World Traveler Chicka's Story, by Linda Roth

Chicka’s story begins in 2007 when my daughter Stefanie met her husband-to-be Chris online. After meeting and getting to know each other, they decided they were going to live together for a year in Australia, which was Chris’ home country. Stef moved to Faulconbridge, which is west of Sydney in the Blue Mountains, and she not only fell in love with Chris but with his handsome and affectionate cat Chicka as well. So after a year, when they decided to return to the U.S. and get married, they had to take Chicka with them. He was an essential part of their family and there was no way they could leave him behind.

Chicka Jets to New Home

Of course, there were all kinds of rules and regulations they had to follow as they got him ready to board a Quantas jet and make the long plane ride to his new home. He had to wait patiently in his crate for about 24 hours before we found the nondescript little building tucked away in a corner of this huge airport and could pick him up. We expected him to be traumatized with all the recent disruptions to his life, but as soon as we got him home and let him out, he sauntered around sniffing and exploring, rubbing our legs and purring ─ obviously happy with his new digs. He was such a sweet cat and I fell in love with him immediately.

Chicka was a cherished member of our family and he knew it. He was an indoor cat but we have a very secluded backyard and eventually he would go out there to putter around and sit under a lemon tree while I was gardening. He loved “people food,” with a particular preference for potato skins. He was happy and healthy, and we lived together for 3.5 years until Stefanie, Chris, and Chicka found their own place.

Saying Goodbye

At some point we all noticed that Chicka was slowing down. We took him to Sage Veterinary Clinic to see what was happening and they did a number of tests. The diagnosis was an enlarged heart and sadly there was no cure. He was only going to get worse over time, and they recommended we let him go, so that’s what we did ─ all of us sobbing at the loss of our wonderful feline friend.

While he was here, Chicka had a great life. He was a world traveler, living in Australia and then moving to the U.S. The people in his life adored him. We still miss his beautiful green eyes, his sweet headbutts, and his affectionate nature. A life well lived with many fond memories left behind.