Buckley’s Story

Buckley’s Story
By Ingrid King

“When the student is ready,” some human once said, “the teacher will appear.” Buckley came into Ingrid King’s life at just the right time. A sensitive and caring (not to mention cat-loving) soul, Ms. King had settled into a life that was comfortable and nice, but not everything that it could be. Through the exuberance of Buckley’s strong personality, she was encouraged to break out of her rut and set her life and career in a new direction.

Actually, it was no surprise to me that Buckley could do all of this for Ms. King because Buckley was a tortoiseshell cat, and anyone who has ever lived with a tortie knows the kind of drive they have! And Buckley needed more tortitude than your average cat because of her many physical challenges — a gimpy leg, a chronic, painful mouth inflammation and heart problems among them. If she was able to live with these problems with enthusiasm and grace, then managing Ms. King must have been easy by comparison. The one surprising thing to me was that Ms. King already had a tortie, Amber, when Buckley came into her life, but the two of them not only managed to live together, but became close companions. That was a lot of tortitude for one house. With those two running things at home, no wonder Ms. King was able to start her own business as a Reiki healer.

Yes, the book has a sad end, as Buckley’s health problems inevitably doomed her to a briefer life than most indoor kitties. But it’s an inspiring story for any humans who have ever wanted to do something special with their life — if only they would listen to their cats, then maybe they could figure out how!