Nibbs Heals a Broken Heart

I have had pets for most of my life. Each pet had its own personality. Everyone was different and special. I was able to relate to all of their quirks and differences. I believe pets come into your life for a reason. Pets love unconditionally. Okay, maybe that is not quite right. There are a few conditions. You must love them, feed them, keep them clean and take care of their health needs. Human companions are similar however, you hope that human companions will take care of their own cleanliness.

I think that it is destiny when a pet comes into your life. You have to be ready to accept the love it can offer. I have had both cats and dogs and I am truly an animal lover. I will say however I think that traditional pets are more for me. I have never understood spiders and snakes. Having said that, however, I would love a miniature pig. Okay, I digress. Let's get back on track.

Why do I think it is destiny when a furry friend comes into your life? Well, it seems that when you are least expecting it a series of events may happen that will change your life. That is my story at least. Let me tell you the story of Nibbs.

Nibbs is the cat in the above photo. He is approaching four years old and was just an eight week old kitten when he came into my life. I did not need another cat. I already had two and never had any designs of being a crazy cat lady. I know that is a stereotype, and trust me am not judgmental. My family although loving is very judgmental. I knew if I got another cat while I had two I would never hear the end of it. Heck, I was not even looking for another pet. Then there was Nibbs.

I had some friends who rescued a momma cat and her kittens. Their plan was to get momma spayed and rehome the kittens. They also had cats but could not stand to see momma cat and her kittens in such horrid conditions. In an effort to rehome the kittens, they kept a running dialog about their growth and exploits on Facebook. This is where the problem with Nibbs began.

Nibbs had a certain type of je ne sais qoui. Every time I saw a photo it would melt my heart. That was not enough for me to call him mine, after all, I still had two cats and they were much older. I was not looking and was very happy with my loves, Smudge and Widget. They had been a part of my life for fourteen years. So are you beginning to wonder how Nibbs entered my house? Well, that is a good question.

My niece Ellie had always wanted a pet and although my brother grew up with the same number of pets I did, he was diametrically opposed to a pet in his house. You see, pets can be dirty. To say my brother is a neat nick is an understatement. Let alone a cat. Litter boxes, are you kidding me, there was no way. Yet, every time I saw Nibbs I knew he was somehow going to become a part of the family.

How could I get another cat and escape unscathed from the crazy cat lady stereotype? I did not even know my subconscious brain was making a plan without me even being aware of what was going on behind the scenes. To fully understand the hidden plot I have to take you back in time to January 21st, 2018. The New England Patriots were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars for a chance to get back to the Superbowl.

My father was a diehard Patriots fan. He was very ill when this game was played. He had been struggling with lung cancer. He and other members of the family were in Florida and my brother and I were in Vermont, yet we all were watching the game at the same time. Any other day this would be any other game. That day however changed my world in so many ways. We had been in contact with my family in Florida. The game was close. Tom Brady had suffered a hand injury and things did not look for the Patriots. Not to be deterred Brady mustered the strength to push through the pain and threw a game-winning touchdown pass. My brother had a large number of people over to watch the game. There were cheers and celebrations all around. Then the phone rang.

We were expecting to have a call from my Florida family celebrating the win with us. That was not what happened. My sister called and there was silence on the line. My brother immediately asked everyone to be quiet for a moment. Then my sister spoke. Five minutes after the completion of the game father lost his battle with lung cancer. My brother told me and everyone in the room. At that moment there was no air left in the room and the silence was deafening. All the friends in the room were too eager to give both my brother and me hugs of condolence. After time passed my family believes that my father was holding on long enough to see the Patriots to the Superbowl and his will was passed to Tom Brady as he pushed through the pain for the victory.

If you know anything about Vermont, you know it is cold in the winter and, the ground freezes. My mother and father had previously purchased a burial plot in Vermont near my mother's family. The problem was that given the time of year my father could not be buried immediately and his body was in Florida. Not to worry, my father's wishes were to be cremated. His burial would be scheduled at a later date in the warmer months. Here sneaks in Nibbs again.

My father's Vermont funeral and burial were scheduled for July. Why is this important? Approximately eight weeks prior to the funeral photos of Nibbs began appearing on Facebook. Remember I had no thoughts of getting another cat. It was now time to travel to the location of the funeral and burial. It was a difficult occasion as any funeral is bound to be. I was tasked with giving the eulogy. Once all was said and done we all left the cemetery and had some family time. The next day we were all getting ready to head our separate ways and I asked my niece Ellie if she wanted to ride with me. My brother and I lived in the same town. My niece did not hesitate, right into the car she went.

When we were driving out of town I told her I wanted to make a pit stop. I did not tell her where or why. We arrived at our destination and Ellie asked what we were doing. I told her we were going to see a kitten and I knew she wanted a pet badly. I told her that the kitten would be hers but live in my house. She could see it any time. I also told her she had to help care for the kitten. She promised she would help. We went inside and immediately Nibbs came right up to Ellie. She picked him up and he curled right under her chin and gave her kisses. If you know anything about cats affection, it is on their terms. Kisses are rare, to say the least. I took that as a sign that with was meant to be and he would be joining the family.

We brought Nibbs home and my niece was over the moon, my brother and sister in law, not so much. Both of them told me that I was being irresponsible and that it would never be Ellie's kitty. It was always going to be mine and I was setting her up for heartache. I told them that the kitten would live at my house and I would foot the bill and Ellie could visit any time and I would get her and take her home. That did not go over well. Ellie and I however had a pact that Nibbs was hers no matter what. Ellie and my father, her Bumpa, were very close. I knew she was going to miss him terribly. How could it be wrong to give her something to love? Nibbs as a kitten was much like any other kitten, very rambunctious. My older cats would play for a little bit but then when they had enough they would let him know.

The ending of the story is pretty transparent. Ellie has always considered Nibbs her own. The first time she was over I asked to clean the litter box. It did not go over well. I will give her credit, she tried. Let's suffice it to say that she has a lot of her father in her. She never did clean a litter box again. She visits Nibbs and asks about him regularly. In the long run, he healed not one but two broken hearts. Nibbs has been part of the family for four years and I don't see that changing. In case you are curious Nibbs continues to give kisses. You just have to ask for them and you will receive all the love you would want.