Blog #9: Sylvie, The Queen Of Our Lives

It is Sunday, my friends. In Indiana we are freshly coming off of a heat wave and it’s finally starting to feel like fall around here. THANK GOD. I’m over this hot sh*t.

For whatever reason I feel inclined to share my love for my cat daughter. So this week’s blog post is dedicated to none other than my Queen, Sylvie Mabel Patel.

Do you have a pet? If you do, what kind of pet do you have? Or if not, what kind of pet do you want in your life? I have had a pet, at least 1, my entire life. I grew up having dogs, and for a while I had 2 dogs. We had a cat, but cats are very selective and he mainly liked my brother, not me. Needless to say we did not get along very well. And unfortunately, for so many years, that tainted my image of cats because that cat HATED ME. I always judged “cat people” because I didn’t understand people who didn’t like dogs! That’s crazy. Now I’m a cat person, rather, a Sylvie person.

Let’s take a little trip back to 2021. The month was October, Suketu and yours truly had just returned back from our honeymoon. After coming home to our house and really relaxing for the first time alone in our new place, it started to feel… empty. At least to me. Suketu, on the other hand, has never had a pet and didn’t know any different. The first time I brought up having a pet to Suketu his immediate response was “NO”. I had originally thought we’d have a dog, and to be fair, we do not have a fenced backyard AND we aren’t home too much. So, it’s fair because I don’t want a dog if I can’t give it a ton of my time and affection. A cat, however… hmmmmm…

The week after coming home, my mother sent me a text after knowing I was still searching for a pet. Suketu’s negative response wasn’t going to stop me.

“My friend is coming over and she’s bringing her kitten. Do you want to stop by too?”

I told Suketu we were going to go see the kitten and leave. That… is NOT what happened.

Here’s what did happen: we walked into my parents’ house, and the SECOND we laid eyes on Sylvia… we fell in love.

You read that right, Sylvie’s original name was Sylvia. When we first met she was a 3lb, 3 month old kitty. We hung out for a bit and talked to her original owner, she then hopped on the couch to lay between Suketu and me, and Sylvia quickly won over our hearts.

I remember my mom’s friend standing up and asking: “So, do you want her? I have to go so I need to know soon.” BRUH.

I DID NOT KNOW we would end up with this ultimatum… that day. Suketu was NOT happy. I remember everyone left and Suketu and I were alone with this kitty not knowing what to do. I told Suketu we would love her so much and she would be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

Miraculously, we ended up taking her home with us. And you know the crazy part? I’ve loved the name Sylvie for months prior to knowing we’d find a cat named Sylvia. How perfect that we just had to change her name by 1 letter? Brilliant.

3 years later I can’t imagine my life without Sylvie. That first night we brought her home, she was overwhelmed by how big our house was and how little she was. I remember it was hard for her to go up and down the stairs because of how tiny she used to be. We brought her upstairs, and she immediately went into our closet. If Suketu had been hesitant before, he’d no longer be after she decided to lie on his stack of t-shirts on the floor of our closet. This was their first bonding moment, and a moment we will both remember forever. She aids in making our house a home. She comforts me when I’m down. She’s the softest cat in the WORLD, she literally feels like a cloud. She’s vocal, she carries her toys in her mouth, she loves eating, and sitting at the table with us as we eat meals. I wouldn’t trade her for any cat in the world. She’s perfect in every single way and she has added so much to my life. I get why people love cats, because when they love you, they are really choosing you over everyone else. Having her love in my life makes me feel so special, the way she loves us is so pure, and I would do anything to give her a happy and healthy life. This house is just as much hers as it is ours, and I’m happy to share it with her.

This is what I was talking about when I said she sat down between us :’)

I cry. We fell in love so. fast.

Thanks for tuning in this week, Half Past Crew. See you next time.