Sailor was my living hero

Aww, don’t you two look cute, Wilma? You with your little red collar!

“I hated that collar but I loved Sailor. I am so glad you are letting that shine through more in my book My name is Wilma. I have been thinking a lot about heroes lately and Sailor was mine. She was so big and knew how to be a cat in a house.”

Do you mean she knew she had staff?

“What I mean is that as a house cat you do things differently to outdoor cats. I had to change my toilet habits, sleeping habits and how I spent my days. Sailor taught me how to laze around all day. In the beginning I was like a tornado Up the stairs, on the bed, under the bed, down the stairs, on the couch, under the couch, on the table, you get the picture.”

Even better, I remember. But Sailor was a hard act to follow…

“She thought she was your mother. Remember how she washed your hair every night before she went to sleep on your pillow. Don’t give me that look, I know you missed it a long time after she died. See, now you remember that too… I am also thinking a lot about dying and how we miss the dead…

Come on Wilma, I have just woken up, it’s raining, let’s stick to your heroes. Sailor was not very nice to you later, why is she still your hero?

“Being nice is nice but showing others how to be brave is priceless. And I was an outdoor cat who had to adjust to the quiet regime of an indoors cat. Sailor was also great when we flew from the Netherlands to New Zealand. She was so brave then and that really helped me.”