Featured Soul Cat: Fiona’s Marcello (quite a fellow!)
Note from Liz: I fell in love with Fiona’s stories about Marcello and think you will too. She really captures the essence of what it’s like to truly bond with a cat and appreciate all his unique qualities.
Guest Post By Fiona Cowie
Any cat lover will know that all cats are truly amazing, each and every one of them having their own unique personality and attitude. They also know that the sadness of when it’s time to say goodbye can upset worlds.
Having experienced this often before, nothing had quite prepared me for the loss of Marcello, a true soul cat. The memories I have of him will stay with me forever, and sometimes I question if he was, in fact, a cat… or part human?
Humbling beginnings
Marcello and Lily were a fostered brother and sister from a cat rescue. When I went to introduce myself at their foster family’s home, I immediately fell in love with Lily. She was Ms Perfect, everything I sought. So beautiful and affectionate, just what I needed (I’d thought)! Marcello, however, acted indifferent. And the foster parents informed me that in the short time he’d been welcomed, he’d managed to bully their very large animal family into submission, including a dog.
Marcello is quite a fellow
We sorted things out soon enough, and I don’t recall a moment when he wasn’t by my side at home.
He was as excited as I about the arrival of our weekly organic veg box. And throughout studying reflexology, when I struggled with anatomy, he lay upon all the sprawled-out books and papers on the floor, covering them from view and keeping me calm. If ever I was sad or upset, Marcello just knew and surrounded me with so much love and affection that his purrs changed to isp-like Hannibal Lecter sounds, which never failed to make me laugh and recover.
Marcello forewarned me about dubious men I thought had potential as suitable partners in love. Should they ever visit, he’d use his litter box tray, and remain in there scratching at the litter for what seemed like their entire visit. As soon as they left, he would instantly return to aloofly walking away from the litter box! Covering up nothing! Once, he even hissed (for the first time ever). I always put it down to an off day and didn’t heed his warnings. So deeply sorry Marcello, I did not listen and yes, okay, you were so right!
Marcello loved an early morning tea party in bed (as did Lily due to its location), and when it was eventually time to rise it was time to Salsa!With Salsa music I’d tidy up, doing all my domestic chores while dancing in between. He was so enthusiastic about this, prancing around my feet, feeling how happy I was, purring, and raising his front paws individually in a Mambo step (almost). So I did in fact have myself the most perfect partner.
He loved to display his body to demonstrate that he too had potential to become a portrait model. Draping himself often in the same pose as the nude portrait above my couch! (A dear gift from my amazing friend artist Michel Le Prince.)
Whenever Marcello was sleeping and I would speak, sing, or call his name, his tail would thump repeatedly on the wood flooring (isn’t that a dog thing?).
Officer cat
Twice he behaved exceedingly strangely. The first time, he went tearing around our home in fast motion. I thought he was trying to tell me to stop using the hairdryer. But later that day the police showed up to see if I’d heard or seen anything, as the neighbours on each side of me had been robbed…yikes!
Another time, he stood on his tip toes looking out my bedroom window as I was preparing for bed. Eventually I closed the window, removed the annoyed Marcello, and drew the curtains. Next morning, I find out that at that specific time a robbery was taking place in the downstairs yoga studio. Marcello had been on neighbourhood watch!
How lucky I was
My bed will never be the same to get into: with Marcello and Lily on either side, I would slide down the gap like a fireman down the shoot. I’ll never forget their formations when they did sleep close together– yin yang especially, and sometimes a loving heart.
As parents of fur babies will know, the loss of this amazing energy and presence is huge. When I reach the top of my tenement and hear silence, my heart longs for Marcello. The scratching behind my door as he had sensed my arrival is gone. The excitement to see what herbs, food, and flowers I’d bought has reached an end.
All my thoughts, sadness, and feelings of loss just emphasize now how lucky I was to have spent the years I was given with Marcello. I sense The Universe gifted me this beautiful, wise soul. I will always cherish my memories of him, even as they still leave me questioning if he was, in fact, a cat!
Fiona Cowie is a Clinical Reflexologist in Edinburgh, Scotland. She provides treatments to staff in The National Museum of Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, and Edinburgh Castle.
You said this perfectly he was a gift. I had been in a coma for 3 months recovery another month I got home and we had these feral kittens that I watched grow up and they had some babies never could catch them but they would come in the barn and we had lights and made them comfy when I got home finally from recovery Missy the one little feral Kitty came to the door and wanted me to follow her I went to the side of the house she went down under the house and she brought up this little ball of black fur well it jumped back down she went back down she brought him back up she laid off to the side and she gave me this most beautiful little tuxedo boy his eyes still hadn’t been opened but barely maybe a few weeks how she kept him alive I’m not sure she didn’t have any more milk so she gave him to me he was with me non-stop he slept on my neck he was so quick to learn anything getting into trouble climbing out of things he was my ADHD boy I said I had a human ADHD boy and now I have Taz Taz what can I say about Taz Taz was a character I came home once he’d thrown all the glasses on the floor and he was sitting on the bar looking around like I don’t know what happened I think that other cat did it right shirt has well he tore up the walls he did so many things him and his brother Thor well worst mistake I did was I declawed them which I did not know anything about at the time I just knew I was in a rental and I couldn’t keep fixing the walls Taz it never bothered as has used his fingers like real fingers for he had a hard time on his paws he passed away from throat cancer but has oh he would sit there and look at you he’d see something on the table and he just push it while he’s looking at you real sweet and then he brought on the floor then he’d look like how did that get down there what we did this for 14 years he literally would come up and give me hugs he would sit and read me he knew everything there was about me it’s going to be a year come January 19th that I had to make the decision to let him fly free his kidneys were swollen I think due to the vets starting his heart apparently he passed away on the table while they were doing a dental 4 months earlier I lost cologne to renal damage going in for a dental and blood work was fine Taz raised all kinds of babies he was the best baby kitty daddy in the world he loved kittens everyone wanted to write a book about Taz everything was test when he died I sat and sang to him I couldn’t hold him his kidneys hurt too bad but I was there looking in his eyes the whole time I wasn’t going to let him suffer I promised him I was not going to be selfish for one more day I let him come home and say goodbye to his brothers and sisters and he was ready I sang to him the grandkids called him macaroni so we had this little song about macaroni comes to London riding on a pony here comes macaroni he always laughed I could see him laugh I’m a cat mom it always suit them down that was his song while we were saying goodbye and he looked deeply into my eyes knowing that I did the best job I could possibly do but my heart and soul in my inner light is just gone I love my other babies but there’s no comparison to Taz my light has just dimmed and it hurts in my chest so bad I just can’t believe I’m coming up on a year that I had to say goodbye to him I just got done having to say my goodbyes to cologi just a few months ago I’m tired of losing my fur babies and my friends but you’re all right they really are gifts that are given to us and if they didn’t like us they wouldn’t have stayed true companions and people just don’t understand the bond between a cat and human it’s so much different with having a dog a dog you really have to take care of a cat they’ll just do it themselves but thanks guys that’s my little story. By mtncat58 (Linda)
Indeed, as there are so many cats and there are special characters. I have never had two identical cats. Each was unique in its own way. One was more detached, the other was very wayward and he did not like being bothered, and another was who simply could not live without me. Now I have 3 cats and one dog. I can’t stop looking at how they interact with each other. What a unique company they have now. But unfortunately, when your beloved pets leave, it always hurts like the first time
I can relate to so many things mentioned. I still see Gingers face everyday and visualize her sleeping in her favorite spots. She had a few. I miss her terribly and would love to hold her again.
Thank you for your story and sharing your memories of Marcelo.
Thank you both Barbara and Johanna you are most welcome and it’s so great for me to hear what you’ve said and know that others share this sadness and hurt when these amazing energies physical bodies say goodbye. Though exactly I feel Marcello’s spirit within me often when I draw upon it if ever feeling sadness.
Best wishes and many thanks for your words , fiona
Cats are special,aren’t they? Hope his spirit warms your soul every time you need it. I also pay a close attention when my cat Fantomette (Toto for short) acts strangely, and always glance to see that my door is securely locked and have my phone at a close reach just in case.So thankful for his sharp intuition.:)
I was really moved and can relate 100%! All my cats, the ones that have passed and one I still lovingly have here with me now, have similar qualities, they blow your mind on a daily basis. To have cats in your life is always a blessing and an ethereal experience. Even when they’re in this world they are not of this world they come from a very very special place that sadly some humans will never know, but those of us that form bonds with these special feline spirits will treasure their gifts forever.
Thank you so much Beth for such beautiful wording and it’s so lovely to read of someone who also experiences this.
I returned from living abroad to restart my life from nothingness and truly believe that Marcello was gifted to me, when it was time for him to leave I dreamt being told Marcello had done his part and I was ready to be alone and proceed in this journey of life! The day after he was gone I woke up to unexpected messages from strangers asking for reflexology treatments. I prayed to Marcello, thanked him and smiled all day!:-)
Best Wishes
Fiona