Baphy was in our lives for six years, more than half of her life. When I found her at the SPCA she had gone unadopted for five years because she was a black adult cat. I fell in love with her before I even met her when I saw her online. Her name on the website was “Calliope”, but I had forgotten it upon arrival of my adoption appointment and kept asking for the cat “Cantaloupe” and thankfully they knew who I was asking for. She jumped in my lap and was so incredibly sweet. They offered to show me other cats but I was set. They waived all the adoption fees because she had been there so long. I still can’t believe it. She was my first pet; I was 21 years old and recently graduated from college when I took her home. Her devilish personality came through immediately and I changed her name to Baphomet, Baphy for short. That year I met my, now, partner. And they also fell in love. The first time Oliver saw Baphy, Ollie asked: “is that a little fur hat?” But it was just Baphy curled up on their jacket sleeping. Baphy lived in three different apartments with us over six years, as we made our way as young adults in San Francisco.

Baphy was incredibly intelligent and mischievous. She understood how to open and close doors, so we had to baby proof (or cat proof) everything! There were multiple times we thought she was missing (and once we even cut open a mattress, we thought she might’ve been stuck in, just to look everywhere!!) when she had really just let herself into a cabinet or drawer to get a snack. She was incredibly food motivated and always ate like a starving medieval peasant, I kid you not! Often, we would have to put her in another room while we ate (or her sister, Salem, ate) or else she would steal food. She has stolen many loaves of Challah in her life.

Other things she loved included: jumping/sitting on shoulders, trying to drink from the toilet bowl, her pink flamingo toy she would toss in the air and catch, sleeping on bellies, windowsill naps, walks in tall grass, any type of bread, doing back flips with the laser pointer, and generally being a silly little goober.

Baphy was more than a devilish, little cat (or rather big cat) – she was also one of our first steps into adulthood. We were able to give this sweet creature a wonderful life and in turn she gave us a really wonderful life. I truly believe in another life, in another dimension, in another universe (whatever that may be) she is also our companion.

All cats go to heaven 🙂
-Seth K. & Oliver D.