Barbara Haugen, Vice President, BABU Inc.

Barbara's Pets

 Barbara with Koko & Pudgy 

I toss a ribbon. Pudgy leaps three feet straight up into the air, catches it, and then dutifully brings it back to me and drops it at my feet. We do this again and again until one of us tires - usually, that would be me. Playing catch with one of my Burmese cats is just one joy of my love affair with Burmese that began in 1972. That is when I met the great cat Lucas O'Toole, a Burmese born in Surrey, England. He was the sidekick of the man who would become my first husband. Ted, a foreign correspondent, brought Lucas from England to Washington, DC, via Moscow and Canada, where Lucas was quarantined for more than six months before being allowed to enter the United States.

I was very wary of Lucas when first we met, and he and I kept our distance. In those days, I was still exclusively a dog person, but it became clear to me, and ultimately to Lucas, that we would have to accommodate one another in the budding love affair that became a marriage. Lucas and Ted were inseparable; friends speculated that late at night Ted talked with Lucas, and Lucas answered! I grew to love Lucas dearly and, when he died of old age at almost 17, the only way to heal our broken hearts was to bring two new Burmese kittens into our life.

Rupert and Albert - as in Rupert of Henshaw and Albert Edward Christian George Andrew Patrick David Windsor (did I mention Ted was Canadian and an Anglophile) were adorable and grew into wonderful cats who scampered around our Capital Hill town house with great abandon. Albert was very good at climbing the Victorian lace curtains, although not as good at descending. That feat usually required assistance from a human companion. Rupert was steady and loving, protecting Albert and serving as a watch cat. When Ted died in 1993, they spent months searching for him and waiting for him to reappear. They also took good care of me, providing love and companionship and comfort.

When they first met Dan, the man who would become my second husband, they were not sure of him at all. And, in truth, Dan was none too sure of them either, reacting much as I did on first meeting Lucas. But they soon found their level of trust, and Rupert and Albert welcomed Dan into our lives when he and I married in 2000. Rupert inherited the Lucas mantle and the seemingly uncanny ability to understand human emotions and to communicate clearly with us. Sadly, our time as a family was brief; we lost Albert and then Rupert to illness in 2001, only about 10 months apart.

Today, we have two lovely Burmese named Koko and Pudgy, descended from a grand champion named Betty Boop, thus explaining names that match the cartoon legend's sidekicks. Koko is a bit of trouble, always stealing and hiding socks and eyeglass cases - anything small and soft. Pudgy, in addition to being a great athlete, is quieter and seemingly wiser, a real gentleman who enjoys a chin rub most evenings while resting on my chest before I fall asleep. Koko curls up by Dan's knees.

Another especially dear pet in my family was "Miss Ellie," a beautiful stray adopted by my brother John. She showed up on our back porch one fall weekend and was immediately dubbed "Miss Eloise of the Plaza" despite her rather shabby accommodations in a blanket-lined cardboard box while we searched for her original owner. Miss Ellie" soon became John's dearly beloved companion, a role she filled for many years before passing away quietly at about 17 years of age.

My brother Greg has two Himalayans, Spanky and Darla. Those old enough to remember "Our Gang" can imagine the trouble that pair can conjure up.

Scott, my other brother, is definitely and exclusively a dog man. He favors German Shepherds, and his lovely dog Ebony was his close companion for more than 10 years. She left us in the spring of 2006, but Scott will not be long without a dog in his life and plans to adopt a new puppy soon.

Dan and I have a lovely granddaughter named Katelyn who has a beautiful cat named Whiskers. Whiskers, who is white with blue eyes, is deaf as many white cats are. She is a sweet and gentle cat who gives Katie and her family lots of happiness.

We can't imagine life without our dear pets. When Dan and I retire and have the time to walk and play with a dog, we hope to add another pet to our household. The only question is what kind!