Tag: cat bonding

  • Zuri: My Elusive Queen

    The cautious beauty who taught me patience and trust.

    Every cat has a story, and Zuri’s is one of courage. I brought her home in April of 2021 because I thought my boy Zazu needed a friend. He was nearing a year old, and I hoped a companion would be good for him.

    When I went into the shelter cat room, there were so many precious cats and kittens. But way in the back, in a cage, was a tiny, terrified cat, huddled up with pure horror in her eyes. The staff told me animal control had picked her up along with a group of strays. At first, they thought she was feral, but later decided she wasn’t. I asked to hold her. She didn’t fight, but she shook all over and tucked her face into my arm like she was trying to calm herself down. I knew instantly: this was the one. Her shelter name was “Peach,” but she became my Zuri. They said she was two years old, though she was so small I could hardly believe it.

    I brought her home and set her up in Jarod’s room. She stayed hidden constantly, too scared to trust me. Eventually, I let Zazu in to meet her. After the usual hissing, they became inseparable. Zuri adores him, and their bond runs deep. They snuggle, bathe each other, and play together—a connection I don’t think either of them will ever share with another cat.

    Zuri has always been hard to touch. In four years, I’ve only held her a couple of times—once when she had something dangerous in her mouth and I had to trap her in the bathroom, and another when she got sick and had to go to the vet. Each time, though, when I finally caught her, she melted in my arms. She didn’t fight me; she just let me hold her as if she remembered, deep down, that she could trust me.

    Most of the time, Zuri prefers to stay at a distance. She loves her window perch behind my recliner, hidden behind the curtain, where she can watch in peace. Sometimes I sneak in a quick pet before she realizes, and then she darts away. But little by little, she has grown braver. Since Zephyr joined our home, she seems to see me as the safer option, and she’ll come closer than she used to.

    Now, with Zeus waiting to join the household, I think Zuri will be the deciding factor. She still hisses at Zephyr if he rushes her, but she doesn’t fight him—and he respects her as the boss. I’m hoping she’ll accept Zeus, maybe even mother him a little, because he’s such a baby at heart.

    Zuri is about six years old now. She may never be a cuddly lap cat, but she’s my elusive queen, my cautious, beautiful girl. I love her so much, exactly as she is.

    Thanks for reading Zuri’s story. Do you have an elusive queen (or king) in your life? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

  • Zazu – My First Floofy Shadow

    The one who saved me.

    I had just lost my dog Nala, my whole world, only two months before. Her death shattered me, and I truly thought I’d never heal.

    Then one night, my son walked through the door, unzipped his jacket, and whispered, “Mom, do you want him?” Out peeked a tiny ball of black fluff—rescued from a thorn bush. My heart cracked wide open.

    A few days later, the vet told me he was about seven weeks. Counting backwards, that meant he could have been born on my birthday. So now, we share a birthday—another bond that makes him even more my heart.

    We named him Zazu, to keep the Lion King theme alive—Nala (my dog), Simba (my son’s cat), and now Zazu. From that first night, he curled on my chest and licked my chin like he was stitching me back together.

    Now he’s my 14-pound chonk, full of fluff and love, still my shadow, still my heart.