Denise and I were trying to come up with the time period when our cat Niki first appeared in our lives and what we decided was that she first showed up, unannounced and unsolicited during the summer of 1985. It was most likely one of the summer holidays – possibly the Fourth of July or Labor Day. Denise recalls that she was playing outside with the Tangeman kids and stumbled upon this oddly-colored tortoiseshell tabby cat. She had splotches of black, orange, brown, and one odd patch of white on her chest.
Mostly what we came to know about the cat that Denise and the Tange-kids named Niki, was that she was unfailingly sweet. I personally wasn’t all that keen on adding her to our household at the time. I was too partial to my cat Jet, who was nearing the age of two. Nikki appeared to be even younger, although she wasn’t a kitten by any means. But I was protective of Jet’s turf. When my parents agreed to let Denise keep her, it was with the understanding that she would be an outdoor cat, while Jet would remain indoors.
Probably the only picture of Niki and me
Soon enough though, Niki charmed her way into the house. Jet was less than happy, and although he tried to pick on her now and then, there wasn’t much he could do since he didn’t have claws. Niki, to her credit, understood that she was on Jet’s turf and always tolerated his antics – even though she could have gashed him bad at any time. She never once did.
Jet and Niki drawing a Christmas truce in 1985
Eventually she became well-loved by all of us. She meandered in and out of the house at her will and was generally always finding her way onto someone’s lap. I think she sensed the fact that Jet was my cat and she belonged to Denise, but as she and I got older, we warmed up to each other more and more.
Niki passed away on a hot summer day around the Summer of 1993. We found her just outside our front door, lying under a bush. We pegged her age at death at about nine years old. She had been a great pet and I really miss seeing her sweet eyes and gentle disposition.
Sweet Niki
Below is a video I took of Niki trying to catch a bug during the Spring of 1987. She was okay when the camera was on the other side of the fence, but as soon as it crossed over the top, it spooked her and she took off.
Return to the Summer of 1985…
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