David Depaolo and I share some odd coincidences in our lives. Both of us started an online information service for the workers' compensation industry in 1999. Both of us have mothers who had or continue to battle dementia. Both of us had aging fathers who were at one time the caregivers for our ailing mothers. He writes a blog. I write a blog. He is a lawyer. I make fun of lawyers. And then, on the exact same day, December 16, 2013, without any knowledge of the others intent, we each published articles about our “special needs” cats.
Mine was a story about Coal, a blind and relatively toothless cat we adopted at the age of 9. Depaolo's was a story about Boscoe, an intellectually challenged cat who had a propensity for seizures early in life. Both of us compared these animals and their challenges to comparable human scenarios and the potential learning possibilities their stories presented. The appearance of two uncoordinated special needs cat stories on the very same day caused quite the stir in our tight and slightly malformed network of friends and associates.
Depaolo reported in his article that they pronounced their cat's name with an intentional lisp, as “Bothcoe” seemed more fitting of his personality. Now, I can assure you that Dave and his wife (who is a delight) are fine people who do not make a habit of routinely mocking the disabled. Just their cat, it would seem. And even though I've never met “Bothcoe”, the pronunciation seems strangely appropriate given the mental status Depaolo described.
And today, I must sadly report that fame has changed our furry feline friends.
The article about Coal proved tremendously popular, and generated a good deal of feedback. Additionally, interview requests for Coal flooded in and my fuzzy little buddy suddenly found his schedule quite full. Meowing requests (the feline equivalent of speaking requests) were also plentiful. Coal even joined a Meower's Bureau to coordinate the demand. Depaolo reports similar reactions, and we've seen subtle changes in our previously anonymous pets.
Coal now insists on being called “Coal Daddy”. Boscoe also changed his name, now preferring to be called “Juthtin Bieber”. Both are demanding premium kibble and fresh catnip toys daily, as well as personal, dedicated litter boxes that must be scooped after every use. Anything less produces a real hissy, or hissing, fit.
It just goes to show that fame is hard to handle, and that is no truer for those with challenges than those without. It is easy to lose track of what really matters, and these cats are missing the greater picture – that their stories inspired and informed because of who they were, not who they might have become.
And frankly, Depaolo and I just can't keep up. We want our anonymous special needs cats back. That is one more thing we now share in common.