Originally a working cat (superior mouser), the Maine Coon cat is solid, rugged, and can tolerate harsh New England winters. Distinctive characteristics include tufted ears, a smooth shaggy waterproof coat, large round snowshoe feet and a long fluffy tail. They are some of the largest domestic North American cats ranging between 14 to 18 lbs for males and nine to 12 lbs for females. Maine Coon cat owners often describe them as affectionate, funny, and very smart. My friends, Richard Wilkinson and Susan Bender would agree that "Mainies" have delightful personalities. For the past seven years, Dick and Sue shared their home with two Maine Coon cats, Beau and Bella.
Beau and Bella were affectionate, funny, and smart, but they also
taught Dick and Sue a profound lesson about the interconnectedness of
life, death, and compassion. These lessons followed the passing of
Beau. Dick wrote about it in a poignant essay and kindly agreed to let
me quote part of it here:
"On the day before we were to leave for London, Beau's heart condition turned suddenly worse. Calls to the vet resulted in the suggestion we take him to an emergency clinic for either drastic measures or putting him down. We, instead, decided to wait and see what course nature had in mind for him. Eventually he struggled to his feet, and made his wobbly way to the basement, a favorite haunt. He was followed by his sister, Bella. A bit later I went down to see how he was doing, and couldn't find him [we have one of those basements]. I finally found Bella sitting still and staring at something, or someone, under the stairs. Of course it was Beau, who had found a place of his own, and died. I wrapped Beau in a sheet and left him there, as it was late and there was nothing else to be done. Bella remained with him for some time. I then packed up his bed and put it away. Bella found the bed, and somehow indicated it should be put in a more open space. I followed her directive, and she ended up lying next to it for the night.
There have been similar "spooky" incidents since, and it is abundantly clear to me that Bella is grieving her lost brother. I was not ready to accept this kind of "human" behavior from a cat--not even our obviously brilliant cat. Graduate school had taught me to be a trained skeptic, and the training took, but I now have a painfully obvious example of the continuum. I do not feel, "How wonderful; the cat is really human-like," as many people say when they learn of a chimpanzee's linguistic, tool-making, hunting and social skills. What I feel is how much we all share in this life, how much a part of a grander thing we all are; Darwin might have agreed with his famous statement, "there is a grandeur in this view of life." I find myself considering Bella with a new vision; I thank Beau for this powerful enlightenment, and I wonder: what next?"
- Richard Wilkinson
What came next was after a respectable period of mourning, Dick and Sue adopted a kitten from the Saratoga County Animal Shelter. The kitten was just six weeks old when they brought him home to Bella. They named him Bertie and describe him as spunky. Bella was not impressed with the little guy and in fact, she wanted nothing to do with him. Nevertheless, he was undaunted by her lack of interest and continues to try to win her over. After three weeks, Bella is tolerating the kitten. Perhaps over time she will even come to enjoy Bertie, but at this point, the best we can say is that at least Bella is no longer depressed about her brother, Beau.
For further information on the Saratoga County Animal Shelter, visit www.saratogacountyny.gov or call (518) 885-4113. Also, if you have questions about your pets, pet adoption or other related topics send them to jsweet@skidmore.edu. If we do not have the answers, we will contact people who do!
"On the day before we were to leave for London, Beau's heart condition turned suddenly worse. Calls to the vet resulted in the suggestion we take him to an emergency clinic for either drastic measures or putting him down. We, instead, decided to wait and see what course nature had in mind for him. Eventually he struggled to his feet, and made his wobbly way to the basement, a favorite haunt. He was followed by his sister, Bella. A bit later I went down to see how he was doing, and couldn't find him [we have one of those basements]. I finally found Bella sitting still and staring at something, or someone, under the stairs. Of course it was Beau, who had found a place of his own, and died. I wrapped Beau in a sheet and left him there, as it was late and there was nothing else to be done. Bella remained with him for some time. I then packed up his bed and put it away. Bella found the bed, and somehow indicated it should be put in a more open space. I followed her directive, and she ended up lying next to it for the night.
There have been similar "spooky" incidents since, and it is abundantly clear to me that Bella is grieving her lost brother. I was not ready to accept this kind of "human" behavior from a cat--not even our obviously brilliant cat. Graduate school had taught me to be a trained skeptic, and the training took, but I now have a painfully obvious example of the continuum. I do not feel, "How wonderful; the cat is really human-like," as many people say when they learn of a chimpanzee's linguistic, tool-making, hunting and social skills. What I feel is how much we all share in this life, how much a part of a grander thing we all are; Darwin might have agreed with his famous statement, "there is a grandeur in this view of life." I find myself considering Bella with a new vision; I thank Beau for this powerful enlightenment, and I wonder: what next?"
- Richard Wilkinson
What came next was after a respectable period of mourning, Dick and Sue adopted a kitten from the Saratoga County Animal Shelter. The kitten was just six weeks old when they brought him home to Bella. They named him Bertie and describe him as spunky. Bella was not impressed with the little guy and in fact, she wanted nothing to do with him. Nevertheless, he was undaunted by her lack of interest and continues to try to win her over. After three weeks, Bella is tolerating the kitten. Perhaps over time she will even come to enjoy Bertie, but at this point, the best we can say is that at least Bella is no longer depressed about her brother, Beau.
For further information on the Saratoga County Animal Shelter, visit www.saratogacountyny.gov or call (518) 885-4113. Also, if you have questions about your pets, pet adoption or other related topics send them to jsweet@skidmore.edu. If we do not have the answers, we will contact people who do!
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