no desire to have a cat again and made AJ promise to do all the work. At first, Willow slept in my sister's room, but slowly grew to love my mom the best. She always had to be where my mom was if she was available. Even after she developed arthritis in her back legs, she would still climb up and down the stairs to go sit with my mom. Willow slept right between my parents in the center of the bed and would wake up my dad every morning so she could go outside. When my mom got up, she would be waiting at the patio door by the kitchen to be fed. And then when the next person got up, she would desperately try to convince you that no one had fed her. She would put on this whole starving kitty act, begging you to save her from imminent death. We eventually had to leave the empty can of cat food on the counter so you would know that someone had already fed her. Didn't work well though - she was very very fat.
Whenever I went home for a visit, I would lean down to pet her, knowing I'd get one bite for my troubles. Only one. It was like she was tasting me - Yep, you're family, it's ok.
And now a pic:
I believe this was taken Christmas 2003. The blue stocking is hers - I made it in grade 8 sewing with some leftover fabric. I laugh whenever I see it because the sewing is so bad and instead of saying Willow, it only has WIL left on it.
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