KITTY VON KITTY

The Miraculous Kitty Von Kitty

a.k.a. "Swameowi Shaktananda"

Cats, by their very nature, are intuitive. My cat, Kitty Von Kitty, is one of the most miraculous cats that I've ever known. She is definitely the most intuitive creature (besides Gurumayi and Sally Kempton!) that I have ever crossed paths with. Can you believe that she knows when and where I am injured? I kid you not; she knows where I am feeling pain, and comes to my rescue. Here are some examples of her intuitive-pain-healing prowess:

1. I was hit by a car in 1997. As I lay in bed--unable to move my left side at all--she laid down and stretched out right along the length of the left side of my body.
2. In 1998, I had reconstructive surgery on my left shoulder. Right after the surgery, while laying in bed, Kitty Von Kitty perched herself atop my left shoulder as I slept. When my mother entered the room, this startled Kitty and she leapt up--pulling one of the stitches out while doing so!
3. Last August, I had a three level fusion done on my cervical spine. On the eve I came home from the hospital, Kitty Von Kitty tried her best to sleep on my neck! Of course, I would have none of that (for obvious reasons), but I did place a pillow behind my head for her to sleep on. My mother said that one morning she caught Kitty Von not only sleeping on the pillow--but she had both paws resting on the crown of my head!

There are countless other times that I could write about where Kitty Von intuitively knew where I was injured, but I trust you get the gist of what I'm trying to illustrate here through the above examples.

One of my physical therapists at the Hospital For Joint Diseases, in New York City, told me that there has actually been a study done on the healing powers of cats. She also said that nursing homes often allow cats to live amongst their patients not only to keep them company, but because of their healing powers: the cats would instinctively know which patients needed their company the most!

Kitty Von Kitty LOVES to Meditate!

As soon as I open my eyes and lift my head off the pillow in the morning, Kitty Von Kitty jumps off the bed and struts over to the meditation nook in my room. She sits facing my puja (alter) and waits for me to join her for our morning meditation. This happens every morning without fail!

When I am engaged in formal, seated meditation (on my meditation cushion) she will either sit on my lap or right beside me. She loves the shakti (meditation energy)! Most cats are drawn to meditation practices because of this loving energy. Kitty Von has been given the moniker "Swameowi Shaktananda" because of her love of meditation ('Swameowi' being a play on the word 'Swami' which means spiritual teacher).

Kitty Von Kitty: The Hunter (NOT!)

Although Kitty Von eats regular fish, beef, and chicken cat food, she is not, by her very nature, a hunter. When I lived in NYC, I would get the occasional mouse in my East Village apartment. Upon seeing a mouse, Kitty Von would usually chase it down, bat it around with her front paws, and then walk away from it. She wouldn't kill it to save her life (or mine!).

Kitty's Achilles Heel

Kitty Von Kitty, not too unlike most humans I know, does have an Achilles Heel. Her Achilles Heel is uncharacteristic of a cat: she lacks balance! She often falls off the bed in the middle of the night, and she has fallen out a window (first floor--no injuries). There's also something else I find quite amusing about her: she snores louder than most men I know. No joke! When I first got out of the hospital last August I needed 24 hour supervision. That translated to me sleeping on the couch in the living room with Kitty Von on the pillow behind my head, and my mother sleeping in a Lazy Boy chair about a foot away from us. One night my mother said, "You snore a lot." I said, "I'm not asleep, that's Kitty!"

Another thing I absolutely adore about my feline friend is her heart shaped nose. She has the biggest heart of any cat I've ever met. She follows me everywhere--always purring loudly--like my shadow.

These are just some of the things that make my Kitty Von Kitty so special to me. These are also the reasons why I'm giving her the honor of being named CAT OF THE MONTH (November) on the Jaibhakti blog.

Do you have a cat that you would like to be honored as CAT OF THE MONTH? Simply send me his or her picture and a brief write-up, and I'd be glad to honor your kitty!

Love to you all,

Bhakti (and Kitty Von Kitty: she's right here sitting on my lap as I type!)

All photos copyright 2005 D.L. Brophy