When you have an especially unique cat, it is natural to assume that you have one of the most interesting cats that has ever lived. There is no way of actually knowing that as a fact, of course, but it's fun to imagine it being true.
Mo was an especially unique cat. For about 12 years Mo and I occupied space in close proximity to one another, and became quite attached.
I had been friends with cats before Mo - fun cats, happy cats, adventurous cats, petulant cats (of course) and even interesting cats.
But never had I pal'd up with a cat quite as unique as Mo. I had never lived with a cat that came when I called it, or that liked to just hang around with people. Mo did those things
Mo had a way of turning people who didn't like cats into people who said; "I don't really like cats, but Mo is pretty damn cool."
Ron said that, and so did John. Hell, my brother Tom liked Mo. It was something to see, Mo coming 'round and situating himself near a cat hater and the cat hater becoming a "all cats except this one" person.
I have had a few cats since Mo's passing. Of course there was K.C., who had been with me since 2000. But K.C. was one of those skittish, stand-offish cats that only came around when it felt like gracing you with it's presence. K.C. disappeared a few months after Mo had died, and I wondered for a long time what had happened to him until remains were found - K.C. had fallen victim to Coyotes.
Some months after Mo had gone, Sangeets and Der from work asked me if I would be interested in taking in a stray that Der had found near his apartment. As Der had brought him in to work that day, I was able to see him then and there, and he seemed to be a good cat - friendly, not too clawy, and healthy.
Sangeets and Der had named the cat Gus, which felt right. I took Gus home.
However, Gus was a wanderer. It wasn't 3 months until I saw Gus on the front porch of a house down the street. He was there every morning as I left for work, and soon was there always. Gus had found a home that suited him better than mine, and who was I to argue?
Next, for my birthday the year after Mo was gone, I got Simon. Cambria and I found Simon at the Dumb Friend's League. Simon was a terrific cat - smart, friendly, tough - he had that cat aloofness though - Mo didn't have that, which was part of Mo's cool.
Simon was with me for about a year and then one day he was gone. I searched high and low for Simon, but he was nowhere to be found. One day, however, my brother Tom told me that bits of what looked like Simon had been found in the flood control canal - another victim of the Coyotes.
Then I was cat-less for a while. A long while. It was just me and the dogs, Camille & Butch. Then last year in November sister Pat showed up with a kitten. A black cat, barely 6 weeks old.
I had reservations about getting another cat, especially with Butch around - Butch is a Border Jack - 1/2 Jack Russell and 1/2 Border Terrier, and he likes to go after the cat - thinks it's a squirrel, I guess.
However, Pat was insistent, and damn if that cat didn't remind me dead on of Mo. As of now he's been part of the family for 8 months. His name is Ninja Larry, but most everyone calls him him Larry. And everyone calls him - because he comes when you call - just like Mo did.
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