Morgan Stories — The making of a diva! | For Animal Lovers

Editor’s note: Morgan passed in early January. She is missed. I promised to post some stories from her early days here that make me smile. I hope they make you smile too! this one is from April 30, 2014.

This was a year ago. He weighed 8 pounds and was very grateful.

This picture was taken a year ago. She weighed 8 pounds and was very grateful.

Yes, it’s about Morgan. She is the most interesting creature in the household and that includes the beloved husband and me.

It’s been a year since she came to live with us. She had one eye and had just spent five months in a cage at the shelter. Initially she was a gentle soul. She didn’t speak for the first three months. She made no noise at all. Anything made her happy. I would describe her as grateful.

Ha! That lasted three months!

During her initial weeklong isolation in a room, she was very content. It was so much better than a cage and she could be happy there for a long time. There were windows and sunlight. The only thing missing was companionship. She got a lot of visitors but that’s not the same as cat BFFs.

Fast forward a couple of months. She has the run of the house now – which brings an opportunity to make cat friends. She loves friends of any species. She is fearless and will make friends with anyone.

At first she deferred to the other cats and just enjoyed being in their company. She was smaller than all except Mollie. When she got overactive, she received a head whomp from Jake and that would quiet her down.

Fast forward more. Sometime over the winter she lost all sense of shyness. She yells at the birds and squirrels and sometimes even me. She is first in line for anything and there are no head whomps (she will head whomp back with the best of them)!

She doesn’t always answer to her name but she does respond to certain words. “Out” which means passage to the screened porch will bring her running from anywhere in the house, even if it’s whispered to another cat.

The sound of the cat food can opening will also bring her out but she’s not about the food. She likes to smell it. She takes two bites and comes back later when she has more time. She is a very busy cat.

She is as tall as Jake (which is tall for a cat) but thin. Remember it’s not about the food. She can run over them all which she does if they are in the way of her and the “out” door or anywhere else she wants to go.

She runs throughout the house — up the stairs, down the stairs. She must log many miles every day. She’s very fast and very sleek.

She enjoys Mollie because Mollie is much smaller. She can sit on her which doesn’t make Mollie happy.

Hazel: I like Morgan. She lets me eat her food and I let her roll all over me.

Hazel: I like Morgan. She lets me eat her food and I let her roll all over me.

She enjoys Hazel. Hazel is built like a fireplug and moves slowly so Morgan not only jumps over her but can sit on a part of her too. Where Mollie will growl at her, Hazel will purr. She likes that.

Morgan and Jake on the same chair. Of course Morgan has to be higher. Jake is thinking "Philistine!"

Morgan and Jake on the same chair. Of course Morgan has to be higher. Jake is thinking “Philistine!” The lighting makes her look like a black cat but she’s gray.

She’s not real crazy about Jake but the feelings are mutual. She tries to engage him in play. He responds with hairy eye rolls and the cat equivalent of “Really?”

When she runs, she sounds like a herd of elephants (not that I know what that really sounds like).

There are some important firsts for her.

She must be first after the litter box is cleaned.

She must be fed first although she rarely eats it all.

She must be first when the door is opened to the porch.

Morgan on a computer chair.

Morgan on a computer chair.

She sits where ever she wants. If someone is already sitting there, she will squeeze in until they move over or just plain move. This is especially true of the computer area where seating is at a premium.

She has moved on from some earlier behaviors such as pulling all my sweaters off the shelf to use them for sleeping. I did not find any humor in finding my best sweater next to her litter box.

Despite the fact that she runs much of the house she doesn’t have bad habits like waking us up at 3 a.m. or anytime really, inappropriate pooping or fighting with the other cats.

She amuses herself and is content in her own company. Maybe that comes from spending months in a cage.

She is not a shy shrinking violet but a force to be reckoned with or hugged and smothered with smooches.

In another year or two she may spend much of her time sleeping so I am enjoying these days.

22 thoughts on “Morgan Stories — The making of a diva! | For Animal Lovers

  1. So many fun facts about Morgan🩶 Lots of personality packed into that svelte body. I think she was an introvert with bouts of extroversion. There is just something charming about the fact that you said you thought she was grateful and content in her own company. This post did make me smile and Morgan makes me smile. And the thought of hugging her and smothering her with smooches sounds sweet.

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  2. I enjoyed this story of Morgan even more than usual. You have shown her personality wonderfully well. I wish again after reading this, that we had been neighbors and I had a chance to meet her and the others of course. What a loving Auntie I would have been.

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  3. I am loving your series of “Memories of Morgan”……she certainly was her own woman (!). Gotta love that and in fact it’s one of the things I like about cats – they are truly one of a kind. They have friends and family and they display just about every possible behavior (usually in a five minute period!). To this day I remember the unique qualities of all the cats I’ve shared my life with through these many years. I love remembering all of that. Morgan made a permanent impression in her home and your hearts……and I’m SURE she’s still keeping an eye on all of you!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • Morgan was the last of my true “Welly cats.” I lived on Wellington Drive when I had Jake, Mollie, Hazel and Morgan. Sasha and Gus lived there for a very short time. I don’t consider them “Welly cats.” The old house was big and made for multiple cats and their shenanigans.

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