Chubba: My 18 Year Old Kitty Best Friend

As Told By: Christina Costello

18 years ago, Chubba and his three siblings were born inside a sock drawer at my family home. His mother was a barn cat we had adopted, who promptly after realizing her babies were in safe care, ran away back to live the life she had known and loved the most. 

I remember when the kittens were born, I was awestruck. I was about 9 years old at this time, and wanted nothing more than an animal to be my best friend. The four tiny kittens snuggled, slept together, and spent all their time together. We would periodically let them out of the room they were born in to explore the house in small intervals, and starting from the very beginning, Chubba was the kitten who spent the most time with me. The other kittens seemed to pick on him as they started to get old enough to run around the house, and I would build little forts for me and Chubba to hide in. I think as an older cat he may remember that time fondly, because now at age 18, there is nothing more that he loves than being under a blanket with me, safe from the world just like when he was a kitten. 

Eventually, one of the kittens was adopted, while the other three spent their lives with us. Patches unfortunately passed young, at the age of three, and his brother, Maxx, passed away last year at 17. They spent their lives loved and each had their own favorite human. I was lucky enough to have Chubba appoint me to be his favorite human. (Or one of them, because I believe I share this honor with my mother still to this day). 

When Chubba was 16, he was diagnosed with diabetes, and it really rocked our world. He lost a lot of weight, looking like a shell of his former self, and we were terrified he wouldn’t make it. But, he’s always been a fighter, and he isn’t going to let something like that be what takes him from his humans’ laps.  Once Chubba was diagnosed with diabetes, we quickly learned where to find much needed coupons to afford his insulin, which foods were okay for his diabetes, and (most importantly to him) which treats he could have. It’s been a long road to getting him back to his chubby self, but I am so happy that at 18, he is still very much himself. Happy, hungry for snacks, cuddly, and hilarious as ever.

Every day I start my mornings by sitting with Chubba in my lap for an hour as I drink my coffee. We watch television together, and I’ve learned that he’s recently taken an interest in what’s on the screen now that he is older. His favorite program is found on the Roku, where he watches a collection of bird videos. Even as an elder cat, he watches intently, chattering and chirping at the birds and doing his best to keep me still so that I don’t scare them away. It is one of the things I treasure about him, that I get to be his “hunting” partner. 

Chubba has so many things that make him unique. He loves watching his “bird show” every morning as previously mentioned, falls asleep to me singing “soft kitty” from the big bang theory, and in his younger years, would sit for treats on command just like a little dog.  

He has been my best friend for the last 18 years, comforting me when I’m sad, guarding me when I’m sick, watching television and movies with me, playing with me, and (his favorite) taking naps with me. 

I know that making it to 18 is no easy feat for a cat, and I hope that I get to spend many golden years with him. He has taken care of me many times, now the next few years will be my turn to return the favor. 

About Christina Costello

Christina is a voice actor who likes to spend her spare time with her best bud, Chubba. She is a disability advocate, music lover, and nutrition student. If you’re so inclined, you can find her on social media on Twitter at @its_tina_timevo and Instagram at @its_tina_time_vo!

MEOWTASTIC!

We at Lucky Pineapple Films love cats. We love them so much, we have our own cat themed store, The Cattiest Cat Shop. To celebrate our love of cats, we invited people to share their own cat stories. When we moved the website over to a new shop, we didn’t want to lose them. Voila! Here the amazing cat stories are forever preserved on the Lucky Pineapple Films website.