This is my cat, I still haven’t officially named him and things have remained the same for something like eleven years now.

In 2005, I was still recovering internally from my Father and my Grandmother’s passing, plus all of the other events that took place in that period. I came home from work and here was this cat in my bedroom. We looked at each other and then next thing, he tried to bolt past me through the door. I caught him, he was feral, a bit wild, underfed, scrawny and just past the kitten stage. I assumed he was living in the small forests behind the house.

I think he bonded with me right there. I gave him every opportunity to leave, he wouldn’t. I left windows and doors open, I asked neighbours. No one had seen him before. I’d lay on my back in my bed and he’d lay beside me on his back, mimicking my position… I thought it was funny, he mimicked me in many ways. He helped me tremendously getting through the low states I was in. A good friend who came at the right time.

I can be slow and careful to make decisions, I’ve never named a pet before, let alone had one. I wanted to take my time with this, I wanted to find something that fit. My mother kept pressuring me for a name, it’s likely she wanted to share that with her friends, or some other personal motive. If you know me, I can be very stubborn. I locked up right there, any chance of naming him was going to be tainted so I entered into stubbornness that he won’t be named. I even had sound reasoning, he’s a cat, he really doesn’t care and he likely won’t come by name anyways.

In time, he earned the nickname Monkey Brains. I like Munkey for short. He’d jump on items, shelves, furniture, etc., knocking things over and I’d softly curse at him as a Monkey. It was especially fitting when he’d jump, misstep and fall off of whatever target he was shooting for.

He’s known for following me up and down the street and into every neighbours house. If go to the park, he shadows right behind me. If I go to the school, he’s tried that walk too. I once put him in my truck, he hid under the brake pedal while driving. Yeah…! That was fun driving down Clarke Rd., in traffic. I shouldn’t mention this, but the neighbours across the street loved him too. They developed nicknames for him as well… they are avid Gardners and my cat thinks their bark mulch makes great cat litter.

I once had the door open here in the Summer. A full grown Golden Lab which wasn’t on a leash walked into the house. He just wanted to say hello. I couldn’t believe it, my cat went into full attack mode. He was running so fast after that dog he didn’t actually go anywhere, he stood in one spot running as his paws slipped like car tires on ice over the linoleum. Eventually, he gained traction and that poor dog was running as fast as he could with his tail behind his legs.

Sometimes I wish I didn’t have him, dead, semi dead and catch & release birds, shrews and other things are not so nice. Same with the fur, upchucks and other cat issues. For the most part though, he’s good company. He knows when I come home, he’s right there waiting. I’m sure he knows more words than he lets on, but there’s one I always use with him; “Treat”. Where ever he is, he will come running. I buy cat treats and I swear they put narcotics in them. Somedays, you can’t stop that cat for the life of him from mowing over everything in his path to wolfe down on a small pile of cat treats.

He’s passed out right now in his little box. Like all cats, he likes boxes, tight spaces and… well cat nip. He even likes chewing on paperwork.

Munkey, Shadow… I think I thought of other names, but it’s over ten years in and he hasn’t complained yet.