By Neelima Sadanand (Petmate)

They said “they aren’t affectionate beings,

Their love is only for food it seems.

Getting a dog would be so much better.”

How could I explain to them, they hadn’t met her!

Billie Jean, name inspired by the song,

Came home tiny with a meow not very strong,

Week 1, she kept MOM #1 awake all night with her banter,

But by the morning, all mom wanted to do was pamper.

Week 2, I (MOM #2) was more than ready to take her on,

And yes that meant she was sprinting and bouncing – 0 yawns,

But nobody tells you how divine it feels,

When at the end of the night, a kitten chooses to sleep between your heels.

She would run to the door to greet us after work,

She would demand attention even if it meant sitting on our laptops while we couch surfed,

She would melt every house guest’s heart,

And in them, a love for cats she would start.

As she grew, she was more queen less cat,

Long gone were the days of her hiding, us panicking and finding her under a hat, 

She knew she had us all wrapped around the finger,

Wherever we travelled, memories of her little paws would linger.

So the next time you consider a cat,

(Of course they have a say in choosing you back),

Know that they can love and heal,

With a purr & tail whisk

Your heart they can and will steal!

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