I fought against getting a cat for a long time. My daughter would text me grocery lists–avocados, peanut butter, olive oil, a kitten. I’d roll my eyes. It’s not that I don’t like cats, but I was looking forward to getting to a place in my life where I was pet free. I am not actually sure what broke my resolve, but I did end up at the pet shelter one winter day with my daughter, even though she was a junior in high school and already with a foot out the door. I figured maybe she’d take the cat with her? Emotional support animals are a thing now, right?
The shelter has a visiting room to get to know perspective pets. We first tested a big beautiful orange tom with luxurious fur. He allowed me to pet his his head, then after a moment he sunk his teeth into my skin, drawing blood. Then we tried a kitten who was much more interested in stalking her shadow than getting to know us. We looked at the rows of cages a third time and in the last cage was a black and white cat with markings on his face like a mustache. The card read that he was 10+ years and his name was Kevin Costner. The attendant was dubious when we requested to take him into the visiting room. She said, “That cat needs medicine for an autoimmune disease.” He was a bag of bones and his silky hair was in disarray, but he buried his head into Darian’s chest and started purring. She was in love and I figured we could afford his medicine.
Changing his name was the first order of business. I wasn’t having a cat named Kevin. That’s my brother’s name. I love my brother more than anyone, but I wasn’t about to have a pet sharing his name. Darian came up with Charlie Chaplin, inspired by a love of film and the dapper little mustache the cat sported. We then took Charlie to the vet. We didn’t have a cat carrier, but he sat in my lap in the waiting room, completely chill, even though there were yappy puppies and large, growly dogs. The vet despaired over the state of the cat’s teeth and said they needed to come out. My son volunteered to pay for his dental work. I think it’s safe to say, the cat claimed each of our hearts right away.
If I look back at my memories on social media, I can see how Charlie quickly became a cornerstone in my life. Everyday, he inspired me to smile and find joy even when things really were not going so well. During the pandemic, I often phrased the questions and uncertainties of the time from Charlie’s perspective on social media and he became a favorite, appearing in the local paper. He then ran his campaign for president and entertained with his dry, sarcastic sense of humor. Writing Charlie became a balm to all the turmoil in my life.
A couple of years ago, Charlie was diagnosed with lymphoma. It honestly was one of the darkest moments of my life. But, he rallied and responded to the steroid treatment very well. He is still holding his own, but he is losing weight now, and is having a very hard time taking care of his fur. He is too tired to share his thoughts on social media, because he is frantically working on his memoir. I am holding close to him and cherishing each day. For a pet I didn’t want, he has brought me immeasurable joy.
Just Another Damn Thing to be Strong About 
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