O'Malley, My Little 11/2 Lion - A Loving Numerology Tribute
O’Malley and his famous fluffy neckbeard.
Knowing our personal numbers can bring deeper meaning into our lives. It also can bring a sense of understanding and comfort when we are mourning the loss of a loved one. In my case, looking over the numerology of my dearly departed cat O’Malley is helping me process as I grieve.
My husband Joe and I first saw O’Malley on Petfinder. We had just purchased a home, and we were seeking a playmate for our sweet boy kitty named Boots. He was a floofy yet tiny orange tabby, quite possibly the runt of his litter. At 5 years old he had already lost many of his teeth, and had only recently been neutered upon entering the shelter system. He had little white sock patterns on all his legs, and his paws were entirely too big for the rest of his body. His big curious eyes were almost almond-shaped, and he had little black speckles all over his lips. He was incredibly cute and almost comical to behold.
He was adorable, but it was his massive personality that was his biggest selling point. O’Malley’s online video was a hoot- the entire time the adoption coordinator described him off-camera, he was rolling and flopping around on his side, purring and meowing up a storm. While the humans petted him and laughed as his antics, he clearly soaked up all their attention and kept showing off. He was a ham! We were interested, and so we made an appointment for a meet and greet. He was a popular cat, too. He had only been at the shelter for a short time, and yet his cuteness and charisma spawned four different adoption applications for him in record speed. Joe and I were the lucky ones who were chosen for his forever family, and so both he and his best buddy from the shelter came home with us on September 15, 2010.
O’Malley was everything we could have hoped for, and more. Our vet dubbed him a “dog-cat,” because he acted like one in so many ways. He greeted everyone at the door and meowed for their attention. He followed us from room to room, demanding to be near us and inspecting our every move. Our laps were meant for snuggling, and he thrust his snuggles upon us every chance he got. Everything was something to play with, but playing with people was the tops in his book. He loved our dogs and demanded they submit to him for grooming- in fact, he was so confident with dogs, he once stopped a cat-aggressive dog right in it’s tracks, just by turning around and staring into her eyes! With his dapper good looks, relentlessly high self-esteem, and swagger, among our friends and family he was almost universally considered the favorite in our furry brood.
O’Malley enjoying cuddles with my hubby.
O’Malley was his given shelter name, and it fit him so well, we kept it. He paraded about with confidence and bluster just like O’Malley the Alley Cat in The Aristocats. Additionally, as a general rule, as a numerologist I try not to change a pet’s given name unless it absolutely does not fit. Sadly I was never able to know either his birthday or birth name, which leaves out some of his true essence. Still, his shelter name pointed to several characteristics that were evident during his time with us.
First is the significant “O” at the beginning of his name. The first letter of one’s name gives us a clue into their natural mindset. The letter O is a 6 quality, indicating the strong need to show and give love to family, and to be of service. Indeed, his love was absolutely a form of service, and he served it up at every turn. When our dog was a puppy, he walked right into her kennel and would spend hours grooming her- to the point where she’d have a thorough comb-over! He was deeply nurturing and extremely affectionate. Grooming wasn’t just reserved for the dogs, though. His kitty brothers were the recipients of many of his baths over the years, and many nights my husband and I were woken to the sensation of his rough little tongue licking our foreheads.
The double “LL” is an instant standout. L is a 3, the number of fun, laughter, expressiveness, and communication, all qualities O’Malley possessed in abundance! He was the life of every party, and he had an enormous sense of humor. Oh my goodness, he conversationally meowed at the drop of a hat. You could almost always hear him coming before you saw him. Chittery happy meow meow meows, all the day and night! Everything and everybody was something to play with, and he was an entertainer at heart. I often thought of him as our little cheerleader, constantly cheering us and amping us up with his antics. A double “L” is also is a sign of youth. At 14, he was constantly mistaken for being half his age— sometimes even younger! He was vibrant, lively, and ready to play at the drop of the hat, all the way to the very end. What’s more, the sum of all his vowels (the indicator of what one needs in order to feel fulfilled) was also a 3. He was literally driven by the desire to chat, interact, play, and entertain. In fact I believe it was more than just a need of his; it was an involuntary compulsion. His was such a vivacious energy to have in our home, and the house now is so… deafeningly quiet.
Adding up all the numbers in his name to find his Destiny number (the number that indicates what we came here to express in this life) we get 29, or 11/2: the number of celebrity, and oh boy, was that ever him! His presence was electric. High-powered. He commanded attention while barely lifting a paw. Easily and widely regarded as the favorite of all our of pets, he had the self-concept of a lion. Everyone noticed him, and everyone remembered him more than the others- even over our attention-demanding dogs. Even though all our pets (we have 5!) are beloved, there was something special about O’Malley. And that’s the essence of an 11/2— they attract the spotlight. They shine. What’s more, their energy activates deep something in your soul. As only an 11/2 can do, you couldn’t help being drawn into his sphere of influence, and that’s just the way O’Malley wanted it.
He was the embodiment of life itself. I’ve never seen an animal more vibrantly alive than our little dude. We believed he would be one of those cats that would easily live into his 20s, because he was larger than life. It was nearly impossible to imagine anything could slow him down.
Sadly, this was not to be.
In 2019, squamous cell carcinoma showed up as an unwelcome guest, and sickened our sweet boy. Even in the face of aggressive cancer, O’Malley kept going cheerfully onward with a brave happy face. He still snuggled, he still played, he still followed us everywhere while chatting up a storm, even as the tumors began to overtake his little body. Sadly, we knew he couldn’t keep it up forever, and so we made that horribly painful decision every pet owner dreads- to help end his suffering and save him from further pain. I wailed aloud when I made the decision, and sweet, ever-loving O’Malley stretched his front paws out to me, asking me to hold him. Even while sick, he was always on “comfort patrol.”
We both held O’Malley in our arms while he was humanely euthanized at the animal hospital. I held him close, and whispered repeatedly into his cheek, “We love you so much. We love you so much.” He purred nonstop throughout the entire process until his last breath was spent, his little neck nestled into mine, and I literally got to absorb his final purr.
There is something comforting in turning to numerology as a way of “being” with one we have loved and lost. In the face of grief, numerology has affirmed and helped me appreciate all of his extraordinary qualities in a meaningful way. What a precious life. What an incredible little guy he was. We were so lucky to be his humans. How I wish I could hold him just one more time.
We love you, “O’Meowy.”
Full of floof and fun-loving sass.
This blog, and all blogs on this website © Bethany Abrahamson 2019 – InTheKnow Tarot+Numerology LLC. All rights reserved.