Hello, hello, Fellow Musers! To Fellow Musers who are coming back, welcome back to this mini-series! To any Musers who are coming across this mini-series for the first time, I would suggest reading The Human Version Part 1 & 2, and this post about my now-passed-on cat furbrothers before diving into this post!
For visitors and current Fellow Musers:
This is Nalia’s “version” of how she and Salem came to live with me. Nalia’s view will be in italics and the spelling errors and spelling grammar are intentional. For first time visitors, if you need proof of this, please take a looksie at this post. This first part details when the three of us met and how the cats came inside my apartment through Nalia’s eyes. Enjoy!
Setting:
Picture it…a warmish-cool Texas evening…sometime in October 2023…a fateful meeting happened between two cats and a human…
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October and November 2022
<Meow mrow meow!> I remember…
I was walking down near some humungous buildings and I came across this human getting out of a moving thing that makes loud noises. I iz only experiencing my first semi-cold month and I is with my catsister who looks like me but is all dark fur. Iz a curious kitty and so I followz the human to see if she gotz any food. As luck would have it, she did! I let out an excited meowz and my catsister comes up to where I am and we feast! The door opens-the human seez us and we take offs. We don’t trust humanz at this point in our lifespanz.
<Mrrreow! Meow. Meow! Mrrow!>
The human would leave food out for us during the week but we didn’t see her on the weekends sometime. But herz schedule waz easy to-what’s dat word?-decifer! She would leave in the morningz and she would come back laturz in the day. I knew she wouldn’t run me or sister or any of the cats over in her moving thing, which I figured out was called a car-ooookay she helped me figure out what it was called, but I iz smart and figured it out too!
<Meow. Mrow! Meow!>
I had lotz of fun hiding and waiting for her to come out of the car so I could say, “Hi! Food now purrleaze?” to which she always seemed to understand what I was saying! Okay, not always, but she knew I wanted food (even though sister and I ate cat food left outside by other humans too).
<Hfjirna38;$48;/‘d fndms&:!~<!#£’ bfnrjdndm>
One night, I came up to visit her without my catsister. My kitty sensez were tingling-the human looked upset and she looked like she needed comfort. I let her know that I was there by wrapping my tail around her leg. After that, she started to let me and catsister come inside her human-built den. We would sniff around while she stood at the door and then come back outside, satisfied with our findings.
<^^{\jdh!|):bptk:@3kjbaj&2!,?ncnenej!>
It was then that I decided (even though I ate from other food bowls that humanz put out) that this Human was Mine and catsister’s. She would take care of us…if I could convince my catsister to let this Human take care of us. I knew catsister didn’t trust nor like humans the same way that I did, but I hadz witnessed her teasing Human and touching her leg with her tail-a good sign. Sister was warming up to Human, even went inside The Den by herself a few times while I watched from the door, and that was all the encouragement I needed.
<Bfnrjdndm 3kjbaj&2 hfjirna38;>
Human also gave me and catsister names. She calls me Nalia, and my catsister Salem.
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December 2022
One night is got super cold! Human brought me inside. I gotz scared for a few minutes, and even found a comfy hiding spot underneath wide black chair-
Human: You mean the couch?
Nalia: Yeah, silly, that’s what I sayz-the couch! <Meow!> It’s a wide black chair! Who’s tellin’ this tale? Not you!
Human: Ma’am! Did you just sass me?
Nalia: <Mreow!> Of course I did! Buuuut youz still mah Hooman! <Looks at human with big, innocent, Kitty Softpaws Cat Eyes>
Human: *Shakes head* Alrighty, my love, I just wanted to make sure eveyone’s on the same page. <Picks Nalia up and snuggles with her. Nalia signals that she’s done. Human holds on for 5 more seconds-which Nalia secretly allows an extension of 2 more seconds-and then places the mini-lioness back at the keyboard>
<Fhhdhdjdjdjdufhrhxfkslwpw!>
As I waz sayingz before…um, I told the human I love her…I went under the wide chair thing that we willz now call a couch cuz easier, and stayed there for a while. I eventually made my way to another room which had a light-colored, ovalish-shaped seat with a hole and water in it. It didn’t take me long to figure out that it was the Human version of a litter box, except it makes a loud sound like a “flooshwhoosh!” when she’s done with it. I get scurred and so I leavez when I see herz turn to her oval-shaped water holding box and hearz that sound.
Sometime later, I heard the human leave and then come back. I peeked out…and saw thingz!
A box! Some strange-colored sand that I now recognize as litter to import my sh-I mean the waste from my smol body into!
As well as a toy! It looked like the thing that I saw outside sometimes after a rain! My very own toy-that I would only share with my catsister Salem sometimes!
Anyways, I stayed for a few days, but I sensed that it was warming up outside. I missed my catsister Salem whom I had not seen nor played with in like furrevurr
Human: It was two days
and I wanted to be with her again. I could tell the Human was sad to see me go. I tried to tell her that I would come back and see her, but we don’t speakz the same vocals so I knew that I would just have to show hurz, and also bringz catsister, of course.
I did come back later that evening but there waz another Human with her. This Human was older, a human male, and looked similar to her. I was curious about him, so when My Human brought me inside for a bit, I sat under her chair and watched him. My Human said this male was her dad. Her dad stayed where he was-on my couch-and watched me too, sometimes looking down at a rectangled thing My Human callz a cell phone. He said something about, “her coming back.” I didn’t realize it until later that he was talking about me. I do recall My Human being happy when she saw me come back that evening so I put thing together super quick. Another sign that she was The One…for me and catsister Salem at least!
Human: Awww, coriño, ¡muchas gracias!1
Shortly afterwards another UIH (UnIdentified Human) came along. She also resembled My Human, but slightly older. I would’ve mistaken dem as human catsisters if My Human hadn’t said that she wuz hur mama. I went inside the Human Den once while she was here to play with My Human. Apparently My Human was going to have something done to her that would help her body and mind in the long-term.
The next day, I came to see My Human and saw her mama standing on the cement. I sensed that maybe she was a little stressed, so I walked by her and touched her leg with my tail. I likez to think that helped her feelz better! I didn’t see My Human for a few dayz, but when I did, even though she was tired, she still fed me and catsister Salem. Eventually her mama and daddy left, and me and Salem had her all to ourselves again! Little did we knowz that in a few human weeks timez, our lives would change furrevurr!
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January
A few weeks later, the weather gotz stupid cold…again! But dis time, I knew where to go! My Human! My Human would take us in! I wanted to wait fur sister, but she was acting weird-she would put her booty up in the air and shake it like she just didn’t care-which I didn’t care about so I figured I’d go ask Human if I could come in for a night and then come outside and see if catsister Salem wanted to come in and be warm too!
Human opened the door and let me come in. I remember her saying, “If you come in, you’re gonna stay in. No going outside without me. This is going to be forever.” or somethin’ like that. I meowed, “Okay!” just to come in. She closed the door. I panicked and changed my mind for about 5 minutes and then ran under my couch. Sure enough, I was to find out that My Human kept her promise! No more outside for me-even to this day!
That first night we snuggledz on teh couch. I showed her my tummy, which she generously rubbed. I could tell she was looking for something, but I didn’t know what. All I knew wuz that she givez the bestest tummy rubzez!
Human: I was checking to see if she had been spayed. She was not!
Nalia: Dats a spoiler!
Human: *Says with a hint of sarcasm> I am so sorry, my princess! Purrleaze forgive me!
Nalia: I guess I’m a sucker bcuz okay, I furgivez you! *Covers Human’s mouth so she’d shut up and let Nalia continue on with the story*
The next day, some white stuff covered the ground. The Human said that it was snow. I began to wonder if my catsister Salem was okay. I begged My Human to let me go outside-I was lonely and I wanted to find her. I was also starting to put my booty in the air like I just didn’t care! I felt a natural urge to go do…Idk, something! Hopefully that something would lead me to Salem!
Human said that if Salem wanted to come inside with me, then she would let her inside the Human Den. Sure enough, right after she said that, I sensed a presence nearby that looked familiar. It was catsister Salem! My Human got excited and said that she would bring her in. She gave me some treats inside a smol yet long shaped box (Human: her carrier) and locked me inside.
#Rude!
The next thing I know is that I hear a door open, I smell a familiar scent, heard a familiar sound of the door closing along with meows that sounded unhappy, and then the next thing I know is My Human let me out of the thing I was in. I knew my catsister was inside the Human Den, but I couldn’t see hurrz! My Human, whom I started thinking of as My Human Mama (Mama furrz short) said that catsister Salem (onward going now known as Salem) was under teh couch and we just needed to give her some time to adjust. It was a confusing first few weeks for me and I wondered if we would all get along. I wasn’t sure if Mama would keep her word and put us back outside so I did my bestest to convince her that even though I was a wild, chaotic kitty, I was also a good, sweet kitty! Little did I knowz that it would get actual crazy within a few short months!
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February
Salem and I settled into our new lives. Human Mama would leave us to our own devices in the apartment while she went out. We met the male human who we now call Human Daddy. The furst nite that he stayed ovur-I wuz not a happy kitty! I protested all night long! He left latur dat day after spending some time with Mama. He came back a few weeks latur, and I decided that I would start making an attempt to warm up to him. He’s pretty fun, but Sister thinks he’s too loud. He’s been warming up to me though-he’s pretty playful and since I like to play too, I think we’ll be good friends! He gets extra kitty points for starting the saying of, “Don’t be shitty to the kitties!”
One day Mama came home and had a weird vibe about hurr. She’d been saying sumthing about going to see an animal doctur-a veturanarian-for a checkup. She picked me up and put me in the black, comfy carrier. I heard hur try to get Sistur in hur carrier but Sister said a bunch of things that I don’t believe appropriate to say-
Salem: I told Mama to F-
Human: Salem baby, you’ll get to say what you said in your version.
Salem: But Sister’s version could use a little more…how does one say? Ah yes…linguistic spice!
Nalia: Not everyone likes to use the spicy language that you like to use, Sisstuurr! And also, I did say a spicy word!
Salem: You were quoting that other human who comes up every month to ma see Mama!
Human:
Also Human: Salem, if Nalia doesn’t want to use spicy language like you and I do then we should respect her prerogative.
Salem: *flicks tongue to her nose*
Nalia: #Rude!
Human: Nalia baby, please continue.
Nalia: Gladly! *Covers Salem’s mouth with her paw and continues*
I heard Mama try to get Sistur in hur carrier but Sister said a bunch of things that I don’t believe appropriate to say and will not repeat herrr!
Mama gave up and took me on my furst car ride. It was…weird. I was still yet also moving. Mama was playing some purrety calming musique and that kind of helped. We got to the animal doctur, a human female. I was scared at first, so I just stayed still while I was examined. The Human Female stuck somting cold up my booty, something called a therm-o-meetur (Human: Thermometer). Then I gotz super-thin metal stixz put in me-the humans call them shots/vaccinations. Someting about protecting me frum kitty diseases.
Okay, sure, if it’ll protect me! But do they have to stick things in me to protecc me?!? #RUDE!
The Human Female said that I was good for my furst exam. Mama wuz told to bring me back two weeks latur-and to bring Sister Salem if she could catch her!
Haha-good luck with that!
Mama said that she was super proud of me and when we got home she gave me some treats! Welp, if going to see the vet-ur-ra-nariun meanz that I get treats, I guess I’ll be a good kitty cat and cooperate.
Sister Salem and I got back to playing. But I started noticing that Salem was getting…rounder. And it wazn’t frum all the food. She still played with me but she seemed to be conserving her energy, like she wuz getting ready for sumting huge! Mama noticed too.
Two weeks passed, Mama’s human boyfriend came back up and visited. This time both me and Sistur came out-he would get the thing with the Red Dot out and I would try to catch it-for the humans must be proteccted from it!-and Salem sat on the window or peeked out from the closet to observe and judge. After the boyfriend left, it was time fur me to go back to the vet. I wuzn’t happy to get vaccines again, but then I remembered the treats afterwards so I allowed Mama to put me in the carrier, although fear got a hold of me and I resisted at first to be put in.
This time Salem came with us. Mama put her in her carrier first. She trapped her in the bathroom. There was definitely some language but Mama is very good at helping us be calm when putting us in the carriers. She even leaves them open furr us to go in and out of when we aren’t in the car!
Anywayz, we go to the vet and we find out that Sister Salem is going to have kittens! Between you and me, Fellow Muzur, I honestly don’t know how Salem became with kittens, but I suspect it haz something to do with putting our booties in the air and shaking them like we just don’t care!
Salem: Yeeeaaah…totally…something like that…
After the vet visit, we could tell that our Mama wuz worried. We did our best to assure her that evurrything wuz going to be okay. She got some help frum sum other humans, even took both of us to see them-there were other kitties there and it was a little scary! I’m glad that Mama kept us in our carriers!-and loaned Mama some things to help with Sister becoming a mama hurself.
We’ll talk about that in my Part 2, though. I haz the sleepiez and needz to take a nice cat nap! Hasta luego2!
~End of Nalia’s Version, Part 1~
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Thank y’all for reading Nalia’s Version, Part 1. I will be releasing Salem’s Version, Part 1 in two weeks, as I have written a brief non-cat interlude for April 1st. There will also be a new Shoutout post for new March subscribers-the maths say that that is two posts in a row! Huzzah! However, that means that there won’t be a post on the upcoming Wednesday. The last two weeks of April, however, you will get to read both ladies Part 2! Both of Salems’ versions will be released a week apart and then Nalia’s Part 2 will conclude the mini-series.
Nalia would love to hear your thoughts on her part 1, and would very much appreciate it if you would
Carpe Diem and many Huzzahs! to you, Fellow Musers! ¡Y eso de todo por ahora3!
~Kimber, Nalia, and Salem💜💞
P.S. Fun Fact: One night I was curious about the etymology of Nalia’s name, so I looked it up and I found that it roughly translates to “Explorer”-which is exactly what she is, my sweet, beautiful, curious explorer😻! I honestly don’t know how the name came to me-in fact, it was reserved for another cat I had planned to adopt from the same area, but that cat was not interested in coming inside. However, when I saw my current explorer, I had a deep sense that the name was purrfect for her. Her full name is Nalia Ann, but I really only use it when she goes into full chaos-bringer mode😻
Nalia: I may look cute and cuddly but…Raaawwwrrrr! I’m a mini-lioness! I’m also purrsistent!
…coriño, ¡muchas gracias! is Spanish for “Thank you sweetheart!”
Hasta luego is Spanish for “See you later!”
¡Y eso es todo por ahora! is Spanish for “And that’s all for now!”
Thank you, Kimber. I bet that was hard to write in another language (Furrland).
Wonderful cat communication! Love it!