Diana Artemis, Guest Author
If only our cats could live forever!
Ganesh and Shiva, 17-year-old best feline friends with medical needs, have been with me since they were six months old.
My story with them began 17 years ago. Having lost the oldest of five feline rescue kitties, I went to the Alexandria, Virginia, Animal Shelter to find a new companion. I wanted one who needed a home and would get along with the others. I chose a young cat because I thought he’d be more easily accepted by the others who’d been living with me for several years.
Shiva, then known as Gus, was a six-month-old tuxedo who had been found at a worksite in Alexandria. We made eye contact and an instant connection. I filled out adoption papers. As soon as I was approved, I returned to take him home.
On the way out the door, another young tuxedo ran after me and climbed up my legs. He put his front paws around my neck and wouldn’t let go.
“Take me home!” the then-named Daffy begged. He was also six months old and had been found starving in a dumpster. So, I went home with two six-month-old cats. I had to keep them in my spare bedroom for a month, while the other five got used to them.
I always seek inspiration in giving my cats new names that match their spiritual natures.
Ganesh, one of the most revered Hindu deities, is known as the elephant god and is worshipped as the Remover of Obstacles. But he is also the god of wisdom, new beginnings, and good fortune. He sleeps on my pillow every night.
In Hindu mythology, Shiva is the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe. By annihilating the universe, he re-creates it, paving the way for beneficial change and new life. An alpha male, he is the mortal enemy of my other cat, Corianka.
Her name comes from a native American word for Golden Eagle. She looks like Oscar, the real-life cat in Making Rounds with Oscar. Written by David Dosa MD, MPH, it is the story of a cat who lived in a nursing home and instinctively knew when someone was going to die.
Shiva, who sits outside with me while I’m gardening has received three nicknames by neighborhood children and their parents: “Cow Cat,” because his markings look like a Holstein; “Celebrity Cat,” because he carries himself with the dignity of his powerful namesake and poses like a regal statue while sitting and observing me and the neighbors; and “Cool Cat” because he’s always cool, confident, and friendly.
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Their new favorite book is the Messenger Cat Café. Written by Nagi Shimeno, a cat café owner in Tokyo, the book is a quirky story about a tabby named Fuuta. It elevates the cat café concept, which was developed in Japan, to a metaphysical level.
After a long life with his beloved human, Michiru, Fuuta has crossed the Rainbow Bridge into the afterlife. But he wants nothing more than to go back to Michiru. He learns he is not as far from Michiru as it seems. There are slight openings in the bridge between the lands of the living and the dead, and they can be traversed. However, before a cat can cross between the two worlds, he must wait seven months.
Eager to see Michiru again, Fuuta interviews for a job as a messenger cat at Café Pont, a liminal space between the two worlds. At the café, feline customers leave requests with the names of the people they wish to meet, and a messenger cat is assigned to arrange the meeting. A messenger cat must complete five missions. If he does, he can return to his beloved owner in less than seven months. Otherwise, he must remain in the upper world.
Each chapter in the book details such a mission. The stories ranged from sad to heartwarming, but the one that really broke me was when Fuuta got to see his beloved Michiru again. I will admit I shed some tears over that one!
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My beloved Ganesh and Shiva are likely to reach the Rainbow Bridge before me.
Ganesh has diabetes and wears a bodysuit to cover his Freestyle Libre glucose monitor, a sensor devised for humans to track glucose in real time.
Shiva has early-stage kidney disease, which is well-controlled with Porus One, a product that was developed in Japan in 1991 to alleviate symptoms in humans. It has been used in felines for more than 30 years in Europe. It doesn’t cure kidney disease, but scientifically engineered charcoal encapsulates toxins to flush them through the intestines before they reach the kidneys. As a result, Shiva has not lost his appetite or weight and is still as muscular and energetic as ever.
I wish for no better transitional life work for Ganesh and Shiva than to be messenger cats.
Diana Artemis is an author in Virginia. For more information about the products she uses, contact her at diana.t.artemis@gmail.com.
What the Cats Are Reading 