November 23, 2009

Happy first Stellaversary!

What on earth, you may very rightfully ask, is “Stellaversary”? Well, it just so happens that the word Stellaversary is a completely homemade term I created as a way of marking the date when we first brought our darling cat, Stella home. As today, the 23rd of November, is the one year anniversary of when she came into our lives, I am hereby proclaiming this date to the first annual Stellaversary!

Though both my husband and I had the pleasure of growing up in homes with pets, as a couple, Stella is the first animal that we can jointly call our own. We’re both massive animal lovers and had known from day one that we wanted a pet (or two...), but for the first few years of our relationship our lives were in too much of a state of flux (several moves – including overseas, waiting for life altering decisions from Immigration Canada, etc) for us to have responsibly taken on a pet.

Last year, for the first time ever in our life together, things began to settle down, (positive) outcomes were finally reached, and we knew that at long last it was OK for us to consider bringing home a pet. We didn’t set out on this exact date one year ago with the intention of bringing home a cat, we’d actually gone out to buy a dining room table, of all things! Well, we succeeded in finding a beautiful one of those (on sale!), and afterwards continued bopping around to various places in that part of town.

As the evening wore on we found ourselves at a PetSmart which just happened to be one of the locations that includes an in-house animal rescue adoption centre. All of the cats at PetSmart are ones that have found their way their from animal shelters (such as the SPCA) and who are looking for loving “forever” families of their own. Both my husband and I are huge supporters of adopting shelter animals, so when we saw two adorable, 11 week old kittens staring up at us through the viewing glass of the cat corner (of the store), we instantly asked if we could look at and hold them.

Though we would have loved dearly to be able to have brought them both home with us, we knew that it would be much more economically responsible for just get one cat. The pair that batted their sweet golden eyes at us were brother and sister, of whom we decided to adopt the girl, Stella (at the time she was the calmer of the two, a trait that we thought would make her a good house cat – as we live in a high rise apartment and she wouldn’t, and isn’t, allowed outside...little did we know then that she had a secret rambunctious side that would put the Energizer bunny to shame!).

After speaking with the person in charge of the cats (who told us that the kittens were feral strays, but had no further information about their background other than their age), we loading up a shopping cart (at PetSmart) with everything (and then some) that a young kitten might ever want or need, paid for our kitty supplies, and with hearts bursting to the breaking point with love and excitement, brought our new kitten home.

For the first few days she was very, very shy (she camped out under the sofa for the most part), yet after a little while our new baby cat warmed up to us. We named her Stella (the Italian word for star, as her grey fur and sparkling yellow eyes both reminded me of stars in the night sky) and suddenly we came to realize how very much our lives had been missing without this wonderful animal in it.

Jump ahead a year and Stella is every bit as adorable today as she was back then. Full of spunk and energy, she’s a bright, inquisitive, massively energetic cat who loves to run around the apartment, exploring ever nook and cranny, play with her (plethora of) toys, sleep in her kitty condo (a gift from my parents to their “grandkitty”), and curl up with my us from time to time for a good snuggle.

Stella is not the most “lap cat” of felines, but for all her playfulness, she is exceedingly sweet and often seems to know when I’m feeling extra rough health wise. On such days she’ll curl up with me in bed or on the sofa as I watch TV, purring loudly and nestling her little grey face into against me. Whether she knows it or not, Stella is a therapy pet. Though it was us that saved her, in so many ways she has also rescued us.

She is also a joy, a blessing, and a truly wonderful animal. It’s nearly impossible to fathom how life would be today if we’d not brought Stella home. Though we may very have adopted a different cat at some point, they would not have been our darling Stella. Just as with children, no two pets ever exactly alike, and when it comes to wonderful kitties we could not have found a more darling pet than our sweet Stella.


{1. Even the best of us must rest sometime, 2. A vision of cuteness, 3. "Mommy, mommy", purred Stella, "I saw another one, it's up there, look!", 4. I'm not vicious! You just caught me mid-yawn :), 5. Contemplating everything that flutters, flaps or flies, 6. Pink is the love you discover, 7. Stella wishes everyone a sunny Sunday, 8. Stella ponders whether or not she should steal yet another strawberry from the "human's" curious display of temptation, 9. Sunshine makes me sleepy, 10. What is this strange, warm, wonderful light?, 11. Reach for your dreams, 12. Such a very serious look, for one so young, 13. I'm so precious. Twelve images, to represent each delightful month that we’ve had her, plus one more to symbolize my love for Stella, make up this mosaic that shows the many expressions and moods of our precious grey tabby. All photos were taken by me and are from my Flickr stream.}

My dear friends, please join me in celebrating one year of a life filled with the pitter-patter of four tiny paws, and in the merriment of my endless love for my cat, as we mark the first ever Stellaversary!

30 comments:

  1. kitties are the best people! my cat is my best friend.

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  2. Happy Stellaversary darling! I'm glad she brings so much joy to you and your husband, and thanks for sharing the days with us!

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  3. Aww your kitty has such an adorable face, she's so lovely! I'm a cat person myself and luckily so is my other half - I think I could only settle with a guy who has a similar love for these delightful little creatures. Being raised with a cat alongside me they always became the one stable thing in my life, the one thing that would always give the best cuddles.

    I envy you that your cat enjoys playing with toys. Our last two just look at them and think "er and what do you want me to do with that" every time we have ever tried to introduce a toy or fun into their daily life!

    Thank you for sharing such lovely pictures, you really do have a gorgeous cat!

    Have a sweet and wonderful weekend!

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  4. what a wonderful story! I should have celebrated Pumpkin's 1 year anniversary!!! Stella is such a pretty cat :-)

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  5. *squee!* Stella is adorable! We have 4 cats and 1 dog, which makes for some interesting situational comedy most days. We can't have kids so our pets ARE our kids, and they get spoiled accordingly. Therapy indeed...nothing is more comforting than the purr of a contented, sleepy cat on your lap! Happy Stellaversary! :)

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  6. She is beautiful beyond belief. I hope that she continues to bring you joy for many more years to come
    xxx

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  7. Congratulations!! Happy Stellaversary. That's so sweet. Pets just bring so much happiness into our lives - I know I couldn't live without one :-)
    Why don't you bring Stella to our Tuesday Tea Party - Patsy would love to meet her ;-)
    Have a great day!

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  8. Awwwww, happpy happy Stellaversary to you and your adorable fur baby!

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  9. Happy Stellaversary! I have myself four lovely, soft, funny, bonehead, pot-bellied cats, and, believe me, I know how much one can love a pet.
    This afternoon I brought one of them, Mimi, a loving five-year-old black kitty, to the veterinary and, to my affliction, I learned she suffers from leukaemia, and she's probably not going to reach the end of November. I spent my day trying not to cry like a baby in front of my colleagues. I'll probably have to put her to sleep, even if that makes me feel even worse.
    I never thought I could be that fond of an animal... *sniff*

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  10. Happy Stellaversary! This warms my heart Jessica! Animals bring so much joy into our lives and your Stella is gorgeous...I'll nickname her Stunning Stella!

    There are so many animals that need a loving home and I'm grateful to you for giving Stella a loving and happy home.

    My cat Rita celebrated her 14th birthday last August. I found her in a dumpster when she was less than two weeks old. I had to bottle feed her and do everything a momma cat would do. I'm so thankful she survived, she has been a constant source of joy form me!

    Thank you for sharing your stunning Stella with us!

    Love and hugs,
    Karyn

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  11. Happy stellaversary to you!! She is a beautiful cat!! it always amazes me how our animals work their way into our hearts and homes and become our family!!

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  12. Stella is such a pretty cat. Your post makes me think maybe I want another cat. Then I think of Rowan, my last little red demon, and I remember I like dogs so much more. lol Dang nabbed, I need a house. :)

    Also, of course I don't mind you commenting on my older posts! Who in their right mind would? ;) It's nice to know my older ones do get read, even if they don't go back all that far.

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  13. Jessica I love this post! Your sweet Stella is truly lucky to have been rescued by you. About 10 years ago I was also in a PetSmart and found my precious Charlie. He has made such a difference in my life. I love how you said you saved her but she really saved you! It is how I feel about Charlie...he is there for me always and my love for him has grown over the year. He came to me when my daughters had left me with an empty nest and he has more then filled it. If you visit my Blog there is a photo and a post about a recent surgery Charlie had...i'm happy to report he is fine and healing well. I love my Charlie Boy. Happy Stellaversary to you, your husband and of course the star of the family Stella!

    Linda

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  14. Happy Stelliversary! What a sweetie!

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  15. Ah, yes! There is nothing quite as sweet as a kitten! We have 3 cats ourselves!

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  16. Wow, those pictures are great. Stella is adorable. Animals really do bring so much to one's home. I don't know what I would do without my own two lovelies.

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  17. Jessica, that is one of the sweetest posts I have read in a very long time. Stella is stunning, with her cute dark colored nose with just a trace of pink. I love the term you used "grandkitty." That is priceless. Previously, I always had at least one cat in my life, but then there were a few years without any. So about 3 months ago we found a stray in our backyard that had just given birth to a little girl kitty a few weeks prior. Now we have them both as our housecats and I'm thrilled once more. My children still get excited about them. There is nothing sweeter than a cat!
    Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Stellaversary!
    Maureen

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  18. She is a beauty! It's so wonderful to hear that you are a rescue person too. All of my "kids" are rescues, and I am so grateful to other homes who take in the ones I can't. We're not as full as we've been before, but we are still busy with dogs, cats, and a few loving rats!
    Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge

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  19. Oh for sure, from one animal lover to another. Our cat Tilly sounds the same as Stella, not a big lap cat but an endless source of amusement for us. She rules the house, that's for sure.

    Loved the picture collage, big hug Stella my love.
    xoxo

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  20. Happy Stellaversary! :D and hopefully many more.

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  21. What a sweet kitty--Happy Stellaversary to you!

    By the way, I gave you a blog award—check out my blog for details :-)

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  22. She's so adorable. Great photos. What a great day to honor. Happy Stellaversary!

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  23. She is so sweet!

    Happy Thanksgiving! Please visit my blog for details on my first giveaway!
    Carolyn

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  24. Jessica, she is just gorgeous! I can "feel" her sweet spirit and how much you love her and I don't blame you one bit. I'm madly, passionately in love with my Jezebel and Jackson as well.

    Have a happy Thanksgiving, dear friend! <3

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  25. Sweetest dears, thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart for your immensely kind Stellaversary wishes. I know that this post had almost nothing to do with vintage (other than that Stella has a vintage obsessed mommy ;D), but I couldn't let Monday pass without publicly declaring my love for my darling little kitty.

    Huge thanks to you each for telling me about the amazing cats in your own lives (and/or that you've had in the past). I truly feel that animals bless and enrich our lives to no end, and am so happy for you each and your wonderful pets.

    Thank you again sooooo much from both Stella and I, for your touching wishes!
    ♥ Jessica

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  26. Happy Stellaversary! (Oh no! It's belated!) I got my little kitty (cleverly named "Kitty") from a shelter three years ago this Christmas. She was the feistiest of all the kitties in the shelter - pouncing on my hands when the others were backing away or sleeping. They're so wonderful, those little wise, cuddly, playful furballs!

    iamemmamusic.blogspot.com

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  27. Happy Stellaversary Jessica! She's such a pretty cat and thank you for writing such a sweet post! May you have many more Stellaversaries. When I was 8 I got my cat Tiger who was the only kitten available at any SPCA in Greater Vancouver that month. He was just a tiny nervous ball of fur with burnt off whiskers. He's now almost 13 with very long whiskers and is more of a purring, drooling "shoulder cat" and still acts like a kitten. Unless if he wants food, then he throws things on the floor. But I can't imagine my life without him.

    P.S. Thank you for your lovely comments.

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  28. Hi Emma & TFE, thank you both dearly for sharing the beautiful stories about your own precious kitties. I'm so happy that you both have fur babies in your lives, too! Three cheers for the wonderfulness of pets.


    Tons of hugs & joyful weekend wishes to you both,
    ♥ Jessica

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  29. Oh, happy belated Stellaversary then!!!

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  30. Thank you so much, darling AlicePleasance, from both Stella and for your lovely wishes!

    ♥ Jessica

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