Dave & Nikita: An Understated Love Story

On a recent road trip to Niagara Falls I indulged--even in this dragging economy. The day was sunny and warm, the car freshly washed, so I opened her up rolling down the escarpment toward the charming village of Lewiston. Sliding onto main street after the short but exhilarating ride, I spied a favorite haunt. It called to me like a siren and my little car found its way over to The Cat.

"The Cat", formally known as the Orange Cat Coffee Company, is an offbeat labor of love by proprietors, Michael and Robin, and well-loved for its impeccable coffees and scrumptious healthful recipes. It also received the 2008 Lewiston Business of the Year--an award well-deserved. I craved the combination of interesting patrons and a special coffee, along with one of Michael´s deliciously massive molasses cookies, to top my afternoon. I climbed out of my car and started up the short slope.

Just to the left of my path was a beautiful dog, a type which I had never seen before. Pristine snow white, with beautiful, knowing eyes, she regarded me with a regal intelligence, allowing me to approach. Her Person was seated in a chair on the patio near the crest of the knoll where she lay. I approached cautiously--a lesson painfully learned when I was five and caught the teeth of a large German shepherd sinking into the left side of my face--and asked if she were friendly. Her Person looked up from his book, smiled, and affirmed she was gentle, offering us a chance to pet this lovely animal.

Her name is Nikita, and she is an arctic wolf. Her Person, Dave, sat nearby holding his smoldering dark-leafed cigar and folded his book closed. His affable manner welcomed the opportunity to chat and he began to speak of Her. He was never a dog person, he explained. Didn´t want one. But the family got Her anyway, supposedly for his son. He was not a fan of this new family member at first, but smiled as he remembered that after the first two weeks his heart was gone: "she was MY dog". Nikita loved the family but had chosen him as her Person.

That was ten years ago.

Now, on the slope outside The Cat, dappled by the summer sun, Nikita regarded the world around her as a queen regards her subjects. Her care obvious in her well-groomed coat, she has not wanted for anything in the life she has led. Dave went on to describe how smart she is, how she knows "at least 200 words" and "we have to spell some", he chuckled. She loves to boat, and she jet skis. He has taken her almost everywhere, and when he does not take her with him, Dave is held accountable upon his return. "She let´s me know," he said smiling. The Cat has become Their Place, and they frequent the coffee house several days a week, even in the winter. "I just wear my jacket and bring a folding chair. She loves it in the snow."

As I slowed in petting her, she reached her paw out and gently curved her foreleg around my hand to pull it back to the spot she liked rubbed on her chest. Dave smiled and said, "She let´s you know what she wants…" And that she did.

Nikita never got up while I stood there talking and Dave finally told me why. Nikita has a spinal tumor. It is inoperable, and Dave´s mission is to keep her as comfortable as possible while giving her the best life he can. He said even one of their cats understands Nikita can not get around and hunt like a wolf will naturally do. The cat goes out regularly hunting squirrels, rabbits and other small wildlife to bring back and lay at Nikita´s feet, which she will eat gratefully as their symbiotic relationship continues.

Once or twice I saw a melancholy shadow pass over Dave´s face as he spoke of Nikita´s condition. He understands all too well she is in the final days of her beautiful life. It is not what Dave said but what he didn´t say that stays with me: Nikita gives him more than he gives her. The dog he did not want holds his heart, and he openly admits there will never be another like Her. I encouraged him to write about his relationship with Nikita. He shook his head, saying there were already dog & owner relationship books and who would be interested in his? Anyone who has ever loved a dog, I said.

In what seemed like mere minutes, more than an hour had passed. Nikita was getting tired and I reluctantly needed to move on. I thanked Dave for his time, for sharing Nikita and their stories, and shook his hand after giving Nikita one final pat. Dave asked Nikita if she were ready to go home and she barked a high-pitched wolf yip, "Yes!" She struggled to her feet and I could see how the tumor affected her stance and her walk. It looked painful, but her eyes were clear and solidly set on her Person, telling him yes, it was time to go. I could not help but think she will give him that same look when the tumor becomes too much to bear; but, until then, she will move with the tender grace of an aging lady.

If you get down to the Orange Cat, look for the dapper gentleman with the dark-leafed cigar, reading his book and the exquisite white wolf at his side holding court. Stop and say hello, and witness the beautiful bond between a man and the wolf who chose him. You will feel better and walk away knowing they have something special, very special.

And tell them I´ll be looking for them next time I´m in town.