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A Celebration of Sebastian
He was undoubtedly
the most outrageously adorable kitten I'd ever seen; this isn't
just my prejudice speaking, everyone who saw him commented on the undeniable cuteness that
was Sebastian! We met him in a pet shop. As soon as he was placed on the countertop so
It's a
very good thing that he was so incredibly precious, since his antics often managed to get
him in trouble. The house we then owned had open stairs, the treads separately wrapped
with carpeting. This was the scene of many acrobatic maneuvers on his part, including
walking down the narrow railing and hanging from underneath the individual treads.
Ultimately of course he fell off, landing on a glass table top and breaking both it and
the decanter sitting on it. "BAD KITTY" echoed throughout the house, but he
trotted off without concern, secure in the knowledge that his sheer
"lovableness" would protect him (and it did)! At our next house there was a
clerestory window high above the staircase. He was adept at launching himself from the
landing and springing to the thin sill. He only missed once that we know of; his chagrin
and his limp kept him from trying that feat for a while. However, as soon as his sprained
foot (and pride) healed, he was back up there making his graceful leaps. No amount of
admonishments could keep him from his daredevil tricks; the word "no" was never
in his realm of understanding!
He loved people; adored
having guests (he was positive that everyone came to visit him and spoke with us
only because we happened to occupy his home). Wherever the humans were, Sebastian was...
usually settled in the middle of
someone's lap purring and demanding attention. As thoroughly loving as he was, he had a definite
temper and became quite feisty when it was aroused (when we were away for a week-end or on
vacation, we could expect to find photographs of the two of us knocked over...with obvious
hostility). He was a constant talker; had something to say about practically everything;
and what he said was of the utmost importance. He voiced his pleasure, his displeasure,
and his random thoughts in his own eloquent way; and he wasn't to be ignored!
The bane of his existence was a closed door. No matter where it might lead, he wanted to
be on the other side of it; and it was an affront to his independence that a barrier was
placed in his way. A line in a song from 'Cats' describes him perfectly: "...on the
wrong side of every door".
When Sebastian took ownership of us, we already had Guinivere (our elegant, haughty white cat
-- and self-appointed "queen"). Even though she bullied him and made it clear that he was an interloper in her territory, he worshipped her...always did until the day she died. A few other kitties have come through the household, and he managed to harass each of them by showing his hissing disdain for their presence. All except for Lancelot, who came into the family after Guinie's death and was a perfect replica of her in appearance and personality. Sebastian obviously felt that his old friend had returned (who knows, maybe she had!), and he welcomed Lancie with open paws.In an odd display that had to be seen to be
believed, he was fascinated by the cockatiels we had and never attempted to ensnare them,
even when they landed on his back! He was transfixed when they ambled across the floor to
him but felt very abused when they nibbled on his whiskers! It was evident that he had
some passing thoughts about doing what cats "do" naturally with birds, but he
knew that the big trouble such an act would cause wasn't worth the momentary thrill. Even
though he
always ignored the word "no", he hated being yelled at (and avoided it
at all costs)...it was an insult to his dignity!!
We've made several moves, including some state-to-state relocations, and Sebastian was supremely annoyed by each of them! Even though he enjoyed having a new domain to explore, he detested the car trips that took him there. If he had to be in the horrible automobile-beast, he at least wanted to travel as quickly as possible. He'd settle down somewhat when we were driving at freeway speeds; but as soon as we slowed down for any reason, he was furious....and loudly so!! There were times when he was so obnoxious I wished momentarily that we could have stowed him on the moving van and let the movers deal with him! The first of the two times we've moved to California we weren't quite sure what the law was regarding incoming cats, and we didn't have his vaccination papers with us. Therefore, we were hoping he'd keep a low profile....silly us!! As soon as we stopped at the border check station and rolled down the window, he appeared menacingly from the back seat and lunged for the inspector. I grabbed his tail (which was an unforgivable offense, but that was the only thing I could reach); John scrambled to reel him in and roll the window back up; and the inspector exclaimed in desperation "Hold that tiger"!! At least after all that excitement no one questioned his veterinary record, and he was able to become a California citizen
.With all of his macho strutting, he was
definitely a pampered indoor cat. After that initial move to California, he somehow
slipped out of the door when we were leaving one morning. When we returned home in the
evening, we realized he was missing and guessed at what had happened. We searched high and
low, calling out his name (tearfully on my part), to no avail. John made one last tour of
the neighborhood in the dark with a flashlight. He saw two shining eyes in a bush and then
heard that distinctive voice, followed by a defiant hiss. You read stories about lost cats
who find their way home from many miles away. Our little wanderer made it to the house
directly across the street from us and wasn't able to navigate the route home from there!
After that he never again initiated another such expedition...definitely a pampered indoor
cat!!
In his last few years Sebastian slowed down
somewhat. He lost weight even though he thoroughly enjoyed his food and treats; his
thick coat lost some of its luster; those big, blue, slightly-crossed eyes didn't see
quite as clearly; but his regal tail retained all of its glory!
Even as he aged, he continued his constant conversations, demanded every bit of attention
he felt he deserved (usually at the most inconvenient time), and ruled the household with
an iron paw! The force of his personality definitely remained untouched by the years!!
Lancie and Teazer (the other "youngster" in the clan and Lancie's great buddy)
were four times the size of Sebastian, but they deferred to him in every matter and obeyed
his every command...they truly loved that sometimes grumpy old guy!!
November of 1995 marked almost 20 years
since the world's most darling kitten took over our lives. He came within a couple of
months of achieving that rather uncommon kitty milestone of 2 decades of life...but he
slipped away from us peacefully, and we believe without pain; we found him in his favorite
napping spot. We still miss him, as do Lancie and Teazer, but we were graced by his
presence for an unusually long period of time. We're thankful for that, and for all of the
sweet memories we have of him.
So this celebration of your life is our
special farewell to you, 'Bastian. Thank you and sleep well, kitten.
Bastian's buddies Lancie and Teazer, a.k.a. the FatCats
(posing here as the
For a collection of travelogues and photos highlighting truly special
"getaways" in California, Hawaii...and much more, please visit "Jan’s Journeys"
HOME (return
to "Hights' Habitat")
Copyright© 1996 - 2008: Jan Hight. All rights
reserved.
All photos are the property of Jan & John Hight and may not be copied or otherwise
used without our written permission.
Other Grrrrreat Cat
Sites:
Cats
HQ: Cats Away (everything *cat*!), Cat-a-Purr (read his
touching "final adventure"), Oz and Voodoo's Playground (such adorable brothers), Pelz Studios (beautiful pet art), Punkin NET
Please visit the wonderful website linked below.
Deb truly adores kitties: she rescue those who are homeless; gives them much love in her
shelter; and finds them caring homes.
If you wish to help the unfortunate homeless furry-ones who are being persecuted in
Singapore, please go to the
"Cats in Singapore" site that is linked below.
You simply must meet this diary-writing Siamese duo!
See all the cats....at AllTheCats.
'Bastian's Awards:
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