Earlier this year, I lost my black cat Ziggy. He was a sweet, aggressively affectionate cat who loved to chew on plastic, sit in front of the fire, and follow me around the house. He was my faithful writing companion and brought much joy and many fur tumbleweeds into my life. I still miss him.
After a few months, we decided to get a new cat companion for both me, and for Keiko, the buddy he left behind. We pondered getting a kitten, but decided a mature cat would be best. So we went to the Animal Rescue League and brought home the handsome fellow pictured above. His name was Bell, but we changed it to Bruno because he is an enormous bruiser of a cat who is like a bouncer in a nightclub. He routinely blocks your passage by getting tangled up in your legs while pushing you towards where he wants to go- usually the kitchen for treats and food. He is over ten years old, is missing several teeth, and walks all over you at 3 am. I love him. It took a few weeks, but now Keiko and Bruno are buddies, too.
As soon as we brought him home, I immediately thought of Mr. Putter and Tabby. If you have never read these delightful early chapter books, drop everything right now and go to the library and grab a stack of them. I defy anyone of any age to not like Mr. Putter and his feline friend Tabby.
In the first book of the series, Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea, we meet the elderly Mr. Putter who lived alone and had no one to share his tea and English muffins with. He had no one to tell his stories to, “And he had the most wonderful stories to tell.” He decides to get a cat. But the pet store only has cute and peppy kittens. “Mr Putter himself had not been cute and peppy for a long time,” so he went to the shelter to find a cat. That is where he finds an old yellow cat with thinning fur and creaky bones. Just like him. He takes her home, names her Tabby, and finally has someone to share his tea and English muffins and his stories with. The perfect story of friendship to share with young readers.
There are many other books in the series by Cynthia Rylant with wonderful illustrations by Arthur Howard spanning almost twenty years. In each of them, Mr. Putter and Tabby, along with their neighbors Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke, share gentle adventures with each other. From Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake, to Mr. Putter and Tabby Hit the Slope, these simple stories of everyday life show that age is no barrier to friendship and a good time.
So if you are looking for a new companion, consider adopting an older shelter pet. Kittens are adorable and fun, but bringing home an older pal with a fully formed personality has its own rewards. Just ask Mr. Putter.
In the mornings each looked for the other as soon as they opened their eyes... Mr. Putter could not remember life without Tabby.
I will always remember Ziggy, but now I can’t remember life without Bruno. Or a time when I didn’t love the Mr. Putter and Tabby books.
