About The Book

The Miracle Cat

Life is far more interesting when we throw out the rules and approach it from a place of authenticity, creativity, and joy. To honor this, I, Ceuzinha, am writing my memoir and beginning the first chapter explaining why I’m writing and sharing my story with the world. First of all, it is all based on truth; there is no embellishment. Everything you will read is the truth as I remember it. I have realized that it is true when they say, ‘truth is stranger than fiction.’ As I narrate my story to my scribe, more about that in just a bit, I, too, can’t believe that all of that has happened to me. Sometimes it becomes too heavy, and I need to stop and step back from reality. Sometimes I am in shock as I relive my various traumas. I will now share why I am writing and sharing my story with you.

I am sharing my story to use the sadness of the past and somehow convert that bad to good. Nothing can alter the past but to give value, to give purpose to that which seems to have no purpose is my desire. I’m hopeful that my history will somehow validate the experiences of other women. Whether someone has gone through the same experiences as myself or something completely different, I want that person to think and know and feel that there is a purpose and meaning to their suffering. If we can learn from each other’s pain, then the pain is somehow lessened.

Secondly, I desire that any profits derived from this book will go towards my creation and maintenance of an animal shelter since it was, after all, a kitten named Leopardo who truly inspired this story. Leopardo came into my life unexpectedly and quite by surprise; his effect on my psyche has long survived his short time with me. We were together for five years. Leopardo passed away needlessly through the careless actions of a veterinarian. I even went to court for what happened to Leopardo and won a very small amount of money, $3500.00. The victory was in feeling vindicated; the victory was that it was acknowledged by the law that my Leopardo died when he didn’t need to.

During the first draft, I wrote a scene, a daydream fantasy-like scenario, where I was in an airplane flying to Portugal. In my fantasy, I had won millions, and that meant that as soon as I landed in Portugal, the dream of my animal shelter could become a reality. My shelter would be situated on the land inherited by my mother from her father. There would be enough land for various animals to find safety and a permanent home at just over nine acres. Today, that land is being fought over by my two brothers, but in my dream, that land belongs to me and all the animals I will save.

I know that my mother would be smiling as she watched over me. She would approve of my state-of-the-art veterinary facility so that no animal would be left behind without medical treatment. My mother would approve of the other changes too. There used to be a blue and white ceramic sign in the form of the traditional tile and glazing known as Azulejos, that stood in front of our house that said, “Life is Worthless Without Friends’ but in my dream, that sign now reads, “Abrigo Olivia Porta Aberta” meaning “open door,” because my mother had an open-door policy for any stray animal that walked by her.

If you visited Abrigo Olivia Porta Aberta, you would see many volunteers happily keeping all the cats and dogs entertained and comforted. You would also find a large garden where vegetables are grown both for animal and people’s consumption. There would be fruit trees dotting the landscape and refreshing ponds where animals could drink from or swim in. I envision this as a Garden of Eden for animals.

I also see it as a sanctuary for myself. Not only would the house where I lived as a child be turned into an information center, veterinary clinic, and state-of-the-art food preparation for all the animals, but it would be my permanent home. Luckily my childhood home is large enough that everything needed, office space, storage, educational material would all be in one location. What a joy it would be to wake up under the bright Portugal sun and walk out the front door to see all the different varieties of cats and dogs living in a relaxed state. As I imagine this, I can feel the peace and happiness of the animals, and I, too, feel extreme peace and bliss.

I’ve been told that it’s good to keep seeing my dream and visualizing it because it will bring it into reality. I will hold onto that vision of my shelter, my sanctuary until it has materialized. And so, dear reader, we are brought back to the urgency of writing this book and why it is so important to write it now, even though it is not easy to accomplish.

I have Parkinson’s Disease; in 2011, at the age of 56, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The irony is that my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the same age. I have often wondered about this. There is an irony to us both being diagnosed at the same age. I’m still not sure what it means in the grand scheme of things, but I’m sure it has some significance.

Parkinson’s is a cruel and progressive brain disease that leads to shaking, stiffness, difficulty in walking, problems with balance and coordination, and living independently. There are five stages to Parkinson’s disease. Stage one: individuals experience mild symptoms, and these generally do not interfere too much with one’s daily activities. You are still pretty independent and functional. Stage two means that symptoms worsen. You begin to have tremors, rigidity, and changes in facial expressions. Stage three: during stage three, you typically do not experience new symptoms, but the symptoms you do have become more pronounced. Movement is slower, balance becomes worse, and one is more susceptible to falling due to loss and shakiness. Stage four brings about many significant changes. You now experience great difficulty walking or standing without a walker or assistive device for support. Reactions and muscle movements also slow significantly, and it is typically dangerous for someone to live alone due to safety reasons and the need for assistance with daily living activities. Stage five is the most advanced. By stage five, it is necessary to have around-the-clock assistance. Most persons in stage five require a wheelchair. Stage five also brings with it confusion, delusions, and hallucinations.

I now struggle to write due to severe shaking of my hands, and my voice is so unsteady that dictation software is not an option and so I have had to hire someone to scribe for me since both my hands and voice are not good for me to be able to write my story. Like many other events in my life, Parkinson’s disease slowly takes away my dignity, strength, and independence. This has been something that I have faced over and over again throughout my entire life. My body being assaulted in one way or another, my freedom being lost in one way or another, and my dignity being stripped away from me. All these experiences at the hands of strangers and family alike have let me down since I was a child, but never has an animal been anything but kind and loving to me.

I refuse to give up on my dream of opening up an animal shelter and finally living my life free of fear. I have witnessed first-hand how animals love you unconditionally, how they don’t desert you or hurt you. I have a great need to give back to the animals since, as I mentioned, it was Leopardo who saved me. Later on, you will learn all about Leopardo when I share with you exactly how he appeared into my life and how his love unlocked decades of repressed memories.

There is an urgency to get this all written down because I become more forgetful and confused with each passing day. As the pain lasts longer, the periods of rest need to be longer. I must complete this book in enough time to see my animals reap the benefits of my tortured life. There needs to be a reason for all the suffering I have endured because without reason and purpose, what does it all mean?

I ask myself these questions often, “What does it all mean?” “What is the purpose of all this suffering?” I have no good answer. I only know that I have to give my life meaning by sharing my story and giving it purpose. I am the meaning. Saving animals is the purpose. – Maria do Céu Oliveira-Cabral.