Editor’s Note: I felt we could all use a happy story about a cat who is still bringing joy and comfort to her people at age 16. Please enjoy this guest post from author Debbie Cohen.
I couldn’t leave my bed. It just seemed like the only way to escape was to try and lose my mind in TV. As someone who always turned to eating for comfort, I was not even able to take pleasure in food due to worry and stress. My husband and I had been trying to have a baby for years. Being over 40, we knew that conceiving would be challenging, but this had not been months of trying, or a year of trying, this had been years.
After meeting with various doctors and specialists, we completed a round of IVF, knowing that this would be the most likely way we could get pregnant. We dutifully and hopefully administered all of the necessary shots and hormone treatments and we were feeling very optimistic. I had been to the fertility clinic for blood test after blood test, but the big blood test was approaching… the one that could give us news we were praying about, dreaming about, and longing to hear. After the blood test, we waited for the phone call.
When I heard the words, “I’m so sorry,” my heart sank into my stomach. My husband held me and I felt so lost. My fertility journey also led me to aching for my own mom who passed away a decade earlier. My mind was on overload.
Between not being able to get pregnant, and the constant longing of wanting to get pregnant, I shut down. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, and the same thoughts ran through my mind as if they were on a continuous loop that I couldn’t escape.
One day, after this funk had been causing me night after night of no sleep, and providing no respite to concentrate, my husband suggested we go to a local pet store that was bringing in animals from a shelter. We had talked in the past about getting a cat. We already had two guinea pigs, but we wanted an animal that would be more of a companion.
When we showed up, there were about twenty cats and kittens from a local shelter. There were cats of all shapes and sizes: little cats, fluffy cats, skinny cats, purring cats… and then we stopped at one kitten. She was a gray tabby and one of her eyes looked like it was partially closed, almost like she was winking at us, saying, “I’m the one.”
One of the volunteers from the shelter piped up and said, “Oh, I fostered her and her siblings, and I know this might sound like I’m just saying this, but she is the nicest one out of the bunch, sweet and kind.”
We found out this kitten had an eye infection and would need to be monitored for about another week. After my husband and I spent a few minutes with her, we knew that she was the one for us; we just felt an immediate connection to her.
After seven days passed, we went to pick up our new feline companion. She was small and still needed her eye drops, but she was affectionate with us right away. She wanted to be with us as much as possible. Being so little, she wanted to jump up on the couch to snuggle, but she couldn’t quite make it as hard as she tried. We lifted her up until she had the size and strength to do this. We decided to name her Cozmo after one of our favorite T.V. characters, and we called her Cozzie.
Cozzie delighted us with her purring, need for belly rubs, and battles to catch that red dot from our laser pointer, but she also brought a sense of calm, and a sense of peace in a very difficult time.
Several months went by and we decided to give IVF another try. We prepared ourselves for the arduous tasks of bloodwork, check ins, shots, and pouring our hope into this whole experience again. We had some time to heal since our last go around, and it helped so much having Cozzie to bring us an extra piece of tranquility. She added a lightness to our home. Cozzie was an integral part of what lifted our spirits and kept us looking up.
Next came my procedure, which requires total bed rest, and waiting for the news. So much anxious anticipation. Three days seemed like an eternity. Keeping me company were lots of magazines, the remote control, and Cozzie, of course. She became my roommate, providing patience and love.
After the longest few days ever, my husband and I were beyond thrilled to get the phone call we had been waiting for: “You’re pregnant!”… the two most glorious words we had ever heard.
I had a wonderful pregnancy; I had been waiting all my life to know what it’s like to have a human grow inside of me. Bouts of nausea, or discomfort sleeping were nothing to me. I just loved feeling all of the sensations…the flutters and the kicks.
Cozzie was right by our sides through it all. She was the first one to model and test out our stroller and playpen as we got prepared for our big day.
Our delivery day came with a few worrisome hitches due to my age–and then there she was, the most beautiful human being my husband and I will ever see, our daughter. Our dream of being parents had come true. When our hospital visit came to an end, we felt so happy to start our life as a family.
When we brought our daughter home, Cozzie curiously and lovingly explored and took in our baby’s scent. If Cozzie looked interested in trying to get in the crib, we would tenderly shoo her away and it was never an issue. Until our daughter was a bit older, we kept her bedroom door closed at night so we could always have our eyes on Cozzie and how she interacted with our daughter.
As we joyously watched our daughter grow from a baby to a toddler, we saw her notice Cozzie more and more. She would sometimes pull on Cozzie’s tail, or try to grab her––Cozzie never seemed to mind. We’ve never, in all of our years of having her, heard Cozzie hiss, let alone scratch or bite anyone, ever. She is so incredibly kind, gentle, and loving. She let our daughter play with her and explore, and didn’t bat one of her pretty little cat eyes for even a second. She never lost her cool.
Our daughter is now fourteen and Cozzie is almost sixteen. As Cozzie is aging, she still loves to cuddle and is very affectionate. She handles our daughter with the utmost caution. It’s like Cozzie still knows this is the baby, our precious person; “this is who I need to be very gentle with.”
Cozzie came into our life at a very difficult and delicate time. We gave this cat a home, but she gave us, and keeps giving us, more than we ever could have ever expected. Each of the three of us appreciates the moments when we get to gaze into Cozzie’s eyes as we pet her. All the cares and worries of the world seem to wash away during these remarkably soothing times with Cozzie.
It’s said that people save pets, but in most cases it’s the other way around, and Cozzie saves us day in and day out with the immense joy that she brings us. She is ours, and we are hers.
“We gave this cat a home, but she gave us, and keeps giving us, more than we ever could have ever expected.”
We like to watch Cozzie at our bay window, listen to the birds, soak up the sun, and take wonder in the trees. We often say, “What is she thinking?” We’ll never know what goes on in her head, but we do know what we’re all thinking––we are so lucky that we picked you, Cozzie, to be part of our family. Thank you for being our cat.
Debbie Cohen has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, has published her own children’s book, and has articles appearing on Bustle.com and Herstry.com. She has also written for Chicago Parent.
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