Wow. Two weeks in and I already messed up my days! I thought yesterday was Thursday so I did not even think to write up my “flashback” post.

Since I am flared up and Marmalade sleeps on my hurting joints I thought it would be fitting to talk about the first time Marmalade “took care” of me.

We had only had her for two months when I got braces. My jaw, mouth and teeth were sore beyond belief. Because of the level of pain, I was insanely light-sensitive. I spent most of the afternoon and evening with my blankets over my head.

Marmalade started to pace up and down the length of my body.

I knew she came from a good place because she was worried about me, but this cat was ridiculous!

She screamed and yowled for a response. I ignored her.

She pawed and scrambled the blankets off my face. I pulled them back over.

Finally, she stopped! YES.

No.

She gave up. But not entirely. She just sat on my face and curled up into a ball.

I know she meant well but 16 pounds of cat fat does not help an aching face!

just lazing around!

Marmalade is an extremely caring cat. Maternal in many ways. I love that she knows what hurts and she sleeps on the exact spot. However, when I am already in pain, it does not make matters much better!

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Well, if I’m going to “flashback” I might as well start at the very beginning.

The first day/night we brought Marmalade home is totally engrained in my mind. I have never gotten less sleep in my life.

She was already 1 year old so she was extremely nervous about being in a new home. She sat in the fireplace all day.

My assumption was she would just sleep there during the night. Good assumption? NOPE.

After everyone went to sleep she came out to play. Literally. She barreled into my room and explored. She found a marble and rolled it up and down my wood floor for hours. She wanted to explore the desk so she jumped up on my chair. At the time she did not know what a rolling chair was….

Cat and chair went crashing into the desk. Marmalade, who was extremely startled, ran back to the safety of the fireplace.

Good, I could go back to sleep. But just in case I closed my door. BAD IDEA.

Less than an hour later, this blasted cat was pushing herself against my door and yowling her head off. I grudgingly let her in. It was a lose-lose situation. She has a piercing yowl, I would not be able to sleep with her outside my door. I should have known I would not sleep with her in my room either!

She continued to play with the marble. She kept throwing herself at my closet door until it opened. Once she was inside, she proceeded to throw everything off the dressers and make a nest for herself.

She tried a second time to get up on the rolling chair. This time she succeeded!

She walked across my face and wanted me to pet her.

Then came the moment of truth. She was ready for me to pick her up. One problem: I had never picked up a cat in my life. I tried to pick her up and ended up dropping her on the corner of my wooden trundle bed. Whoops…

She ran back to the safety of her fireplace.

When I told my dad what happened, he laughed and said Marmalade was going to be my cat.

He was right.

Marmalade takes care of me. She stays with me when I am sick or hurt or sad. She protects me (or thinks she does).

I am so lucky this cat found me!

BTW, she is sitting on a very large ceramic baby Jesus…who is wearing an ornante crown

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.