Rest in Peace - June 1993 - January 6, 2010.
Psyche was a great cat and had a grand life for 16.6 years, looking after me and my parents.
Her kitten nickname was Psycho-Kitty. This is because when my friend's 14 year old daughter and I went to
the Burnaby SPCA looking at kittens, she was the one trying to climb
the bars of her cage while loudly mewing. We quickly named her
"Psycho-Kitty."
A few evenings after bringing her home I listened to Lister Sinclair on the CBC Radio program IDEAS, speak about the Greek Goddess Psyche - the goddess of Soul, who was also the wife of Cupid. You can't call a kitten "Psycho-Kitty" for the rest of her life!
Little Psyche was a great animal companion for me. I had recently separated from my wife, so I gave everything to this new female for whom I was her world. We lived in a shared house beside Burnaby Lake, on GVRD property next to the Wildlife Refuge Centre. We also lived with John and Arlene, a dog named Bodhi (after the tree that Buddha meditated under), a black spaniel named Chelsea, a big white cat named Spike, and a small Burnese cat named Cleo. Spike, Bodhi and Chelsea were great with little Psyche. She would chase after them, and they would put up with her. Spike would swat the energetic kitten away, and she would come running back and tackle his tale... only to be swatted away again.Burnaby Lake was a great place to grow up. We would sit on steps in the summer and listen to all the insects. She would chase them and be wide eyed just watching them fly past.
Every night for our "going to bed ritual" - Psyche would climb the first few steps of the landing, then climb out on the railing. I would come along and bend down, so she could climb onto my shoulder. Then she would balance across my shoulders, as we would walk up the stairs to our bedroom. We lived at the Burnaby Lake house until 1998, when I moved to the North Shore to be with my parents.
Psyche quickly became part of the family with my parents. Dad would feed her extra treats, while Mom would always shoo her out of the kitchen. Psyche became an adept mouser, and loved all the room in the big house with all the rooms and crawl spaces downstairs to play hide & seek. She also liked going outside and exploring the fern garden in the back, as well as Mom's flower and rhododendron garden in the front. Our bed-time ritual would continue - but in different direction. She would come and tap me while I was working late on the computer to say "Come to bed now!"
She was an excellent mouser, and would bring mice to my room, but somehow lose control of them, as they scurried underneath the bed or cabinets. It was these times her nick name would be changed to "Stupid Cat" or usually "Goofy Cat." Sometimes I would find her waiting for me if I came home late. She always came over to say hello. If I had been away for a few days, she would pretend to ignore me by sitting nearby, but not approach me. I had to make it up to her. She had me trained to bring her treats if she greeted me at the door!
Psyche kitty hair has accompanied my travels over the years to Beijing, Scotland and the Grand Canyon. She made friends easily and she was loved by many.
Psyche sneezes and shakes her head.WHAT HAPPENED TO PSYCHE:
Psyche had a stroke about 9pm last night... affecting her front right leg and balance... I first noticed when she climbed off my lap and sort of rolled over... She gimpily tried to walk out of the front room... before I could stop her - then she tumbled down 4 steps to the next level.
