I was fortunate — I did find my purrfect pet companion. In my 80 years on Planet Earth, I’ve almost always had a cat in the family. My last cat, Carlos, was with me for 12 of his 14 years. For the last six years, we were together most of the time, as I had retired and
did not have to go to work each day.
Spending so much time with him, I got to know him well. Carlos was an exceptional cat. When he died, I wrote his life story, partly to help me through my grieving and partly so I could share my memories with others.
We think we select a cat for a companion, but often the cat chooses us. I found Carlos in the Kodiak, Alaska animal shelter. He was a “trusty” and was allowed free run of the place.
On my first visit, he met me at the door. By the third trip, I’d decided I should take him home with me. That day, I stood at the tall counter separating the shelter’s office from the hallway. I laid my arms across the top. Carlos jumped on the counter, stepped between my outstretched arms, laid down, and started purring. If I hadn’t already made up my mind to take him, that action would have clinched the deal.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE A “CAT’S CAT?”
I called Carlos a “cat’s cat” because I saw him as the epitome of catness. If a cat aspires to being the ideal, perfect animal, he would embody the traits that Carlos possessed. A black and white “tuxedo” cat, he strolled through life with poise, confidence, and self-assurance. He was a leader among his own kind. He also knew the animal secret of 
bestowing unconditional love upon the humans with whom he bonded.
Step inside Carlos’s life and learn how he became a big game hunter, killing and bringing home rabbits nearly as big as he. Observe his methods of dealing with intruders, from moose to small dogs. Marvel at his ability to problem-solve, and his way of dealing with his “First Mate” (me). Gain understanding of his talents and attitudes when he compares cats with “two-leggeds.” Lastly, learn what Carlos taught me.
ARE YOU READY FOR A BIT OF LAUGHTER?
Scattered liberally throughout the 12 chapters of this book are amusing and sometimes downright hilarious stories of Carlos’s escapades. The trials of his life are there, too.
My favorite part of the book, and the longest chapter, is Chapter 10, “The Gospel According to Carlos.” In it, the cat presents his life story from his point of view. One of the sweet things Carlos does in this chapter is to identify me as “Cat-Kin,” a cat’s idea made into a 
word that signifies a two-legged who loves cats. I rather like the name.
I believe you will gain some insights into total kitty makeup from this chapter.
There are a few of my photographs in this book. There are also six very special drawings done by Katherine M. Hocker, who also resides here in Gustavus. The illustration on the front of the book was from original artwork by my Anchorage friend, Rene LeGrue.
WHO MIGHT LIKE THIS BOOK?
This book has a universal appeal to young and old if they are cat lovers, or to animal lovers in general. By enjoying Carlos’s story, you may be inspired to write down the story of your favorite animal. You will find it a worthwhile project.
If you would like to purchase a copy of this book, you can order it directly from me. The book sells for $9.00. Just click on the PayPal button located below this post and you will be taken to PayPal, where you can purchase the book with a credit card.
You do not have to have a PayPal account to buy here with a credit card. Shipping within the United States is $4.00; that fee will have to be calculated if you are from another country.
I found my cat companion in 2009. A Orange Tabby that my son named Jody Katie. She is a feisty lady and very sassy. and loves my son who is now 18. She is the other woman of the house and we totally love her to pieces. Great article and I will refer my other cat loving friends to sub to your site.
Thank you so much for your comments, Markeysha! And, thanks for referring my site to other cat folk. I am in the process of reorganizing my menu so things will be easier to find. Perhaps next time you visit my site will have a face lift. Thanks, too, for telling me about your cat family member. Come back again!
I took heed of your suggestion Fran and here I am leaving another comment. What can I say? you earned a fan.
Your article brought back memories…I was 12 when my mother brought a stray cat home. Just like Carlos did, she tried to attract my mum’s attention until he won her mild heart over.
She was already old – vet said he could not exactly determine her age, but she had to be around 10 years old – and she had had a hard life to put it mildly, so she just stayed 2 years with us.
In those 2 years though, she gave and received all the love she had never had before. She was basically harmless, I never saw her attempting to bite or use her claws to harm. My mother would say: “She has had so much pain that she would never cause it to anybody.”
I am glad she went surrounded by love…
Thank you for returning again to my site, and thank you for telling me about your cat. If you are so inclined, I would love to hear some stories about your cat, and things she did that were sweet, or cute, funny, outstanding, or any other adjective. I’d love to read some stories from my readers about their cat adventures. So good that you took that kitty into your home and gave her love. I think you did a very good deed by doing so, and I’m sure the kitty rewarded you in her own way.
Oh well, 2 intense years for sure. The first year was definitely the best: she was quick to gain some weight in order to fill that skinny face with some cat’s liveliness (this is one of my mum’s quotes actually, she has always had a way with words). Once she regained her strength and restored her feline confidence she turned out to be a formidable garden hunter and an even better… Talker!
Yeah, we had to gently tell her to be quiet and that she had talked enough.
Say she was resting on the sofa and you went up to her, she would start meowing while staring at you.
Unless told to stop, she would go on meowing both when being petted and even when purring (she looked like a ventriloquist, hehehe).
We asked her vet and he said she was showing her deep gratitude. She had been rescued from a life of hardship and she wanted to let us know she had not forgotten that.
After all some people are talkative, some others are more inclined to silence. I guess the same goes for cats , pets and animals in general.
Anyway, she definitely belonged to the first category. At some point mum nicknamed her “gossip girl”
Hi, Andrew. Thanks for sending your comment. Very interesting — I wonder what the explanation was for my Siamese, who was also very talkative. In fact, I have called my house when I had guests staying there, and could hear Maxine meowing in the background. Cats show such a wide variety of personalities sometimes. I find it rather amazing. We are all different, I guess — even the animals. Anyway, it was good you rescued that cat from her former existence. She loved you, that’s for sure!
A friend of mine gave me a copy of your book, “The Chronicles of Carlos Castaneda Kitty-Cat Kelso” and I absolutely could not put it down. What a darling kitty Carlos must have been. Heck, I even had a good cry while finishing reading chapter 11. It took me doing some gardening to recover enough to finish your well written story.
One of my neighbours saw your book on my coffee table during a visit, and asked if I would load the book to him once I am finished reading it. Get this… he said, “it sure beats reading hockey books all of the time.” Yeaaaaaaah!
Thanks so much for publishing your story so I could enjoy it.
Trish, I am so glad you enjoyed Carlos’s story. He certainly was special to me, and I, of course, think he was an extraordinary cat. Also, glad you felt it was well-written. That’s always reassuring for an author to read! I do hope your neighbor enjoys it, too. Thanks very much for adding your comment.
I have had quite a few cats in my life. I am currently owned by a one-year-old Siamese Cat. I love cat stories and I have read quite a few. Your sounds good.
Yep, Marina, you do understand cats. When you say you are owned by one, I can see that you realize that the cat really does believe she is in charge. With my Carlos, he was the captain and I was first mate. Cats are such wonderful creatures — do enjoy your Siamese, as I am sure you do. I am curious about something…Is your Siamese really talkative? Mine talked all the time. Not sure if it was just her temperament, or if it had something to do with the Siamese breed.
We got our Siberian boy Toby when he was 21 months old and I became his world. He was a brilliant boy, a big kitty with a big character. His human dad used to ping paper balls for him and he would retrieve them to me alone. I then passed it to his dad and it started again.
He was such a sensitive funny boy and it took him such a long time to learn he was loved for being him after being just another cat at the breeders. Sadly he was attacked when he was 26 months old by a neighbour and passed two weeks later. He took part of my heart with him when on he left for Rainbow Bridge.
Debbie, thank you so much for your comment. My heart goes out to you…it is so sad to lose a four-legged family member. So good that you were able to show him love, as it sounds like he needed that.
One of our Kodiak cats used to retrieve. We had a rubber mouse on a piece of fishing line. If we’d flip it back and forth, then throw it in the next room, the cat would retrieve it, then sit down and meow…”Throw it again, please.”