Alicia, the Cat Who Chose Me (Or Perhaps I Chose Her)

In a neighborhood where cats are everywhere and feeders abound, I made a quiet decision to feed just one. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Her name is Alicia—a Japanese Bobtail with a calm but enigmatic presence. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew there was something different about her. She didn’t beg, didn’t push, didn’t demand. She simply existed with grace, and that was enough to draw me in.

Alicia isn’t like other cats. She greets me every time I come bearing food, polite and composed, with a quiet warmth that doesn't require fanfare. And yet, she’s not overly affectionate. She doesn’t care for pats or strokes, and if I try, she’ll let me know—usually with an annoyed meow and a few steps back. She values her space, her rules. And strangely, I respect that more than I thought I could.

She has her moods, especially when other cats approach during her meals. She’ll make her displeasure known with loud, expressive meows, as if to say, “This human is mine—back off.” It’s both amusing and oddly touching. In her own way, Alicia has claimed me, and I can’t help but feel honored.

But what really makes Alicia special isn’t just her quirks—it’s what she’s done for me. In a time of grief and loneliness, when things felt unbearably quiet, her presence filled a gap I didn’t know how to name. I once told her, out loud, “You don’t need me—it’s me who needs you.” And it’s true. She has no idea how much her companionship has meant to me, even in its limited, feline form.

There are plenty of other cats in the area, but I’ve drawn a line—not just because Alicia would be jealous (which she would), but because I don’t want to dilute this connection. The others are more feral, more entangled in the scrappy politics of community cat life. Alicia is different. She’s my anchor, my little guardian with a tail and a temper.

Sometimes she surprises me—letting me kiss her on the lips, or blinking slowly in a moment of calm. Those rare gestures of trust are more valuable to me than words can express. She doesn’t offer affection often, but when she does, it feels like a blessing.

Alicia may be a cat, but she’s also a quiet healer. She reminds me that love doesn’t always look like closeness, that trust is something earned slowly, and that sometimes, the ones who help us through life are the ones who demand nothing in return.

- “Inspired in part by a conversation with ChatGPT by OpenAI.”