Amanda Colletta & Gustav
With Gustav, it was love at first sight. I already had a giant fluffy black and white Maine Coon cat named Huey and had no intention of getting another. As we all know, a casual scroll through Petfinder can quickly turn into an excursion to pick up the adorable little face staring at you through the screen. After three hours of driving through the White Mountains during peak foliage, I arrived at the Conway Area Humane Society and met the fluffiest little gentleman. Gustav was fully ready for a black-tie ball with his tuxedo coloring and little white shoes. He was the last kitten in his litter and seemed scared to be alone without his mom and siblings for the first time. After a few minutes, he curled up in my lap for the drive home. Little did he know, my lap would become his favorite spot for the next twelve years.
Huey was the alpha cat and bullied little Goose (as we quickly nicknamed him), but they settled into a relationship of chasing each other, followed by naps and baths in whatever sunbeam they could find. The brothers made a couple of cross-country trips as I moved from Vermont to San Francisco to Chicago. Sadly, Huey died in March of 2018, and while we were devastated to lose him, Goose was reborn into a new cat.
As the sole alpha cat of the house, Goose found his voice and developed a big personality. He demanded more attention which we happily obliged, and he was thrilled when we moved to a big house in Texas with a stairwell that he could zoom up and down while amplifying his ferocious roar. During this time, I saw a documentary about cat shows with some over-the-top feline stage moms. I began brushing Goose for about 20 minutes every morning and telling my husband that I would be entering him in a cat show (even though I had no intentions of following through). Eventually, this “joke” backfired on me and Goose now demands to be brushed thoroughly on a daily basis. It gives me an opportunity to collect his rogue whiskers which I keep in a jar in case any witchcraft spells require them. I even stuck his fallen whiskers throughout my wedding bouquet so he would be with us in spirit.
After his morning grooming, Goose likes to beg for food by gingerly pawing at anyone and everyone’s leg. Sometimes his nails get a bit too long which results in less of a gentle caress and more of a visit from “Razor Claws”. Every year on August 6th, our little Leo celebrates with lots of decorations and an entire slice of king salmon complete with a candle of course!
In December, Goose became a big brother to a little human baby and is adjusting to his new role. He loves all the new baby gear and the new nap locations that it provides, yet he’s a bit unsure of the crying sounds this little creature unleashes into his otherwise peaceful existence. Once the baby has been tucked in, Goose is grateful to have some cozy time curled up into the nook of my arm watching the latest housewives drama unfold on Bravo.
While things are always moving and changing in our lives, Goose remains a constant source of happiness and love. His sweet demeanor, fluffy coat, long white whiskers, and velvety purr has everyone he meets (even staunch cat haters) wrapped around his six-toed paws.
Amanda is a mother, wife, and tech marketer with a specialization in corporate events. She loves to cook and can be found making a big batch of homemade pasta every Sunday evening which Goose will happily taste test.