My name is Donna, Donna Noble. I come from a farm life. We cats have to work for our living. It’s the true no work, no eat mentality. Well, one day I met this guy who came regularly to the farm for milk and eggs. I walked right up to him as if to say, Take me home. He picked me up, and my life changed forever. Within a few weeks, I will be crowned Queen of the pride by Ms. Tituba, our fourteen-year-old ruler. I now oversee this crazy pride with our King, Jules Verne. But let’s roll the clock back to shortly after I got here.
It’s a nice summer day, and I am out in the yard chasing butterflies. I am only about ten to twelve weeks old. Still, I have the attitude of a six-month-old. In my world, “anything is possible” and “I am invincible”. Ms. Ella, the nanny of the pride, is watching over us as we kittens play. Some of the bigger males are watching the perimeter. I look over toward the driveway and see our giant British Shorthair, James Patterson, standing guard. I decided to have some fun. I dash over as if to attack his tail. He turns his big head my way as if to say, ‘I see you.’ I put the brakes on and quickly turned away as if nothing had happened.
Mr. Patterson turns back to watch for anything coming in, so I start again and am joined by one of the other kittens. By this time, I have drawn the attention of our basics hunting teacher, Ms. Grace Livingston Hill, and her daughter, Ann Shirley, an advanced hunting teacher. We prepare for our attack, but not a butterfly this time. My buddy and I attack Mr. “P”. One from each side, just above his tail. We find out why he is called one of the ‘Gentle Giants’ as he just turns over and starts to play swat with us. This goes on for about ten minutes, and my attack buddy and I are worn out. We curl up on each side of Mr. Patterson for a nice catnap to recharge.
After about thirty minutes, I am approached by Ms.Ella and told I am wanted by Ms. Grace. I meet up with her on the porch to find out this week’s play. Next week, I will start hunting training under her teaching. I also found out that our ruler, Ms. Tituba, will call me inside in a few short weeks. She wants to see me personally. She has something special planned for my future. All Ms. Grace will say is that the Sanctuary is to become my permanent home. This marks the beginning of my new life at Crazy Cat Sanctuary & Black Cat Rescue. Me a little teeny ball of golden yellow fur barely larger than my new daddy’s hand.
I learn to hunt, at first small mice and baby moles. Then small rabbits and finally birds. Now the fun begins. I am in the kitchen with several other larger kittens, Tiger Man, and Jules Verne. We hear something moving behind the rear board of the cabinet. Tiger Man and Jules Verne are on the cabinet, and we kittens are trailing the sound on the floor. Jules moves to the stove. He starts cocking his head to try to get a fix on the noise. Tiger Man does the same thing halfway between the sink and the stove. Tiger Man listens carefully. He tries to get a better fix on the noise. Then he dives for the floor at the corner of the stove. All the humans see is a blur of cat fur. The very next thing they see is me in hot pursuit of something small and furry with a tail. When I stand up, my sister comments proudly. She tells me I have caught the most elusive mouse on the property. It’s called Kamikaze Mouse. After I have a snack, she sets up a kitty celebration. That’s when I find out the other cats have been trying to catch that mouse for about nine weeks now. I caught it on my first indoor hunt. The next day, I met Ms. Tituba, straight from Jules Verne, Pride Leader, and King.
The next morning, after breakfast, I met with Ms. Tituba in the presence of Jules Verne, Tiger Man, Tiger Tye, and Sister, or should I say, Mom. My new human mom. At this meeting, I am told that I will become Queen of the Pride. I just need interaction with her highness. Dorothy is now officially my mother in the eyes of the pride with her blessing. Only one other cat has had that honor, and she has gone over the Rainbow Bridge. One day, I will be capable of meeting Ms. Madeline, also known as Ms. Maddy. I will take her place as the queen, but not as a replacement part. I bring myself to the position, and Ms. Maddy still has her place in my heart. Time for another kitty celebration for sure.
Lunch that day was not the usual kibble. It was part kibble with Concoctions wet food mixed in. We all ate until we were full and content. It was Party Time to celebrate the new queen being chosen. That mix is normally saved for what the humans call holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. It’s also used for other special occasions like this. Of course, we have our names for them, but we still love the treat. The best part is that our humans get to celebrate with us. I even have my special bowl used for these times.
Well, that’s how a little kitten becomes the pride queen of a cat sanctuary. It’s time for me to talk to the king and mom about the newest arrivals. I also need to find out what is on the schedule for lunch, wet or dry. Either way, our humans are just as picky about what they eat as we are. Thank you, Ms. Boots, for being our dietitian. You can check out her story here. Just join our socials as she is still ruling the pride with an iron claw..
