Nee-Nee-Naw

My grandma loves cats
When I was a baby she got her first
A tiny calico that mewed and dug its claws in her sweater
She helped rescue all she could - young, old, fat and skinny
Black, white, and orange - my grandma loved them the same
Mostly they were cats that apartment neighbors didn’t want anymore

I remember all her cats:
There was an onyx puffball named Thomas
He was named after my brother’s favorite show
There was slinky ginger puss with green eyes
When I visited he rubbed against my leg and purred
And a beautiful yet shy marshmallow named Lily
When she builds up her courage she loves an ear scratch

But the cat I remember the most is the tiny calico
Years older, but never seeming to grow much
She reserves her love for my grandma
They cat nap on the couch together
And she licks her chin after dinner
We call her Nee-Nee-Naw,
Just like my grandma