Sabina was my first cat. I adopted her when she was 2 months old, and I was 23. She died of renal failure when she was 17 3/4 years old, and I was 41. Sab was one of those one-person cats who was extremely loyal and attached to me, but not overly fond of others, although she did mellow out a little in her more senior years.

Sabina was a such a graceful cat, very regal, with a silvery sheen to her gray fur. She was never a lap cat, but always laid down next to me if I was sitting on the sofa, and would reach over with one paw resting on me. If I carried her, tummy-side up, she always reached up and put a paw up to my chin. However, 3 times in her life, she did sleep on my stomach, each time being about 2 to 3 years apart. And each of those 3 times, I went to sleep feeling fine, but woke up feeling ill with a stomach bug that I'd caught. It was amazing how she knew before I did, that I was going to be ill!

One of the more interesting friendships Sab had was the one she developed with a backyard squirrel. She would lie down on the inside of the dining room windowsill, and one certain squirrel would lie down on the outside window ledge, with just the window screen separating them; they appeared to enjoy each other's quiet company. On the radiator cover beneath that window, I kept a plastic container of peanuts to feed the backyard squirrels and chipmunks. One afternoon I went out shopping and came home two hours later to find a ragged fist-sized hole in the dining room screen and the container of peanuts spilled, with empty peanut shells all over the place! Sabina was still "innocently" asleep in the same place she'd been when I'd left to go out, about 10 feet away from this scene. Personally, I think she invited that squirrel in for a peanut party!

Sabina was quite a cat, a lovely and loyal cat, and I still miss her.

In memory of Sabina
1973 - 1991

Copyright © Catherine L. Friedmann
February 28, 1999