Gromit and Chewie love Tiace and Schmadios

Tiace and Chewie

Before there was Gromit or Chewie or even Rowdy, before Kristin, while I was still in social services, before I went to Antarctica - there were Tiace and Schmadios. Tiace and Schmadios are our cats. Schmadios is a tortoise shell gray brown and white kitty. Tiace has some calico and some tabby in her coat. I am not sure what that makes her in cat breeds...but she is adorable. Her fur is soft like a rabbit.

Schmadios was the first one to come to live with me. I was there when she was born - her mom Sunbury looked just like her but always a little smaller than our adult Schmadios. There were three kittens and she was the last one. When she was born, my friend Sid announced "that's it, you're the last one. Adios Schmadios and that's your name." Schmadios lived with her mom and Sid and Heide until I was in a place where I could have cats. She was about 6 months old when Sid and Heide brought her to my new apartment. She was the sweetest girl. She purred and rolled and slept in my drawers. She helped me unpack in my new apartment. She helped me scrub the dirt out of the floors. She slept on my lap and had breakfast with me each morning. The first spoon of cereal I took from my first bowl of cereal at the new apartment, had her little tiny tongue licking the milk out of that spoon before it got to my mouth - I was so surprised - my mouth dropped open and I looked up from the newspaper I was reading and she was looking straight into my eyes, purring and licking that milk - I laughed and laughed and gave her a little bit of milk on a saucer.

Schmadios was also a chatting cat. She talked to me for quite a while each day when I arrived home from work. She would walk between my feet rubbing her sides on my shins and talk to me. I would pick her up and cradle her in my arms like a baby and rub her tummy as she would close her eyes and purr. The neighbors told me that they could hear her crying when I was not there. I encouraged them to talk to her through the door. They did - she just had that effect on people.

Schmadios just happened to have had a starring role in a movie a friend, Karen made. Karen is very allergic to cats and Schmadios has always been insistent on showing speical attention to this her. She sways her tail in my Karen's face and brings on sneezes and watery eyes. She was a sweet sweet kitten and kept me from being lonely but she was murder on Karen! In the movie, Schmadios was the answer to a mystery that puzzled the main character played by my brother. She was a natural just because she was so social and talkative. She had hidden a a lost Mickey Mouse pez dispenser in the closet.

Tiace came to me a bit later than Schmadios but the same year. Molly, a friend of mine needed to travel for work and needed someone to take care of her cat Taice. Tiace was as a little kitten when Molly worked on a resort in northwestern Wisconsin. The other cats that lived at the resort did not welcome Tiace and she chose instead to live in the barn with an old horse that was retired from being a long trail riding and trail packing career. One morning Molly found Tiace sleeping quietly on the back of the horse. Tiace and the horse were friends it was clear. They lived in harmony and the horse never stepped on the tiny kitten.

Tiace arrived at my apartment after living on the resort and then living on a wilderness home near Superior, WI. She could run free and hunted as she pleased and slept with my friend during the cold season, enjoying her time sitting with my friend as she would read each night. Tiace also adored her friend dog buddy Bailey. Bailey adored Tiace. Bailey was a golden retriever/spring spaniel mix. He was big and furry and cuddled around Tiace when they slept together. I was worried about Tiace because she was sweet and feral and loved big dogs and a horse. How would she possibly survive with Schmadios and I in a small apartment.

At first this sweet kitten hid in a closet. She could hide herself fitting into tiny spaces. I didn't know how to make her feel comfortable but I decided the best thing I could do was the thing that made me most at ease. I played some soft quiet music on my piano. After a bit I looked over at the couch next to the piano and there was Tiace sitting with all her feet curled underneath her just listening and watching. It was the beginning of our trio spending years together.

Schmadios and Tiace were nocturnal animals and at night they would race across the apartment and roll and chase each other. Sometimes they would leap and land on the bed in a ball in the middle of the night - and bounce off of me barely noticing that I was on the bed as they rolled over and one raced out of the bedroom with the other close behind.

When I started to travel Tiace and Schmadios stayed with family. They came to live with Kristin and I when I returned from Antarctica and we had our house. When we first lived together Kristin had two cats - Merlin and Newt. Both very dear in their own right. The four cats had some kitty spats and Tiace got very sick and lost a lot of weight. She had hepatic lipadosis - a liver condition that often causes death. She claimed a small room upstairs away from everyone as her room. She layed silently on the bed purring when we would visit with her. We began a teaspoon every 2 hour feeding regime. We gave her subcutaneous fluids and brought our neighbors black lab mix over to visit to round out her treatment. Big dogs really did seem to bring out the best in Tiace. She recovered and we felt like we had a little miracle on our hands.

In the meantime Schmadios continued about her merry way requesting little bits of attention here and there with her chatter. Although now her chatter had become louder and may be mistaken for cat screaming. She now sleeps on my pillow on top of my head. When I move she does put out a rather cringing noise. She continus to sleep there so I have to believe it isn't all that hard on her.

Kristin's cat Merlin was our cow cat - a black and white cat with a personality that was bigger than a Newfie and an appetite to match. She would wake me up in the morning by touching my cheek with her black and white paw. If I didn't get up right away she would try again, but this time unleashing a bit of claw. Subtle but effective method! Newt was our invisible cat. She often looked right through you. She needed little but was a gorgeous long haired black tortoise that moved with grace through our new house.

We eventually got Rowdy Ann. Tiace and Rowdy were best buddies. While the other cats were not fans of the big black puppy, Tiace embraced her. She slept on Rowdy's bed and Rowdy would sleep with Tiace on our bed.

These days we have only Tiace and Schmadios. Merlin and Newt traveled to the other side a few years back. Tiace continues her sweetness towards our big dogs. She jumps up on the bed and snuggles with Chewie. They often sleep together. Today Tiace has moved from the spa of the queen size bed into a box full of shoes in the closet. She moves from time to time. Her new spot is a bit sad as she is not visible as much. But if you go in and call her name she pops her head up through the flaps and requests a little scratch on face. She comes out when Kristin brings her lunch up to her office. She still fights from behind the monitor for a morsel from the plate. She often wins - who can resist a 19 year old cat with a little make believe snatch the prey in her!

Tiace and Schmadios are 19 and 18 respectively. They are older girls but still fairly healthy. We have promised no new kitties or dogs for them. They get to live out their days sleeping in the sun with their friends Chewie and Gromit. They have been so very flexible living with me - something that does not come easily to cats. While Schmadios wishes the dogs had more manners, we have witnessed her teasing Gromit into a bit of chase. Tiace will curl up and purr with Chewie. They both enjoy a bit of catnip now and then and will chase a moth or spider on occasion. I hope they are enjoying these senior years. We do enjoy them all.