Let me tell you about Coco Bean Chanel.
Some have been asking about Coco so here is the story of the most loved cat in the world.
Exactly four years ago, almost to the day, I was living downtown Montreal in a really crummy apartment, but I didn’t care. I was a student in the center of the biggest party town, I had no debt (because I was still living off my parents) and I didn't know how to cook, anything, but that didn’t matter because I was young and Kraft dinner tasted just fine to me.
Now, I have this thing where I always have to stop into pet stores to see the kittens, so I ducked into this one down the street from my apartment, and there she was. She was so tiny, in this large cage, all by herself. As I got closer to her she started to play with me through the cage. Her little tongue was sticking out (now a Coco trademark) and she kept getting her tiny claws stuck in my sweater.
Ok, so because I was living off my parents, I went straight home to call my mom. "No" she said right away. But that didn't deter me. You see, my dad and brother were coming up to visit from Toronto that weekend for the St. Patties day parade. I knew I had just one chance if I was going to own that little bundle of fur.
So, when my dad was leaving the house that Saturday morning to drive up to Montreal, the last words my mom said to him were " Don't you dare buy her that cat"
He bought the cat.
Come on, she was so cute, who could resist her?? We all made a pact, let’s not tell mom anything until a week later, then dad would break it to her. Unfortunately that night Coco didn't want to be alone so she slept on my brother’s back and kept him up all night. When my dad and brother left that Sunday, my brother was dropped in Oshawa, about an hour before Toronto. There is one thing you must know about my brother. He can not keep a secret. Ever. It has always been that way, since we were young. So when my mom called him to ask how the weekend was he said "great, but the cat kept me up all night". Busted.
But it's all ok now. No one can resist Coco Bean. She is a Tortie and is still very tiny for a cat. Her tongue sticks out when she is happy and she is always purring like a motor. Every single night while I am reading she joins me before bed and tries to block my book. Same with whenever I study. Or use my laptop.
Every night she also sleeps under my arm and will nudge my shoulder until I let her in. She purrs for a long time then falls asleep with her head on the pillow. She carries around a small stuffed lion like it is her baby, and every day moves it to the living room in the morning, and back into bed at night.
One time she ran away. It was the worst three days of my life, but I found her down the street, hungry and needing to use the litter box. I trained her well.
She loves Ian, and men in general. She will sit on anyone’s lap and show off by rolling around if you are new.
(Coco in her Montreal Canadiens Hockey Jersey)
So that is the story of my favourite animal, my Coco Bean Chanel.
