Chiyel Hayles, MiMi, Misti & Moxii
Left to right: Moxii, MiMi, and Chiyel
As cliche as it sounds, it truly was love at first sight with MiMi. I saw her unfurl from a little black mass among a litter from a stray that my parents had sheltered a short time prior. After a few blinks, I could make out a kitten and I was smitten. As I reached toward her to pick her up that first time, she stumbled my way too. ‘Mine’ immediately came to mind so I named her after the adjective form in Spanish. I like to think she felt the same way about me from the start. That day started my relationship with what I call my “soul pet.” Before this point, my parents hardly allowed my siblings and me to have pets larger than goldfish and hamsters in the tight apartment we grew up in. But that changed late in my childhood when we moved to a house, and not long after spotted a very pregnant stray that my parents warmed up to (to all the kids’ surprise and excitement). After Christy (the mom) gave birth, we got to keep her and her litter! So, MiMi represents meaningful firsts and transitions in my family circumstances and personal history. She is my loyal ride-or-die (collectively, we’re Me-cubed), and loves being glued to my side (even in my sleep, as little spoon, or even curled up on my back).
“Even though she tends to conserve her energy given her age, Queen Mi handily wins any challenge from the much younger cats—every single time.”
Misti and Moxii are also rescues that were adopted much later. Misti started as a playful kitten that really bonded with my ex while Me^3 had our own thing going on. After the break-up that left her with “just” me, she was apprehensive at first but slowly and carefully formed a deeper bond with me (phew!). It almost felt like rescuing all over again since she’s a very sensitive cat that doesn’t take quickly to change.
Moxii could be twice her current size but you’d still perceive her as a baby! She’s full of energy and innocence, comes when called like a puppy, loves being held, and is a social butterfly (after an initial period of shyness with visitors).
The matriarch Christy passed a few months ago—this was quite hard on the family, but I’m so grateful that she started this tradition of pet rescues and ownership in my family. My sister also has three cats in her household and my parents have two cats now with Christy gone.
MiMi is all black with dense velvety fur, except for her finer “edges” above her eyes, and is often described by others as elegant, svelte, decisive, and unbothered. But, she’ll also get scrappy when she needs to—a trait picked up from her early indoor-outdoor days. She is the most talkative of my girls, always announcing her arrival with a chirp and hop up to your level. If Catwoman existed IRL, I think her top cat would pretty much be MiMi’s clone.
Even though she tends to conserve her energy given her age, Queen Mi handily wins any challenge from the much younger cats—every single time. Usually, a stern look and a flick of the tail are enough for Misti or Moxii to back down, but if it ever escalates, her paws can strike 5x in a second, she finishes any chase, or she ends up having the other cat on her back.
Generally, MiMi puts people at ease and is always the favorite with visitors—even people who (inexplicably) dislike cats! But, she has a taste for the finer human palate and has been known to sneak off with an entire chicken part in her mouth while making a beeline under the bed.
“I cherish the close moments with her though Beyoncé’s “Why Don’t You Love Me” plays in my head when she’s in her fussy mode.”
Of the three, Misti’s personality is probably most like what the average person expects from a cat’s behavior—moody, and sometimes aloof unless she’s feeling excited (signaled by her vibrating tail), wants a snack, or is looking to nap and cuddle in my lap. I cherish the close moments with her though Beyoncé’s “Why Don’t You Love Me” plays in my head when she’s in her fussy mode. She is constantly reminded of her beauty by everyone though, leading me to think I failed her by not pursuing a modeling contract! She was a cute kitten, but she really blossomed into a gorgeous cat with plush, mostly gray but multi-colored fur, a mane, large round eyes, and white socks. She was named after mist given her coloring and fluffy texture. My best guess is that she is mixed with the Maine Coon breed. Misti shares my love of fried chicken—she once tasted a piece of someone’s chicken nugget and now goes crazy as soon as any real fried chicken is brought into the apartment. She does generally have a heightened sense of smell—it’s pretty funny seeing her wince or her full screw-face in response to smelling any hint of citrus.
Moxii is a mostly white calico with wispy fur of varying lengths, pantaloons, and a plumed tail that springs upright whenever petted. I named her for the moxie she had to have for what she survived. One rainy night in a Jersey town, a squeaky cry was heard from below a storm drain. Passersby and neighbors figured out it was a kitten but couldn’t get her out, nor could the police officers that were called. Finally, the fire department was called and they ultimately rescued her. Since then, she’s been largely mute and never meows. She only utters this high-pitch scream when she’s in distress (like from behind a closed door because she hates feeling alone).
“She’s the most likely of the three to literally push boundaries (she loves watching things fall).”
I have no idea what happened to the rest of the litter or where she came from as she seems like a unique breed (Turkish Van or Turkish Angora mix maybe?). After meeting her she came to live with me in grad school in New Haven, Connecticut. I threw a “kitten shower” for her and circulated a mock registry (with weird gifts like a “dances with cats” album—please Google it if you haven’t heard about it before), but law school friends showed up and surprised us with actual gifts!
Today, Moxii lives up to her name—she is constantly vying for attention and affection and will make sure to be in your face, or between your strides as you walk! I call her “the borough manager” sometimes because she’s always investigating noises and monitoring what’s going on outside of the windows to Cadman Plaza. She’s the most likely of the three to literally push boundaries (she loves watching things fall). While working from home during the pandemic, Moxii often managed to crash zooms despite my best efforts at professionalism. I think it’s because she loves the camera—she knows whether you’re taking photos in the apartment even if your camera is silent, and she will be sure to crash the photo shoot every time. Moxii is so funny and entertaining even when doing the least. She often naps eyes open in a stiff dead bug position, and she audibly smacks her lips like a person when she’s getting in position to sleep more normally.
Chiyel (pronounced like chianti) Hayles is a corporate lawyer living in Brooklyn with her three girls. She enjoys painting, drawing, design, and visualizing how to achieve economic and social justice for black women, black people, and other people of color. And, yes, she enjoys wine.