Okay, so we learned a bit more about Zee the other day. What about Zoey? How best to describe her in a nutshell… hmm… probably a psycho-bitch, hell on wheels, loud, insane, but very sweet and loving Jekyll and Hyde little darling. While she is always a gorgeous spotted mini inspired leopard, that is where the constant ends. Zoey is a dichotomy of every range of personality and behavior possible and her unpredictability is quite predictable.

When we first got her in 2008, she was a much researched purchase that we could not wait to pick up from the chosen cattery. Did Zoey ease into being Zoey? No, Zoey was the full gambit from the moment we got her. When we picked her out, she was the sweetest little slip of a thing. Quiet, reserved and such a precious kitten. When we put her in the carrier to bring her home, she morphed into a full-blown she-devil, wild banshee monster with lungs the size of a whale. She screamed the whole way home and when we brought her into the house, our lives were never the same again!

While Zee instantly fell in love with Zoey, Zoey preferred to take the route of playing the coy and disinterested female as far as romantic inclinations. She was a wild tomboy at heart and would tear through the house with incredible feat and energy challenging Zee to catch her. Zee was thoroughly impressed with his new playmate and they were inseparable. However, as with growing teenagers, Zoey soon blossomed into a woman and Zee found her irresistible in a whole different way. Zoey was no longer coy and gave Zee a free boarding pass to ride the Zoey train of love!  Which he did. Many times. Turns out, that’s how kittens are made… Sigh… who knew?

Zoey’s pregnancy and birth of her kittens was an amazing experience for all of us except Zee. He hated Zoey when she became fat and lethargic, he hated the kittens when they were first born, and he hated Zoey in the role of mother. Being privileged to having her first kitten born on my lap, I felt completely the opposite. I was a protective mama hen while Zoey was pregnant and doted on her hand and paw after the kittens were born. I was mesmerized with the little babies and could not get enough of them. After Zoey gave birth to her kittens, she initially rejected them, not quite comprehending they belonged to her and that they were her responsibility. Once the realization sunk in, that yes indeed, those are your kittens, and yes, they are your responsibility, Zoey soon thrived in the role of Mama and it was amazing to watch her raise them and interact with them.

Since we have kept three of them, it is very interesting to note that a full year later, she still plays the role of Mama and they respect her for it. She still is a wild child at heart and a loud, crazy, insane little thing. Her method of communication is primarily through various levels of growling or ear piercing “meow yelping.”  She likes to reserve the loudest growl and yelp for the wee hours of the morning when you are trying to sleep and she insists otherwise. She is also extremely intelligent and remains loyal to the roots of her wild ancestors – the Asian Leopard Cat. You will find that she walks like a wild leopard on the prowl – low to the ground and extremely aware of her surroundings. Her kittens are all bigger than her now, but her small size is made up for in personality and chutzpah. She is my true cat love and I adore her, quirks and all so much. Not to mention, every night, she gives me the greatest gift of all – herself. She always takes the time to snuggle in the crook of my out-stretched legs on the couch each night. She will stay there with me for hours as I watch my favorite TV shows and I get to pet her beautiful silky fur and enjoy the gift of herself that she has bestowed on me.