# Vanilla the fierce delight!



## katdad (Jun 13, 2013)

Years ago my then-girlfriend asked for a cat for her birthday. I was happy to oblige and recommended adoption from the animal shelter, girlfriend agreed this was best.

So we went to the Humane Society and this nice fella took us back to the kitty group pen so my gf could choose. There were a bunch of cute little kittens, all lined up, "Choose me!" "Pick me!" so my gf looked them over and selected a nice cuddly female tabby.

"Good choice" the guy told us and we began walking back toward the front. As my girlfriend passed a small row of cages, a slender white arm and paw shot out between the bars and clawed her as she walked by!

We looked, and inside the "solitary confinement" cages was this little all-white shorthair, spitting fiercely and hissing.

Now, my gf was a very athletic young woman, rode motorbikes, flew copters for the Army reserves, etc. She took one look at the angry little female cat and said "I've changed my mind. This is the cat I want!"

So Vanilla entered my life. And she was one of the most intense, fierce, and combative cats I've ever known. Naturally my girlfriend loved it. And although I generally liked cats, too, I was, mmm, less than enthusiastic about Vanilla.

Although my girlfriend and I had full time jobs and separate apartments, we'd usually spend the weekend together. At the time I had no pet myself so when gf came to visit, Vanilla would be a 2nd guest and I kept a catbox and food ready.

And of course, she'd be there, hissing and eagerly sharpening her claws before I'd come to stay the weekend at my girlfriend's apartment.

Girlfriend had a modern type apartment, with a wide window ledge in the bedroom and sideways sliding windows w. screens, her bed against the wall beneath the window, the ledge used for the reading lamp, clock radio, etc.

And for Vanilla to lie in wait. For me.

Because, whenever my girlfriend and I were, er, "romantically engaged", Vanilla would sit on the ledge above the bed and then she'd strike, slashing down on my back or shoulder!

And later, while we were dozing off, Vanilla would sit patiently until I was nicely asleep, then she'd claw me. Naturally, I'd jump, my girlfriend complaining "Will you please settle down? I've got to get up at six!" and I'd see Vanilla sitting there, grinning.


Now, in '84 I took a great job offer from a computer firm in Silicon Valley (SanFran Bay area) and moved from Houston. I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to join me and 6 months later, she did, moving in with me. And bringing, of course, Vanilla.

Girlfriend and I got along quite well, and Vanilla and I also became pals. She remained totally fierce but she loved my gf and me both.

Gf and I then began to drift apart, remained cordial friends but that's how it goes sometimes. She was then recruited to join the regular Army at Ft. Ord so she left the reserves and went full time. Naturally Vanilla couldn't stay so I "inherited" her and we became total pals.

Okay, it was then 1 year and Vanilla needed her new vaccinations and a general checkup. I asked around and was given the name of this very large cats-only vet clinic in, I think, Cupertino. You've got to first imagine this was a huge facility, five full time vets plus all the other staff, cats only, and highly rated as the best cat vet in the whole SF Bay area. So I made an appointment and they recommended as a first time visit, Vanilla stay overnight. Fine.

So I take Vanilla in her carrier and show up at this very busy facility. I register and fill out the forms, and meanwhile this totally cute female vet assistant says she'll take Vanilla back to the private cage area. I say, "Vanilla's pretty fierce. Should I come to help?" "No, gosh, no. I just LOVE cats and they love me!" Naturally the cute assistant was named Staci or Kelli or some trendy name and was of the type who dotted her I's with little hearts. Nevertheless she was cute and I sadly regretted not being asked to help transfer Vanilla to the cages.

Whatever. So I was completing the paperwork and Staci appears back up front. Now she was very flustered and in my mind's eye, her trim uniform had been rudely ripped, her hair disheveled, one earring gone, etc, ha ha.

"Uh, sir, maybe you could help after all?" So we went back to the cage area and there was the cat carrier, totally full of white angry fluffed-up Vanilla. I reached inside the top flap and rubbed her head "What's the matter, sweetie?" and Vanilla deflated, her demonic eyes softening. I lifted her from the carrier and put her in the cage.

Next day I went to pick up Vanilla and didn't see Staci. Hoping to flirt, I asked about her. "Oh, she quit." (this is true!)

Six months later, Vanilla was having a bit of stomach upset (turned out to be a minor digestive problem) so I phoned the vet to make an appointment. Mind you, a huge, busy 5-vet facility sees hundreds of cats in 6 months. They said, on the phone, "Have you ever taken your cat here before?" "Yes." "Okay, what's your name?" I told the receptionist. "And what's your cat's name?" "Vanilla," I said.

There was this silence. "Oh, yes," the woman said. "Vanilla. We know Vanilla. She hates us."

"Don't feel bad," I told her. "Vanilla hates everyone!"

And it was so hilariously true. Despite my truly gentle care and love (and Vanilla, toward me, acted like a total soft marshmallow kitty, purring and sitting quietly in my lap) she had a nefarious track record all across the Southwest as I moved, from San Francisco to San Diego to El Paso and then back to Houston. ALL her vets had their charts specially marked, either with the word "Watch" or a red-dot sticker. Vanilla was soooo proud of those!


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## LaurulFeatherCat (Sep 16, 2011)

Great story. Thanks for posting it. Ever hear from the former gf?


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

Great story. You know Vanilla would have been destined to be PTS if your girlfriend hadn't fallen for her. I'm so glad to hear that wasn't the case. 

I especially liked the part about the way Vanilla would "help" in the romance department.


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## katdad (Jun 13, 2013)

LaurulFeatherCat said:


> Great story. Thanks for posting it. Ever hear from the former gf?


Yes, she returned to Houston some years later, as I also did, and we met again by chance at Whole Foods. And resumed our dating for about a year.

She was a pilot (the girlfriend, not the cat!) first and foremost. She flew big supply copters but wanted to fly Apache attack copters and at the time, females were forbidden "hot" zones. The was heavily recruited for the officer's corps, being a poster-perfect example of the female soldier: attractive, athletic, smart, gung-ho. I think the only reason she loved me was that I was the only guy who could outshoot her at the pistol range, ha ha.

Well, they bent over backwards to get her to become an officer but she held out, that she wanted to fly gunships, which was a no-no. So she let her "contract" lapse, left the Army and joined the Chippies (Calif Highway Patrol) so she could drive those hot pursuit Mustangs or Camaros they have. Then her genetics got the best of her, she came down with a debilitating problem in her hips and legs, retired, moved back to Houston to look after her ailing mom.

By then Vanilla had left for the Rainbow Bridge after 20 years of harassing people here, only to be grumpy at the RB, ha ha.

Girlfriend and I eventually broke up again but we still chat and email.

Now I've got a wonderful huge fuzzy 18-yr old golden buddy "RJ" and since September, a live-in girlfriend who loves both me and RJ -- she probably loves RJ more, naturally.


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## Justteri1000 (May 27, 2013)

I just know I would have liked Vanilla. When you win over a cat like that it makes you feel super special. Some cats are very discerning.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

You, my cat friend, are a GREAT story teller! You made this sound just wonderful! Yes, I can just see Vanilla ruling the roost over the Bridge - bossing everyone around; in a loving way of course, after all it IS over the Bridge!!!


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## katdad (Jun 13, 2013)

Thanks! I'm a professional writer (mystery novelist) and I also write magazine articles of various subjects. I've got a complete file of funny or touching cat stories that I keep adding to, thanks to my present large orange fuzzball "RJ".


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Wow. A little FIREBALL! Did she ever settle down,just a little?


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## Catmamma (Apr 18, 2011)

katdad, may be someday you will put all those stories together in a book. Vanilla has to be the main character. Great story.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Great story. I would have loved Vanilla too. I went to pick out a kitty from the SPCA in 1988, with my boyfriend, and I had picked a sweet, cute little orange tabby who was purring and pawing at me, when the boyfriend saw this gray tabby huddled in fear and hissing in the back of his cage. He said "no one will ever take this little guy if we don't", so we brought him home. Stinky we named him. He was very much like your Vanilla, he had warning stickers on his files, he had to be sedated to be given shots. 

Anyway, I very much enjoyed your story, it reminded me of Stinky. My little guy ended up living with the boyfriend after I had my first baby, because Stinky wanted to kill it. The worst wound Stinky ever inflicted was the time he bit through the boyfriends lip when he was holding him. Yes, your Vanilla sounds very much like Stinky. 

Thanks for sharing your story, I very much enjoyed hearing it, and can't wait to hear more stories from you about RJ


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