Laura Alfisher & Meisha
It began as a Pandemic love story. A friend was fostering neonatal kittens at the time, and while I was not ready for the level of commitment that comes with neonates, I had been interested in fostering for a while, and seeing my friend do it inspired me to finally go for it and foster an adult cat. After some research to find the right organization and talks with my partner to get him on board with the idea, I applied to foster via Brooklyn Animal Action. I thought the process would take a while but 24 hours later I got an email with a photo of a chunky, big-eyed sweet kitty, and a message that they have the perfect cat for my first foray into fostering. That was Meisha.
While I had big dreams of becoming this super foster and helping to find homes for a bunch of cats, Meisha included, it quickly became clear that this was going to become a foster fail. Only 10 days after meeting we just couldn’t picture life without her. Fast forward two years and we continue to grow more obsessed with her by the day!
Having Meisha in my life has honestly changed everything for the better. I work from home full time, so we basically hang out 24/7 and we’ve built a really special bond. While she’s not a lap cat, she does like to be in the same room (or sometimes even sit on the same chair) and I love that I can just look over my shoulder during the workday and chances are Meisha will be there either snoozing on the bed or perched on the windowsill soaking up some sun. On days when it feels like everything is going wrong or I’m feeling down on myself, when I look over at Meisha sleeping peacefully just fully blissed out it gives me a sense of accomplishment. If I’m able to provide this creature a happy stress-free life, then maybe I am doing something right after all.
One of the most rewarding parts of being a cat mom has been watching Meisha come into her own and really letting her personality and playfulness shine through. When she first came to us, she was pretty sedentary, and we got the impression that she hadn’t gotten much exercise or play before. We tried introducing a few toys and she would swat at them for a second and then suddenly run away scared in the opposite direction as if she was confused and overwhelmed by her own animal instincts. Now she loves to play and enthusiastically demands it several times a day.
Her favorite activity (besides eating) is being chased—and as of late, chasing us! Out of nowhere, she’ll dash into the room I’m in, eyes wide, and just wait until I notice her. The second I move even a millimeter towards her she turns around and hightails it across the apartment to the living room, where she will wait for me to come and find her so she can do it all again. Sometimes all it takes is just looking in her direction and saying her name and she’s off! She finds this game endlessly entertaining. I know the game has reached a fever pitch when she suddenly dives into the cave of her cat tree and tries to stuff herself inside. The cave portion is just a little too small for her chonk but that doesn’t seem to stop her, and I can’t help but giggle when I see her sitting in there.
Meisha hates music. She has an incredibly expressive face that lets you know exactly how she’s feeling at any given time, and when music comes on, the grumpy face immediately comes out. I have an excellent photo of her where she has this deep frown that I didn’t even think a cat could make. I wish I could remember what the song was that she so strongly disapproved of...
Unlike most cats I’ve met who love a good butt scritch, Meisha does not allow her butt to be touched. A butt pat will almost certainly result in a warning look unless it’s feeding time. When she wants food, however, she’ll walk up and essentially hip-check us and just stand there almost tilting over with her butt leaning against your leg. It’s incredibly silly and cute.
I feel so lucky that we ended up with Meisha. While she definitely gets up to some of the naughty antics that cats are famous for, it’s always playful, never destructive. She doesn’t tear up furniture or try to eat our plants or steal our food or knock things off the counter. She also doesn’t scratch or hiss or bite. In those moments when I give her one too many kisses and she’s had enough, she may give a little warning smack but never with claws out, and frankly, I usually deserve it (but I just can’t help myself!). She also loves both me and my partner which I think is really great. I grew up with a cat who loves my mom but has hated my dad for all 14 years of her life and I saw how challenging that was for everyone involved.
It feels silly to say, but it’s just very special to have formed a friendship with a creature from another species that I don’t share a language or any verbal communication abilities with, yet we established a connection, and I managed to win her affection.
Laura Alfisher is a New York-based publicist. She lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn with her husband and cat.