My last real pet as a kid was a black lab named Spot. Yes, I know, that’s a weird name for a big black labrador. We had found him through a newspaper ad and for some reason the previous owners had named him Spot. Not wanting to mess with the dog’s fragile mind we let him keep his identity. So he became our Spot. He was a very good dog and I loved him very much. When he passed away when I was in high school my dad decided no more pets beyond easily disposed of gold-fish.
In 2004, I finally was able to get a new pet. An orange and white kitten I named Doofas. Why Doofas, you ask? Well, the cat kind of earned himself that name. We were moving into a new place and hadn’t put everything together yet. Someone had given us a big mirror to put in the newly rebuilt bathroom and it was sitting against the wall across from the couch. You know how rambunctious kittens can be, so here comes that cat, barely in the house a couple of days, when he runs across the back of the couch as fast as he could. Making a 90 degree turn off the arm of he couch he drove himself head first right into the mirror thinking it was the hallway. Okay, granted, a little kitten is going to do stupid funny things. And doing it just once would not have gained him such a name as Doofas. But after the second time of doing the same exact thing that was the only name that was going to stick and Doofas was his name-o.
There were many other silly things that cat did over the years that always kept me laughing at him. But he was also a cuddly little buddy and he loved being in the same room as me. When I would go to bed and close the door he’d whine and whine until I let him for a little bit. He’d lay on the bed for a little bit, get his ears scratched, and get picked on for a time and then he’d be all good for the day and whine and whine until I let him back out. That was our usual nightly routine.
When I was forced to leave my residence and wasn’t able to take my Doofas with me it made me very sad. On top of everything else making me sad at the time. I was able to see him a couple of times over the summer for a few minutes but it was never the same. Now, my estranged wife, saying that she couldn’t take care of him any longer, and me now with a roommate deathly allergic to cats, poor Doofas wound up at the humane shelter. I can only hope that he winds up with a loving family. I try not to think of alternative although I know it’s a possibility.
I love you Doofas! I know you were just a cat but you were MY cat and I will always miss my little buddy!
BC
Just a lazy day for a lazy kitty cat.
thispov 