Domino, Part 1: A devil redeemed

This was a very special day. My biggest sister Suzy was moving home after finishing her college degree. Amongst her many fascinating possessions was an extra special bonus… her pet cat. As a freshly anointed Spanish teacher, she thought it only natural to give him a Spanish name, which was Diablo (Diablo is Spanish for Devil). I think she thought the name was fitting, because of his impish personality.

The family was more than happy to invite Diablo to live with us, but there was an underlying problem. No one felt particularly good about living with “the Devil”; whether he spoke Spanish, cat-0-nese, or any other language, so it wasn’t long before Diablo was renamed, Domino.  He was a very handsome Siamese, so my guess is that his coloring had something to do with the new name.

As a side note, while looking up the word “Diablo” in an online dictionary, I discovered that the Spanish for “Devil” is actually split between “Diablo”, and “Demonio.” Perhaps for a Spanish teacher, there is a world of difference; but for those of us who are addle-minded and mono-linguistically challenged, “Demonio” looks and sounds an awful lot like “Domino”.  Hmmm…

Domino the cat, for better or for worse, probably had more to do with shaping my personality than anyone ever realized. Looking back on those years, I realize just how much time I spent hanging out with Domino. It was like we were best hand-in-paw friends. There was a mysterious quality about that cat, which haunts me to this very day. Indeed, he seemed far too smart to be “just a cat.”

Many are unable to connect with cats, partly because cats have a tendency to project what appears to be an aloof attitude regarding people. Cats are inclined to assume the role of “King of the Jungle”, regardless of who owns the jungle they are living in. They wander about the house, seemingly lost in a world of their own, oblivious to your presence unless it suits them.

Domino was undoubtedly mistaken for a typical cat, because he wore his royalty better than any other cat known to mankind. But, if you thought he was a typical cat, you could not have been further from the truth, for all you had to do was look him in the eyes. He would look you right back, and you could see it, just on the other side of his blue eyes, there lived a simmering, extraordinary intellect.

I was not familiar with C.S. Lewis’, “Chronicles of Narnia” at the time, but if I had been, I would have sworn that Domino was a domestic-sized version of “Aslan, the Greatest Lion.” That is quite a contrast if you know the stories, and then think about Domino’s original name.

There are a great many tales to tell about Domino, so I have decided to share him with you in several articles. I cannot imagine a life that did not include growing up with a mysterious fur person named Domino. I hope you will gain some understanding of that after reading more about him. Be sure to come back for more.

Copyright ©2007 by Phil Harris