Leeloo Love

By Olivia. C
Okay, it’s official: I’m a crazy cat lady. Guilty as charged. I can’t help it, I have a serious case of Leeloo love, big time.

 

 It all started six years ago. I was just about to start high school, with only a few weeks of my summer holidays left to go. Dad and I were on our way to Tullamarine airport, heading for the Australian air express pick up area. We were on our way to pick up my Christmas present. She had come all the way from Queensland. Her name was Lily, and she was to become the latest addition to the family. 

A snowy white Bengal kitten, Lily was yet to get her spots and stripes and had a chubby little tummy. She didn’t really take a liking to either of us at first, often preferring to hide under the couch and hiss at us whenever we tried to get too close. She loathed being picked up and ran away as fast as she could if I tried to pat her. Lily wasn’t exactly a cuddly kitten. You could say she wasn’t much of a people person either.

Six years later, and Lily hasn’t changed that much. Her spots and stripes have come through, but she still retains the right to hiss and yowl at me when I pick her up. But truth be told, she is a big softie at heart and loves to squeeze herself beside me on the couch when I’m watching a film. It’s times like these that I can’t resist the urge to whip out my iPhone and take a photo. To date, I have approximately taken 64 photos of Lily. Ten are on Instagram. This may sound excessive, obsessive even, but I’m not the only one who likes to catch their furry friend on camera.

Those of you who have an Instagram account will have undoubtedly come across an account that is solely dedicated to displaying photos of one’s beloved pet. Wherewallaceat, Tunameltsmyheart, Balkibones are but to name a few of the many Instagram accounts that are dedicated to this sort of thing. Such accounts boast an enormous audience, some reaching 1,000 followers. Yet it doesn’t stop there. Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube and even Pinterest have all become regular forums in which pet owners from around the world upload pictures, videos and even blog posts about their pet’s daily antics.

 Yet like all of these pet owners, there is method to my weirdness. I too experience the undeniable warmth that we all experience when we see a loved one, human or animal. Taking photos of Lily is one way of expressing such warmth and my appreciation of the companionship she has offered me over these past six years.

 Lily is indeed a special cat, and she will always be my special little snow blossom from the North, my snow leopard, my Leeloo. I am grateful for having the privilege of being her owner, and look forward to spending many more happy years with her by my side (on the couch). Happy 7^th Birthday Lily, lots of love from your proud crazy cat lady x