Enter the Tash

Well, I decided that living alone should go the way of the dinosaur. I got myself a good roommate on Monday. Her name is Tashi, and I think that this will be the start of a beautiful relationship.

Now, all of you who think that Tashi is a chick need to get your head out of the gutter. Tashi is a cat, and a really good one at that.

I went to the animal shelter on Monday over my lunch break to adopt an animal. I've had this idea for some time now, but it was only until my friend Kim "made" me schedule it on my calendar that it actually happened.

What surprised me is how few cats the shelter actually had. The website for the shelter makes it sound like they have tons of animals pouring through the doors all the time. When I showed up, there were only seven cats available.

I of course looked at all of them. One of them was huge; he looked to be 30 pounds of cat! I wondered how he would manage in a fight with a dog. There was another right by the door to the room that got very animated as soon as I came in the room. I instantly scratched (pun intended) that one off my list; I don't need a cartoon creature, just a companion to keep me company.

Then I saw Tashi. I stuck my fingers through the cage and let her sniff, and there was an instant bond with the creature. Then I took her out of her cage and held her and there went my heart, melted like butter in a microwave. The cat was very comfortable with me for the very short time that we knew each other.

I knew that this was the one. My friend Kim held her while I checked out the stat sheet tied to the cage. Her name was Panther. I thought, Panther? Where the holy Hebrew hay did that name come from? This was no Panther. That implies agression, and this cat was obviously just like me -- laid back and happy just to be around. But the rest of the stats looked good -- female, year and a half old, spayed just a week ago, mixed breed.

I determined to secure that cat as soon as possible. After signing a few forms and purchasing a few supplies there at the shelter (all told I parted with about $80), I walked away with a new friend.

She cried incessantly on the way to my place. I would too if I were boxed up like that. But when I brought the box inside and opened it up, she popped her head up out of the box and looked around very eagerly. I took her out, and she went from room to room to orient herself. In the meantime, I set up her litter box and then placed the cat in it so that she would know where it was. Then I washed her bowls and set out food and water. That cat seems a little thin, I thought, but I'll correct that soon enough.

The only thing missing was the name. Kim suggested Caroline, since I got the cat in South Carolina, and I admit that name had some appeal to me. But it also got that Neal Diamond song stuck in my head -- "Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good" -- and though it would be appropriate and I like a lot of what Neil Diamond has put out, I didn't want the song to get old.

There seems to be a little Siamese in the cat, especially with the shape of the head and the proportion of her ears and nose, so I thought that an Asian-sounding name would be appropriate. I first thought of Sasha, but that didn't seem right. It sounded more African than Asian to me. After a few iterations on Sasha, I came upon Tashi (Sasha --> Tasha --> Tashi). And the best part is that I can shorten it for a nickname that is both classy and spunky at the same time -- Tash (which I pronounce "tosh" to keep with the pronounciation of the full name "taugh'-shee"). She seems to respond well to the name, so that seals the deal.

My sister thinks that I stole the name from Tibet since, apparently, "tashi" is Tibetan for "prosperity". Gee, if only I knew Tibetan. I am learning Chinese, though, and in Chinese "ta shi" could mean "she is", although the pronounciation is different from the way I have named the cat. In a way, that seems godlike, what with the whole Jehovah the great I AM running through the Old Testament. But out of respect for my friends who are avid dog advocates, maybe I'll just not go there.


This cat is purr-fect! Very well behaved. Most of the time she only wants to just be around, so she will sit or sleep nearby no matter what I am doing. She lets me know when she wants to play, and then I get her toy -- right now a rod with feathers on the end of it -- and away we play. At first she had to have me right next to her before she would eat out of her dish, but now she seems more accommodated and only needs to have me nearby.

I'm sure more adventures will come. For the moment, it's great to have someone to come home to at the end of the day, someone who looks forward to seeing you (even if it may only be because your food dish needs filling), someone who doesn't have demands but rather simple requests that are easily satisfied, someone who is happy just to be around. Enter the Tash.