Sparkle

Sparkle (1985/86? - October 15, 1999)(aka Sparkler, Beauty, Life Changer, Silkball, Silker, Cali -- short for Calico, since she was a dilute calico/tortie mix)

It has always been hard for us to establish the exact date when Sparkle adopted us. On the form filled out at her first vet visit (with us), I put down April 1, 1988. However, she first introduced herself to me the previous Saturday, March 26. Alison never grows tired of hearing the story: She had gone away for an all-day conference in Macomb, IL that day, and I had decided to check out a bar & grill in our neighborhood for dinner. When I walked out the door of our apartment on the north side of Chicago on my way to dinner, I saw a cat hanging out in front of our front steps. She gave me a rub, and I gave her a few pets. We continued exchanging rubs and pets, and I may have actually sat down and invited her on my lap. After awhile, I left, telling her I would be back soon and to wait for me. When I returned, she was still there, so we continued with the rubs and pets. I opened the door to our first-floor apartment and held it open for her, inviting her inside. She hesitated, then cautiously enter the apartment. I sat down on our couch, where she joined me periodically for some petting, then left me to explore the apartment (in retrospect, probably checking out the hiding places!).

This continued until Alison came home. I said, "I have a surprise for you." On cue, Sparkle walked out, and it was love at first sight. Alison got out some milk, and the cat was so eager for food that she intercepted the milk as she poured it into a bowl on the floor. We continued the visit for awhile, but since we had no litterbox, we were concerned about leaving her inside, so we coaxed her back outside. We had discussed adopting a cat but had not been actively seeking one out. The next day we went out and bought some cat food, a litterbox, and some litter just in case the cat returned. That evening we were eating dinner in the alcove of our apartment, near the street, when we heard a loud meow. It was Sparkle. I opened the door, and this time she dashed inside without hesitation. She had made up her mind that we were the right family for her. The following Friday (April 1) was Good Friday, and as I had the day off, we went to a pet shop and bought a carrier, food bowls, and a few toys. I suspect this commitment is what stuck in my mind when I brought her to the vet for the first time on April 8; on the form I filled out, I listed April 1 as the time of adoption. We were always undecided on exactly when Sparkle adopted us, but in retrospect I now know that our first encounter, that previous Saturday, March 26, was the real day!

How Sparkle got her name

We tried out various names on this stray cat, but none seemed to fit just right. Alison's sister was pregnant that spring, and in jest the proud parents-to-be had referred to the fetus as Spike. But not knowing whether it was a boy or girl, they added Sparkle in case it was female. Our niece Sarah was born on March 24, just a few days before we adopted our first cat. We hated to see the name Sparkle go to waste, and named her that. It seemed to fit, since she glowed up our lives immediately. The name was still on our minds on Easter (April 3), when we were invited to Alison's sister's house for dinner and to see our new niece. Sparkle had already found a great hiding spot on the top of a closet shelf. Alison, concerned about the cat's ability to get down, tried to "help" her off the shelf. Sparkle let her know in no uncertain terms (with a quick bite) that she was quite content to stay where she was, thank you very much. [We often wondered how she got herself up to that shelf until we observed her jump up there one day; it was a two-step process, first to the hanging clothes, then to the shelf.]

Over the years, Sparkle demonstrated that she was a master at finding hiding places. When we moved to our first house, in Oak Park, Illinois, she quickly discovered her ideal hiding spot, behind the dry wall in the unfinished basement. I never found out exactly where she went, but a few times saw her emerge with her whiskers full of dust! When we moved again, I tried to keep up with her hiding spots so I could find her in an emergency or when we had to take her to the vet (we quickly learned not to get the carrier out just before we had to go, or otherwise she would make herself scarce!).

Alison was out of work the first few months after we adopted Sparkle, and the two of them quickly developed a special bond between them. It was a difficult time for Alison, and Sparkle helped tremendously. She was extremely sensitive, and was always there to comfort her. She was quite shy and timid, and was wary of strangers. Those whom she graced with her presence were privileged indeed. She paid my mother-in-law the ultimate compliment by sitting on her lap! But with us she was very generous with her love, and was subtle in her demands on us. She had the sweetest disposition. She was a champion at rubbing, often giving our legs a body slam and then turning around for another rub, which would often linger. We've never met a cat since who could give such full contact rubs, and that's one of the things about Sparkle that we miss the most. One of her trademarks was the way she held her tail high when she walked, which we called her periscope tail; often that was the only indication that she was in the room. She loved laps, as long as we weren't wearing shorts; she assiduously avoided bare legs for some reason. She much preferred Alison's lap, but would lie on my mine if Alison wasn't available. Her ideal setup was to be on Alison's lap and me next to her giving her the pets she loved. We also loved how silky and sweet her fur smelled. Hence one of her nicknames, Silker!

Sparkle was our First Cat, and was with us for eleven and a half years. When we first got her as a stray, we were told at the time that she was 2-3 years old, which means she must have been 13-14, maybe almost 15, when she succumbed to a mysterious illness on October 15, 1999. She taught us many things about the Ways of the Cat, and was a very patient teacher. We'll always treasure her sweet and gentle nature. We still feel her spirit's presence, which we are sure will always be with us. Here is the special tribute to her on the 1999 Feline-L All Souls List.

This "angelic" picture has kept Alison and myself going through some tough times.

Sparkle enjoying a little sun on our deck

Sparkle lying on our concrete step by our side door. She loved to bask in the warmth of the step when it was heated by the sun in the summer, and rolling on the concrete always felt good to her.

Sparkle sleeping on our piano bench. She loved this spot since it was out of the way and yet she could keep tabs on everything.