Today’s unadoptable (age) is the aristocratic Lady Victoria of Kirkland—Victoria to the staff and never Vicky. She arrived a year ago with age and health issues after her owner passed and a trip to the shelter was out of the question. In the 358 days since, we’ve come to savor her connection to a time when newsmen and politicians spoke civilly, even hooligans like the Beatles wore suits and you curtsied to the Royal Box when you entered Centre Court.
A delicate quarter stone in weight, Victoria moves with dignified grace and spends much of the day on a perch observing (and judging) activity around her. In lighter moments, she’ll refer to herself as “vintage”, but there’s plenty of spunk left in this girl—attempts to usurp her privilege earn a swift paw to the temple and no second thoughts. On a whim, she’ll inspect the gardens of “West Egg”, as she derisively deems the KF grounds, but more often than not, she’s content to lie quietly and reflect on a life well lived.
Her surprisingly loud motor suggests an appreciation for the sots, raconteurs and other delightful wretches onsite and that any health issues beyond age were unfounded. As for four-legged commoners, Victoria tolerates other cats and dogs but prefers to take her meals alone. “If God wanted me to dine with rabble, he’d have given them better manners.”, she says with a cheeky grin. In another life, she was a Hepburn or Kennedy but now she’s a loving reminder that you can have hierarchy (born or earned) in your home without guilt and perhaps find some dignity in these unsettled times…Victoria.
