Olivia Pakitsas & Taco
I have always loved cats. But when I was a kid, my mother never let me have one because she has an irrational fear of them. So, as time passed, my desire to have a cat only increased the older I got, and once I was finally in a good place to have a cat of my own, I started asking around. I asked some friends and coworkers if they knew where I could adopt a cat and I was lucky enough to find out that my coworkers cat had just given birth and he was giving kittens away to a good home! So, I went over as soon as I could, and we found homes for some of the other kittens, but as soon as I saw taco, I knew he was mine. He was so small and sweet and he had the most beautiful blue eyes (now they’re yellow/green). He was the first kitten to walk towards me and he kinda just latched on to me and I knew I had to take him home.
Taco will be three years old in November and each day I love him more. He has his annoying moments like all cats, but overall, he is so well behaved and sweet. He doesn’t like to snuggle too much, but when you least expect it, he’ll come over and just lay on you and it’s the sweetest thing. And even though he isn’t really a snuggler, he’s almost always be next to me. We’re both really attached to each other but we handle it differently. I’m like a mom who gives her child way too much love. Taco is more like a pre-teen who still really needs/wants their mom but doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Like he needs the comfort of knowing I’m right there, but has this look on his face like he’s above getting hugs and kisses. It makes me laugh.
If you’re wondering why I named him Taco, it’s not because of the famous Tacocat — it’s simply because I really love tacos, and I was eating a lot of them at the time. It’s a hilarious name for him because it does not suit his personality at all. I think it probably suits my personality better than his if I’m being perfectly honest. But since he was so young when I got him (only a few weeks) I really didn’t know that he would grow into such a regal looking black cat. I swear he thinks he’s a prince, and If I knew his personality would develop in this direction, I probably would have given him a more mature name instead of the derpy name I gave him. But he’s a super chill cat. He spends his days lounging and eating. That’s pretty much it. He doesn’t even like playing with toys. He doesn’t like other animals really. He’ll put up with them, but mostly gives them the silent treatment. The only animal I’ve seen him bond with is my pet snake. For some reason, they both really like each other which is perfect for me. But overall, he seems to really like doing his own thing and not bother anyone.
The only thing goofy about him is his depth perception. He has some trouble understanding how far something is from him which in turn makes him a little accident-prone. When I first took him home a few years ago, he very quickly had an accident and needed to get stitches on his nose from running directly into the crown molding of the wall. I felt like the worst mom in the world that day, and he still has a scar on his nose because of it. But he seems to be a lot better now. He doesn’t run into walls or objects as often anymore so I think he may have outgrown it.I feel so grateful to have Taco. I’ve been living in New York for 9 years and it gets so overwhelming here that I feel like having a cat has helped me relax, develop a routine, and have some stability in my life. Everything was so hectic before, but now that I have someone else to take care of, I’m more focused on having a routine and sticking to it.I feed him at the same time everyday and he gets so excited every time. He’ll jump above the top kitchen cabinet with his front paws dangling over and stare at me with big eyes while I pour food into the bowl. He greets me at the door when I come home from work. And when it’s nice outside, I put his leash on him and we hang out on the roof of my building and look at the NYC skyline. I’d rather stay home and hang with him than go out with anyone else. I’m so lucky to have a cat like him.
Olivia Pakitsas is a 27-year-old tattoo artist currently working in Brooklyn, NY. She has been tattooing for two years and living in nyc for 9.