I’m not a football fan, and the only reason I occasionally watch the Super Bowl is for the commercials. But this year, I’ll be cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s all because of a tortoiseshell cat named Steeler.
The abandoned tortoiseshell cat was found crying at the backdoor of a friend in rural Pennsylvania. She had never had a cat before, and knew nothing about cats. The little cat wanted in, and my friend did not want a cat. When it became colder, and no shelter would take her, my friend decided that any cat that wanted a home that badly could stay. She called her Steeler, because she stole her heart, and because she’s a big Pittsburgh Steeler fan. And because, like all tortoiseshell cats, Steeler proudly wears the gold and black not just on game day, but every day.
Steeler became a comfort to my friend’s husband, who was becoming increasingly debilitated from Alzheimer’s. After he was hospitalized, Steeler continued to provide love and support to my friend. As she got to know Steeler better, she also became familiar with what is often referred to as “tortitude,” the distinct and unique personality of tortoiseshell cats. They tend to be strong-willed, a bit hot-tempered, and they can be very possessive of their human. Other words used to describe torties are fiercely independent, feisty and unpredictable. They’re usually very talkative and make their presence and needs known with anything from a hiss to a meow to a strong purr. They can be a little unpredictable, and if they were football players, they’d probably be playing defense.
On game day, Steeler watches the games with my friend. And she appears to be turning into somewhat of a lucky charm – after all, the Steelers are going to the Super Bowl. When a Pittsburgh television station asked viewers to post photos of their pets in Steeler gear on their website, my friend posted Steeler’s photo, proudly showing off her team colors, and even wearing a little Steeler hat. As of this writing, Steeler’s photo has received more than 30,000 views.
There are plenty of tigers, cougars and wildcats who are team mascots. Perhaps the Pittsburgh Steelers should consider making a feisty tortoiseshell cat named Steller their mascot. So far, she has brought them good luck.
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