so i wrote this for GC's instagram, but tumblr has always served as my weird little personal archive, so i've decided to share it here too. let's get sentimental!
today marks 3 years with GC (he'll never let me forget tax season). i'd had never owned a cat before (my mom is allergic and i grew up with 2 standard-sized dachshunds), but over the course of my twenties (i'm 31 now) i warmed up to them, enough so that i considered adopting for whole 2 years before actually taking the plunge. if you know me personally, you know that i’m choosy about the people and things i keep close to me—needless to say, i didn’t just want “any cat.” i wanted a best friend, a companion. think ash and pikachu, but make it NPC. or ripley and jonesy from alien. or billy and gizmo from “gremlins.” i believe everyone should have at least one good, dear friend that’s an animal, and cheese is mine
grilled gheese and i are alike in a lot of ways, and i’ve learned a lot about myself through him. we’re slow to trust, yet loyal to those who’ve earned it, reserved upon first impression, but actually quite goofy, too.
GC was thought to be about 5 years old when i adopted him; i know next to nothing about his past life. to know cheese’s true personality—his silliness, his insatiable desire for chin scratchies, an his vocality—takes time. as his owner, it took both patience and meeting him where he’s at to ease him out of his shell. sometimes, all we can do is build a nest—a safe place—for our pets to come to us when ready, if closeness is what they want.
in our first year together i made peace with the fact that GC may never be a lap cat. but he’s full of surprises. the first time he sat in my lap was a year and a half after i’d adopted him. now, he sleeps in my bed most nights, curled up beside my head/shoulders, snoring. there is no other animal in this world that i've ever had this kind of special bond with—not even the dogs i grew up with and loved, both of whom have long-since passed.
grilled cheese is the embodiment of a gentle soul. he is neither mischievous, nor athletic, like most of the cats we see online. i assume his neurological condition plays a role in this, but i can't imagine him any other way—he’s perfect as-is. just like his namesake, grilled cheese is simple, comforting, unpretentious, and steadfast. he’s “Best Friend Shaped.” 🐈💕
