Hello, and welcome to this week's interview! This week, I introduce you to a powerful woman, Lyric, who is making big moves in the world for women. She is one to watch, and her cat is beyond CUTE. I hope you enjoy, and be sure to share with all your pet loving friends ;)
Kisses,
AA + Felicity xoxo
1. what is your name?
Lyric Menges
2. what is your favorite color?
I love blacks, whites and grays, but I also love pops of red in there too.
I guess with the hair I'm just naturally drawn to red and anything that compliments it.
3. What is your favorite type of food or meal?
My favorite type of food has to be either French fries or peanut butter. And I know that's not really a meal, but there's just something about having a really good French fry or having a spoonful of peanut butter. That just can't quite be rivaled by any other food group. But my favorite meal would probably have to be pasta, but like handmade pasta. The types can get an Italy.
4. what is a smell that makes you happy?
Hmm. When you wake up in the mountains and there's still a bunch of fog settling over everything and you can feel how cold the air is when you go outside and smell, but everything also smells like fresh pine trees. You can just tell that the air is clean.
5. if you could tell your younger self something you wish you knew now, what would it be?
That the people in your life who treat you poorly or who try to bring you down are already under you to begin with. You will always be destined for bigger and greater things.
6. if you had one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Goal-driven.
7. If You Had A Theme Song, What Would It Be?
a song that I listen to before, any interview or any big thing at work or school, I always listen to Juke Box Hero by Foreigner.
8. What do you love most about your body?
I really like my hair, but I also really like my eyes because my eyes changed color a lot and they can be anywhere from a really bright Emerald green to a cloudy blue Hazel kind of color.
9. Best thing to happen to you today?
The best thing to happen to me today is I woke up early and I had a cup of my favorite type of coffee that just arrived yesterday, that I imported from Italy.
Keep in mind. It's only 10:30 my time. So, there's still a lot of day to live!
10. What are some things that sound like compliments but are actually insults?
People say to me a lot, “Wow. I didn't know you were smart!”, in response to telling them where I go to college or what my chosen profession is. I faced this a lot when I was still a part of the fashion industry.
11. What are you most excited about at this time in your life?
I am most excited about all of the big things that are coming up in my life. I think this is one of the seasons of change for me. I am graduating. I'm going to law school, I'm getting married. I'll probably be moving apartments. This is a season of change and I'm here for it.
MEET THE PET:
1. what is your name?
Pumpkin
2. what breed are you?
I am an orange Tabby cat.
3. how old are you? human or animal years is fine.
I am 16 and a half. 16 and a half years young that is, don't call me old.
4. What is your star sign?
My star sign is Virgo, but I act much more like a Scorpio.
5. if you had superpowers, what would it be?
to telepathically tell my human when I need attention and tell her when to stop.
6. tell us your adoption/rescue story…
Well, this really evil man, one night in Dallas, Texas took me and all my brothers and sisters to this really big, scary river. We were all dumped in the water. I saved myself, and crawled out. I went running across an acre of land at five weeks old and I sat shivering, cold, and damp on Halloween, and I started screaming at the top of my lungs.
Then this funny looking thing came out of a house and started talking in a language I didn't understand, she picked me up and gave me some food. I wasn't sure how I felt about this big humane, but it was nice enough and their hands were warm. I ate the food and I went inside and then a slightly smaller human came to find me. This one was much nicer, much more my size. I was most comfortable around it and it gave me a stuffed, little pink, Teddy bear. I curled up next to that and this same little human, baby Lyric, came in and started to feed me every two hours. From that moment on, I have been inseparable with this big human, who is now a much bigger human than she originally was.
7. what is the ultimate cheat meal for you?
Well, I love pizza. I'll eat anything. In fact, I eat cheese about five times a day because you know, I am now a more mature cat, so I get special perks. I also get a plate at every holiday at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I always get my own seat at the table.
8. what nicknames do you go by?
Well, my name is pumpkin, but I'm rarely ever called that. Normally I'm called Pumpy, Poluba, Butter Butt, Buddy or more recently the one I detest the most is, Butt-Butt.
9. Summer or winter?
I prefer winter because that's when the magic big fiery thing I like to sit in front of is on, but I get yelled at if I go too close to it.
10. What would you like to be remembered for?
My intelligence. I'm a very smart cat.
11. How would you define yourself in three words?
Attractive, charming, opportunistic.
MEET THE PAIR:
1. take us through your daily routines together…
Our morning routine is we wake up and I open the door to my bedroom and pumpkin goes running out and starts meowing. Pumpkin is very talkative. I have never met a cat who talks so much. In fact, if you look at him and you say something, he will meow back at you. He has different meows based on the conversation.
So he starts meowing, I give him his cheese and some fresh water and I have my coffee. Then I'll go work out or I'll study and I'll come back and he wants more cheese. Then when I'm back in my apartment, after a full day of classes, he will sit on my lap on the couch and we will study together.
When I have dinner, he always gets a piece of what I'm having, usually broccoli or something, he loves to eat broccoli. Then he will sit and cry by the front door until I put his leash on and we will go for a walk around the hallways of my apartment building. When we come back, we'll watch something on TV or on Netflix, and then we'll go to bed and he will sit next to me in bed or on my lap or most commonly on my neck. If I have to wake up in the middle of the night, to go to the bathroom or something, he comes with me and uses his litter box as well.
2. do you ever dress a like?
We've tried that a few times. Pumpkin wears bow ties. He has one for every season, including Halloween and Christmas. He much prefers a classic bow tie.
3. what is your favorite thing to do together?
I really love taking walks with him and that sounds really untraditional, but he's still cute. He'll walk down the hall and he'll stop and roll around on everybody's doormat. It's not like a dog. He never tries to pee on anything or scratch up anything. He just likes the different textures of the rug and he'll roll around, then meow, then he'll go on his merry way. But besides that, I really love when we watch TV together because he curls up in my lap and just makes the cutest little face, then he'll start dreaming and his little paws will move and it's adorable.
4. what is something pumpkin does that gets on your nerves?
If I am petting pumpkin and then I stop, like I fall asleep, and he still wants more attention. He will sit on my chest and meow loudly in my face and then nibble on my eyebrow until I start petting him again. My body just subconsciously knows that that's what he wants. It's this weird maternal bond thing, I guess and I'll just like start petting him in my sleep. Then he'll go under my hand when my arm goes limp and just rub himself under my hand. Like in the scene in The Lion King, where Simba goes under Mufasa's arm after the stampede. That's what he does. While that's really cute the meowing and biting my eyebrow is kind of annoying.
5. what is the funniest thing pumpkin has ever done?
When we first got a puppy, we were trying to train the puppy to ring one of those old-fashioned hotel bells. Every time the dog needed to go potty and Pumpkin was watching this training take place. Finally the dog realized ring the bell, go outside. The dog did not realize how to get back inside. In our old house, he had these huge glass windows from floor to ceiling to the outside and pumpkin sat by the window, saw the dog wanted to come in and rang the bell. My mom and I both knew that the dog was outside and there's no way someone could have rang the bell because we were together. We went over there and pumpkin was sitting there hitting the bell and looking outside because the dog wanted to come back in and didn't know how to come back in.
6. how long have you been together?
16 and a half now. So we've been with each other all throughout life. He's been my built-in best friend. We've lived together and a lot of places and he travels with me.
7. does your pet inspire you? if so, how and why?
Pumpkin does, because he's a fighter. When I was 10 or 11, Pumpkin had stomach cancer and I was a little bit unaware of how bad that situation was. My parents really tried to keep me hopeful and keep me positive, but there was a time when Pumpkin was really, really sick and in the pet hospital. my parents really did everything and I'm so grateful to them for doing literally everything they can to save him. But you know what? He defeated stomach cancer and because of that, he doesn't like having his belly touched, but he's a fighter and I have to admire his resilience.
8. if you and your pet were an iconic duo (could be from anywhere… tv, movies, celebrities, history, etc) who would it be and why?
Batman and Robin, because Pumpkin has an impeccable judge of character
any person Pumpkin has not liked immediately or has bitten, does not have a permanent place in my life. That's been true with every ex, and with every friendship that has failed. Pumpkin just knows and I trust pumpkin's judgment now. He's like my Robin always looking out for me.
9. what is the most meaningful experience you have shared with your pet either directly or indirectly?
There was a really rough time in my life around January two years ago where I was really sick and I didn't handle it very well. Pumpkin could just understand that I was not doing well. When I would be throwing up in the bathroom, or just sitting in the bathtub trying to relax. Pumpkin would always be there by my side. He would lay down next to me and be present. Whenever, something would happen where I was sad or a little, not myself, Pumpkin will come up and curl up on my lap and use his paws to knead my stomach or my leg or whatever, just to show me that he's there.
10. what is the hardest thing about caring for pumpkin?
His ripe young age. When something happens now, it's not just, "Oh my gosh, did he eat something bad?" Now I have to consider a bunch of other factors that I don't want to have to consider.
11. If someone is on the fence about bringing a cat into their life, what would you two tell them?
We would tell them that it's the greatest bond you'll ever have. Having a dog is all good and well, but there's something to be said about people with cats. Because yes, the dog has fun and you can take it to play with other people. There will never be a little animal as devoted to you as a rescue cat, because they view you as their mom. There's this special bond there that just can't be broken. And I can go on about why cats are superior in my eyes, but I won't because I also have a dog and that's not fair. Cats are intuitive and actually in ancient medicine, they used to be used to determine pregnancy in women and some other things. I don't think there's anyone that can bond with you emotionally like a cat does.
A massive thanks to Pumpkin and Lyric for giving us a glimpse into their lives together! Go follow them on insta @lyricdawn
till next Wednesday! xx