I'z Bebe, named by a nice lady who rescued me from a vacant field where I'd been living since I wuz just a babykat. Some bad hoomins wif guns shot a BB into my thigh. Meowmie will tell you the details. Now that I'm home, I like to play chase with Cody and leave big clumps of my pretty black fur all over the house as a prezzent for my hoomin. At first she thought I had some kind of dredded dizease, but now she knows itz just becuz Cody and I wrestle so much. I like MEOWCHAT, playing wif toys, leaping on high places, eating nip (yay!), and climbing on meowmie's lap while she'z trying to read or watch TV. Meowmie will tell you the rest!

Rosemary writes: I travel a lot for business, and although I have great neighbors who looked after Cody and gave him plenty of attention while I was gone, I thought he might be happier with a friend. So, in the fall of 1995, I explored the possibilities. My vet advised me to get someone of the opposite sex and younger, so for Cody, that meant a female kitten. Although she fosters cats all the time, the vet didn't have any kittens right then, so I thought I'd have to wait until "kitten" season rolled around again. Then, in December 1995, a friend in Indiana sent me some pictures of a little black kitten her sister had rescued. This kitten had been living alone in a vacant wooded lot behind an apartment complex, and had drawn the attention of a bunch of kids armed with BB guns who were using the kitten for target practice. When my friend's sister rescued the little thing, the kitten was crying loudly (whether from fear, hunger or pain, we don't know, though I suspect all three). She was taken immediately to the vet and was tested for feline leukemia (results were negative, thank God!), given shots, and spayed. The vet had noticed some hard nodules in the kitten's rump, so while she was under anesthesia for spaying, the vet explored, and voila! Two BBs were removed. For this reason, and because she was just such a cute little "baby" cat, the rescuer called her Bebe.

The rescuer lived in an apartment and already had 4 cats and 1 dog. She knew she couldn't keep Bebe, so she put out feelers among her friends and family, hoping a good home could be found. Once her sister (my friend) heard about it, she called me immediately, and followed up with some pictures. I fell in love immediately: Bebe was petite, solid black with blazing emerald eyes, and luxurious long silky fur. I knew this was to be my cat and Cody's friend. The only problem was Bebe was in Grand Rapids, Michigan and I was in Houston, Texas.

I explored the alternatives for getting a cat from Point A to Point B. None of them were great. Flying the cat as cargo carries a lot of risk in itself, and there were no nonstop or even direct flights between Grand Rapids and Houston, so the cat would be treated as luggage. As a frequent traveler I know what they do to luggage, and I did not want this cat handled as luggage! Driving was not an option. That left as the only alternative transporting Bebe in the cabin of an airplane in a cat carrier as "carry on baggage." So, who would do the flying: me or the rescuer?

Me, of course. I worked with my airline to comply with their regs on carrying on animals as "hand held luggage." On March 15, 1996, I took an 8:00 a.m. flight to Detroit. I arrived at 11:40; got off the plane, and immediately saw Meg, the rescuer, who had driven to Detroit that morning from Grand Rapids with BebeKat. (BTW: Meg said she had worried about how I'd recognize her, then laughed as she realized she would probably be the only person in the departure lounge holding a cat!). I visited with Meg, got acquainted with Bebe (who was amazingly calm in the midst a chaotic airport), then, after a full 15 minutes on the ground, got back on the same plane to take Bebe home to Houston. She was an angel all the way The only peep was a little "meow" when we were about to land. In fact, on landing, I was told by those around me they had no idea that a cat was anywhere in the cabin!

So I took Bebe home. Cody was waiting at the door, as always. I set the cat carrier on the floor and opened it, then stood back to let them meet in their own way. Bebe exited and saw Cody at the same time he saw her. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Cody looked at me as if to say, "Uh, mom...can we talk?" Bebe (who had become used to living with other cats during the several months she was with Meg) sniffed Cody, then ignored him and calmly sauntered off to explore. She found the "cat room" with food and her personal litter box, and promptly made herself at home.

Cody avoided her for about 5 days. There was never a rumbling between them, or any territorial disputes. They just didn't interact at all. Then, one day when Bebe was playing that time-honored game "Run As Fast As You Can and Jump On Every Piece of Furniture In The House," Cody started chasing her. She stopped, turned, and he turned and she chased him! After that, they started playing together like old friends. They get along great, but there are limits: Cody sleeps with me, and will not tolerate Bebe on the bed. If she jumps up, he leaves. She will then leave, and he will return. They don't cuddle together or groom each other, but they're still good friends.

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Last Revision: January 1, 2004
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