Tigger Pham came into our lives in a sports bag with her sister Cuddles. She was scrawny, blue-eyed, bulgy-eyed, had weird white moustache-like fur on her mouth, a stumpy tail, short legs and was pretty ugly by most kitten standards. It was love at first sight. Her sister on the other hand was perfectly symmetrical with grey and white fur like a wolf; and long, sleek elegant limbs and lines. Cuddles was built for grace, Tigger was built for dopey.
I let Little Sissy Pham pick which of the two kitty kats she'd like knowing that she'd pick the excitable, playful and standard cuteness of Cuddles. That meant I would get the understated fur ball who sat in a lump and refused to play. When Big Brother Pham tickled Tigger’s tiny hind-paw to get a reaction she shuffled her tiny tush sideways and didn’t bother to look at him. In that one moment I knew the little snob and I were kindred spirits.
Whenever asked if I’m a cat or dog person I immediately say ‘Cat!’ but to be honest, Tigger Pham is the best of both worlds – she’s a dog-cat. Her cat-likenesses are: landing on her feet, eating demurely, hassle-free bathing and toilet etiquette and a fondness for changing favourite napping spots. Her dog traits are: she comes running out meowing to greet you when you get home, comes for walks with Dad Pham and me (only at night and pre-dawn, mind you, she gets picked on by magpies during the day), she follows you from room to room for the company and her clumsiness (the only cat more dog-like in agility is Captain Catman).
Tigger Pham stayed in Brisbane when I moved down to Melbourne five years ago and Little Sissy Pham managed to make her clinically obese in a few short years by feeding Tigger her favourite fatty feasts morning and night until her fur started to fall off and she looked like a blimpish wobbly wombat. It was lucky Tigger injured her tail somehow one day and needed to go to the doctor who told Little Sissy Pham that Tigger’s tail would heal itself but her morbid obesity was another story. It was time for a strict diet!
Tigger Pham grew in other ways while I was away too – she learned how to use computers and made a FaceBook page to keep me updated on her activities and weight loss. She also learned how to use Skype though she always stood uncomfortably close to the camera. What a clever baby!
