Gabby – Ragdoll of the Week

Gabby entered our lives about 9 years ago. We had visited the local grocery store and upon our exit saw two teenagers with tiny kittens in a grocery cart. They said they were giving them away and they needed a home. There were 5 tiny kittens in that basket – it was so hard to walk away with only one. All we knew at that time was this little female was all white with beautiful blue eyes. I held her in one hand on the way home. She was so little she couldn’t even climb a single step on our carpeted stairs. Over time this little girl grew into a beautiful 20lb cat. Gabby follows me everywhere in the house. If I’m in the bathroom, she’s there. In the living room, there she is. She sleeps on my pillow above my head every night. Gabby is rather aloof when it comes to strangers entering our home.  She doesn’t stay hidden, but also doesn’t allow strangers to get too close to her until she feels comfortable.  Gabby shares our home with me, my partner, another feline named Xena, and our Yorkshire Terrier named Booboo. 

We acquired Booboo first when she was 6months old.  Booboo is now 11yrs young and weighs in at a whopping 2.4 pounds.  Next came Xena – a lonely looking little kitty at a Petsmart adoption site.  My partner loved watching the old show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and that’s how Xena got her name – she is the thin, sleek, short haired black domestic warrior of the house.  Soon after Xena came to live with us is when we found Gabby – or she found us – we’ll never know for sure.  We brought this tiny white kitten home and knew she was to be Xena’s sidekick Gabrielle.  Afterall, she is the blonde, blue eyed bombshell!  Gabby spends most of her day atop the 6′ carpeted condo in their own special room.  They have a long table in front of the window for keeping watch on the place, the 6′ condo, and a litter box (or, actually a BIG plastic storage container) befitting Gabby’s larger necessities. 

Since Booboo has no teeth and hasn’t for the last 8yrs or so, she is handfed every evening.  Gabby hears the plate and utensils preparing for Booboo’s dinner and comes flying to sit by quietly hoping to get at least a little morsel.  She sits so politely I can’t help but share Booboo’s food with her.  Gabby eats from a stainless steel bowl and when she can see herself in the bottom of the bowl she seeks out my partner to fill it.  Gabby never wants to see the day when we are low on food!  Gabby is definitely the floppy, large, friendly cat that we had no idea she would become that day we brought her home.  We have moved 13 times in the last 9 years and our furkids have tagged along wonderfully.  In fact, one move was from California to Missouri.  We placed both felines in a large cage big enough for both of them, a small litter box and water for the trip.  It became apparent they weren’t happy riding there so we moved them to the front of the rented moving truck to ride with us and the Yorky.  It was unbelievable just how well our furkids travel with us.  They willingly entered our hotel room in the evening, settling for their evening meal, a little TV and rest time, then curling up on the bed for the night with me. It truly is unbelievable our adept these critters are to sharing our human lives – OR, do they have us trained the way they need us to be in their lives?  We will probably never know for sure, but life together is sweet and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Thank you for reading! Submissions like these – the “Cat of the Week” and “Kitten of the Month”- are provided by their owners and reflect their individual experiences and practices. The information these submissions share does not necessarily reflect Floppycats’ recommendation or endorsement regarding cat nutrition or care. Always consult a qualified feline nutritionist or veterinarian for personalized advice on your cat’s dietary and health needs. If you want to learn more about species-appropriate nutrition, please visit our cat food page.