Today is Lydia’s tenth birthday, and it’s time to get the party started! I am not the only one who celebrates the birthdays of pets. New statistics indicate that 24 percent of pet caregivers “of a certain age” commemorate the human-animal bond by means of birthday cakes, balloons, and party favors.
I recently jumped on the cupcake bandwagon, so Lydia’s party will consist of pink-frosted cupcakes, complemented by new catnip toys for her, “the orange boys,” and L.B. and Alvar.
When we first met Lydia at our neighborhood pet adoption shelter, in October 2000, she went by the name of Kirstie. She weighed less than 5 pounds and hid in the back of the carrier, far from public view. But we found her because we were destined, I think, to adopt her. She did not know what to expect when we brought her home to meet the one and only Lucius. We never could have estimated how much she has enhanced our lives.
From Day 1 at our house, Lydia was every bit the rambunctious tomboy. Of course, she looked and vocalized like a girl, but she smelled and acted like a guy. She simply could not keep still. Today, Lydia is my fair lady who weighs about 9 pounds and loves to give orders. With Lydia, there is never subtlety. On her nightly rounds, she fine-tunes her already trilling meow as she implores us to go to bed (she prefers the 9:30–10:00 p.m. time slot). During the day, she catches up on her beauty sleep. If I come home from the office for a lunch break, I always know I can look for her dozing on the bathmat in the bathroom, close to an antique mirror. That way, when she awakens, she can admire her dainty self. She does this a lot.
Lydia looks terrific for her age, especially given that she is the human equivalent of 70. Now it’s time for me to cue the music, light the birthday candles, and serenade Lydia with her favorite song.
“Everybody Dance Now!”
Query of the Day: Did you r.s.v.p. to Lydia’s birthday party?
Lydia is beautiful! She looks as though she could be Pharaoh's sister! Are you sure she's not part Mau? It looks as though the back part of her back legs from her paws to the first joint (is that called a knee?) is solid black--a telltale marking of a Mau.
ReplyDeleteActually, according to the cat years system I have found, Lydia is about 60. A cat's age is calculated differently than a dog's. (Here's a link http://www.calculatorcat.com/cats/cat-years.phtml)
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