Our Favourite First Mate on the Boat

Meet Sweet Pea – our favourite first mate, purr machine and lap kitty

We adopted this little girl from the BC SPCA in 2010. And from the second I walked into the cat room at the Coquitlam branch, she was ready to go home with us.

Always ready to purr and chat

Seriously. I had no more than sat down in the chair when she was curled up on my lap and purring away.

After a quick stop by the kittens, because who doesn’t want to see the kittens, we were back to the adult cats. And once again, she was there, purring and looking for a lap to visit.

Since that day, she has been with us when we downsized to a condo and once again when we moved onto the boat. And with every move she has adapted, thrived and continued to purr.

She loves sunshine, treats and laps. She can throw and catch as well any major league player. And her vocabulary is extensive which she uses for conversations with us – especially in the morning.

Moving onto the boat

We wondered how she would do when her home (the boat) started moving. Sometimes older cats don’t do change. But The Pea has done amazing. She has her little house to curl up in while the boat is underway and gets treats as soon as the boat is docked again.

As I write this, she is alternating naps with watching the world from the back of our couch. I’m hopeful the sun will come out and she can soak up some rays on the deck. Or maybe we’ll play with “pork chop”, her favourite toy. Or we may just enjoy our time together.

The purrfect addition to our family

I’m grateful we went to the SPCA to adopt a cat who needed a “furever” home. We got lucky that we found her on the first try. But even if the right match hadn’t been there the first time, we would have continued to visit the SPCA. These cats are waiting for a new home. And they deserve a loving home.

Quick links

• BC SPCA
• Remember Me Thursday

Update: Sadly, Sweet Pea passed away shortly after I wrote this article. She remains our favourite first mate and is missed every day.