I had two lovely female cats, Matilda and Malu -- two characters with contrasting personalities!

Black and white Matilda is your typical cautious alley cat, all instincts, yet full of love. You touch her when she sleeps and she will bite you right away! Then she will go to you with sad eyes to lick your hand and rub herself on your arm, as if she were signaling it was not her intention to hurt you.

Matilda is humble, she does not demand. If water in her plate is low, she just stands there and takes and occasional peek at me with puzzling eyes. She loves to drink water with ice cubes in it.

Matilda came to my ground-floor apartment one afternoon two years ago. I opened the door, and this "thing" squiggled in. I believed it was a mouse! She fit in the palm of my hand. She was all bones and starving, but strong. I wonder how long she walked to get to my apartment.

I was not in the mood to get another pet. My previous cat had died a month ago and I was still hurting. But, how could you refuse shelter to this poor creature with such a will to survive? She went to eat right way some dry food I had left over. This hard food must have been the first nourishment she had in days. When she went to her litter box, she meowed in pain because her ass must have hurt. She never got fat, but boasts strong muscles and a shiny coat.

Not understanding that cats do not necessary crave for the company of other cats, my nephew and I thought it would be a good idea to get another cat to keep her company. Wrong! Matilda was already one year old when we brought in another kitten, Malu.

Fluffy, delicate, typical house princess cat, Malu must have been much older than Matilda when the latter came to live with us.

Malu, however, was delicate, had little instinct and didn't even eat by herself. We had to feed her milk in a bottle. It took a couple of weeks before she could take solid food, which from then on she love so much, it made her a fat [17 pounds] cat she is today. We have to teach her to go to the litter box and we had to clean her afterwards because she had no instinct then to do it herself.

Since the very first moment, Matilda hated Malu. Every time they were alone, we have to lock Malu in my nephew's room, preventing Matilda from attacking her, as she did every time he had a chance. It took months for Matilda to "accept" her not to love her, though. Now, they get along better and gang up early in the morning to wake us up for her soft-dinner early feeding.

Matilda is a hunter. Malu is a show-off. Matilda loves us — only us. She does not get along with other people. She cuddle up with us and sleeps comfortable on and at our side. Malu doesn't like to be fondles — and she is so beautiful one wants to squeeze her and hug her. This she allows only for a little while. She loves to show off when company comes.

At 7:OOAM sharp both cats used to go to David's (my nephew) room. Matilda waited on the floor, while Malu jumped on his bed and started a series of tricks to wake him up. First, she blew on his ear. If this did not work, she purred. If this does not work, she bit on his arms. If this did not work, she went to his night table and knocked down every single object on top of it. If this did not work, she went to the door attachment (the one the prevents doors from banging on the well) and stared making noise with it.

And finally if all that didn't work, both of them went to my room, and woke me up. Matilda by walking all over me (she did nothing to David. David is Malu's territory) and Malu by blowing on my ear and licking my nose. I must confess, I have very little resistance, they knew, and I yelled David's name. Once he answered both went to his room and the everyday procession occurred. Malu first, a sleepy David following her and lastly Matilda, going downstairs.

Malu is now living in Madrid for over one year. I missed her a lot. She was the type of sad-eye cat you cannot forget, and she was so human in behavior, a smart cookie. Matilda is still with me, queen of the apartment, happy to be alone with me.

Copyright © Ralph Rewes