Missing Godzilla and Ricky

None expected me to return home holding a tiny living fur-ball in my palms and announcing that whether they liked it or not I would definitely keep my new friend indoors. As simple as that my female cat entered my life. She was actually saved by my father, who being an animal-lover all his life he decided to run to its rescue when he spotted the stray kitten walking the dangerous city streets. Two days later, I was introduced with my soon to become indoor cat and I was glad that me and my father were in fact on some kind of “secret agreement” to convince my mother that the kitty had to be adopted by us.

Although my parents have taught me to love and respect animals since I was a small kid, it was amazing for me to be able to touch and play with my cat in the comfort of my own bedroom. One of my friends, who is afraid of animals in general due to a misfortunate event with a dog when she was a child, came one day at my house to watch a movie with me. Since she was not informed that a cat was present-it totally slipped my mind to tell her-and as we were relaxing on the couch, she suddenly jumped surprised and screamed “For God’s sake! Who is this Godzilla?” I laughed so hard that tears came out of my eyes, as I was seeing my adult friend being afraid of a kitten not bigger than a palm. As you can probably guess, this is why my cat took that name.

Next summer, as I was vacating at my favorite island, I woke up one morning from a noise a cat made outside my door. This for me was a unique experience, as my ability to sleep through any kind of noisy disturbance is legendary. When I opened the door, there was on my doorstep another tiny soul looking straight into my eyes, begging for some food. This male cat instantly became the mascot of that year’s summer vacations and I was not willing to leave the cat behind upon my return. My parents had to experience, for the second time in their lives, how determination can lead a stray kitten into our home.

A year later, Godzilla and Ricky-my father thought of the second name-became a couple and gave birth to five kittens, which I had to give away to other families as I could not keep seven cats in my apartment. Four months after the birth both of my cats were spayed or neutered-my veterinarian suggested that this procedure was necessary since the cats were always together and in less than a year I would have to find more families to adopt the new kittens that would be born.

Although I was extremely reluctant to the idea, I finally agreed to perform the operations and the truth is that afterwards my cats were calmer and much more affectionate; not only to each other, but also with family and friends. They never gained weight-one of those myths that you can hear-and they immediately began behaving as usual. Of course, I have always remembered to perform all the appropriate vaccinations and I bought colorful collars for their ID tags. At some point, I considered microchipping them too, but did not go ahead with the idea as I should and until today I regret not going ahead with it.

Godzilla and Ricky were two of the best friends I had during the last eight years and they were always there for me. Only those who have experienced the pleasure of having a pet can probably understand how I felt when I had to give Godzilla and Ricky away as I was about to leave my country and my parents, who had a third cat in their house which did not like intruders, could not handle this triple challenge. I was fortunate enough to find two kind friends, who offered Godzilla and Ricky a new home and the love they so much deserved. But, although I know Godzilla is totally happy in her new premises, I must confess that Ricky has gone missing two months after I left; that is almost two years ago.

Even though my friend did everything in her power to locate the missing cat, he has never returned to her house or to mine. I terribly miss both and there are moments when I still imagine entering the house and finding them waiting to go back to sleep at my side. I never forgave myself for not microchipping my cats, since that unique pet ID might have been Ricky’s ticket home.

I am one of those animal-lovers that want their pets to feel free and happy and not for one second have I even thought the possibility of one of them getting lost during my absence. Although some are reluctant to the idea of keeping their cats indoors at all times, life has taught me that you should do everything in your power to keep your beloved cat safe. I never blamed my friend for having a garden and Ricky for deciding to explore the world outside her fence. I regret for not being proactive and concentrating on my own fears instead of their future safety. Do not do the same mistake. Take good care of your cats so you will sleep better during the night.