Buffy the Rodent Slayer

By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo, of Bristol, Conn.


When I went to the animal shelter to find a new kitten, I was mourning the recent loss of my elderly cat named Ashley.
I arrived at the Connecticut Humane Society in Newington, but they didn’t have any kittens available, only adult cats. I looked at the animals ready to be adopted, and a fluffy one caught my eye.
This cat had tiger-like markings. She was black and brown and fluffy, with bright green eyes, and was part Maine Coon. When we took her into an adoption room, the adoption worker said it was the first time she had ever heard the cat purring. I was a big fan of the hit television show, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” so I named my new cat “Buffy the Rodent Slayer.”
It took a long time to win her over – she was shy after living in the shelter for about a month.
But soon Buffy opened up, running around the house and playing with her toys. She loved to climb under the covers to snuggle. Buffy lived with me when I owned a condominium in Guilford.
We later moved to Ansonia, where Buffy had to try to learn to get along with my new husband’s two cats.
We eventually moved to our current home. With our new house on a cul-de-sac, I thought Buffy would be safe outside, as there is hardly any traffic. She loved going outside, but she had to stay indoors at the Ansonia house, as we had lived on a busy street.
So she went outside in Bristol, and would lounge in the sun. She loved to hang out by the bird feeders, watching the birds and the chipmunks. She would come inside when I called her.

When I was pregnant, Buffy just disappeared one day. We called for her, and she never came. I searched the yard and the woods, and visited neighbors, asking if anyone had seen her. We even posted signs with her picture, hoping she would be found.
I remained hopeful for weeks, even months. Every time I heard a sound near the back door, I’d run to look to see if she came back. People shared stories of cats that showed up months after disappearing.
I hoped that maybe she had survived outside, and would live up to her tough namesake.
I feared the worst.
She had been treated for worms recently, but appeared to be fine. I also worried that she was the victim of a predator.

It has been over a year now since I last saw her. My only hope is that I’ll see all of my pets someday – including Cowwie, my dog when I was a child; Ashley, my cat that acted like a dog and went on walks with me; and Buffy, skittish and shy; on the Rainbow Bridge.