So as January came to an end so did my dear Cia Maru’s living spirit. The second half of January was a rough one for my sweet little girl cat, for the whole household. We did all we could to help her to be her best but her time came anyway. Finally after a few days in the hospital she was supposed to come home, instead we had to make a different decision for her. Now we have to find comfort in that she is no longer suffering and that she was loved and cared for her entire life. Two great things, but losing a part of your immediate family, a part of your everyday life is just straight sad. Dang. She was the sweetest little side kick throughout the years and I’m grateful for all the time we got to spend with her. Here’s a little more about the late Cia Maru, Cia Maria, Maruzzle, See-ya Cia, the sweetest Tortoiseshell cat there ever was.
Cia Maru was a cat with a routine, she had daily rituals just like the rest of us, however she lead the kind of life that that permitted her to have a loose schedule, one that allowed her day to unfold according to ours. She was outgoing and happy to go with the flow just about always. Spending time with us was her top priority.
Her day would start early, around 4:30 AM. She would sit on the bed motor boat purring (as loud as a motor boat) with great urgency. If the petting and attention didn’t come soon enough I would receive a gentle tap on the face- repeatedly until she received the love she deserved. Yes it was annoying, but she was so sweet I could never be mad at her, plus I never needed an alarm clock. The moment she would hear Joe move, she wold get down from my side, trot all the way around the bed and stand upright at his side in hopes that he would wake sooner. This was all because it was breakfast time, she loved her morning breakfast ritual and she would attempt to start they day as early as possible for it. If we took our time waking up, the whole situation would escalate, it was a panic that suggested she felt, “Oh no, this is the day, this is the day we’re not going to eat! We must go now!” So, we would get up and prove to her again and again that this was indeed another day that she would eat and be cared for. This was every morning. NBD.
In the afternoon she would make sure to spend some time in a sunny spot and also in the front window barking at the birds. She had many napping spots around the house that were only for her as our other cat could not fit in most of them. A small hole fit for a VCR was one of her favorites, there was no way Dinky Mouse could ever fit in there. It was the perfect view of the couch where she could keep an eye on us and all the action. A few other spots around the house were called, “Cia’s room” which was basically the corner behind an open door, some of these “rooms” had comfy beds and everything a cat nap would require. As social as she was, she also loved her down time, so there were plenty of options for this kitty to get away. Here’s a peek in her VCR room.
Our boy cat Dinky Mouse is a bit lost with out Cia Maru. Although he is literally 3 times her size, she was the alpha kitty in the house. She was in charge of the schedule and paced his timeline. If it were up to him, he would nap way too much. Now that she is not here to keep him busy, he seems a bit confused as to what to do with himself. It has only been a week since she left the house, so hopefully he’ll start feeling better soon, poor little guy keeps looking for her in the usual spots and crying out. He keeps checking for her, like she’s in another room. Luckily he is really good at cuddling, so he’s been doing a lot of that with his time.
When she wasn’t napping you could usually find her in the shower licking drips or hiding between the curtains. She loved playing with water, in addition to the tub, she had a pint glass and a fish bowl refreshed daily for her to dip her paw in and splash around. Never leave a glass of water unattended. She loved to follow me around and participate in whatever I was up to. If I was cooking in the kitchen she’d sit on the hutch at counter height a few feet away, probably hoping for a treat from the drawer below. While working in my jewelry studio she would sit right behind me on my chair and try to get me to play instead. If we had company over she was hanging out too, she was basically always around and near the action.
As is true for most cats, you could often find Cia Maru hanging out in a box or in a mess of noisy paper. I think this may have been the smallest box that she occupied at length. Thank goodness for forgiving cardboard sides, it really made this situation work out for her.
Here is Cia’s first selfie. This pic always makes me smile, it’s just funny to me. She snapped this one a couple years back. Looks like she’s new at it.
She was playful and energetic, but not usually mischievous in a naughty way. Her bad habits include cord chewing and “clicking” fabric, which is just lightly hooking her nails into fabric (No!). You might have found her dunking her paw in your water, or hiding in weird places, but mostly she was just hanging out. Like anyone, she was an individual with a million quirks and peculiarities, all of which made her such a lovable character.
One of the most predictable and endearing things that Cia did was greet us. Without fail, she was always there to welcome us home. No matter what time of day or who opened the door, Cia Maru knew you were coming and she would be the first to say hello. I loved to be welcomed home by her figure eighting around the room with her chirpy meow. It was like a celebration every time. She was always ready for us, eager and happy to meet again.
When it was time for bed, she would walk on the window ledge to the nightstand and sit under the heat of the beside lamp, then instead of laying down with the rest of us, she would have to leave for a bit so she could return with a few sparkly balls before turning in. They say that when cats return with their catch they are showing love and loyalty to their owners. We would often wake up with an absurd amount of sparkly balls and fuzzy toys dropped all over the bedroom and in to the hallway, for that reason and so many more, I know she loved us too.
I miss my tiny shadow following me around with her infinite sweetness. She was one of the happiest cats I’ve even known. Easy going with the sweetest little soul, always nice and kind to everyone. We were so lucky to have this delightful being in our lives.
May 9th, 2004 – January 30th 2016
