On request: Willow, the purest of snuggles

It was pointed out to me by a friend that I have shown two of my cats on my blog, but have yet to share a photo of Willow. I tagged this article “Creative” because it has some of my better photography.

Here she is, enjoying the warmth of the Power9 server under my desk.

Willow the Cat loafing on a computer tower. — Willow, a black Tabby cat with large yellow eyes and a cropped left ear, loafs on an IBM Power9 workstation computer. A Canon printer is to the right of her.

She may look like an ordinary black cat, but she is actually very special. She is a rare Black Tabby! Here is a pretty decent photo of the stripes on her belly:

Willow asleep in a chair. — Willow sleeps on a red sheet in an office chair. The stripes on her belly are clearly visible.

The blonde cats do not really get along with each other. Melody has always felt threatened by Mr Gaz, and he has always felt resentment towards her. They mostly leave each other alone, and they can even be in the same room together just fine, but there’s no real “interaction” between them. Not so with Willow. She is a pure soul, and everyone’s friend:

Mr Gaz and Willow sit on a window perch together. — Two cats sit on a window perch together, both looking out into a dark urban night setting. Left to right: Mr Gaz and Willow.

Melody and Willow sit on the floor looking up at a window. — Two cats sit on the floor of my office, both looking up at the window. Top to bottom: Melody and Willow.

There are times where she has hid under my dining room table for an entire day, only to come out for eating. She was abandoned by a family who lived in this complex some years ago. One of the people in that family was unfortunately abusive, and I think that environment left her with some lingering trauma. It isn’t something that many will recognise, but the latest veterinary science research has shown that our animals can have PTSD just like we can.

In those times, I have learned to give her space. But I also give her acknowledgement. I peek under the dining room table, and I tell her “I see you, Willow. You are safe. When you need me, I am here.” Sometimes she comes out within 10 minutes. Sometimes it is an hour. But she always does find me after I do that.

And similarly, there have been a few times that I have been very sad and she reaches out to me in her own way. One time in particular I remember: I was crying my eyes out at my desk. And I heard this noise. I looked down and saw it was Willow standing about a meter away from me, and she looked at me and made a little “coo” sound. I put my paw down to about her level, and she came up and started licking it.

I have a bond with all of our cats, but Willow and I have a very special bond. She is the only one that will stay on my lap for an hour or more just relaxing and being happy. I love her so much.