Written by Helen Acriviadis
Professional photography by elysian
Chilli, A.K.A. Kiedis (his original name), has lived an adventurous 17 years. Having been adopted from the streets of Woodstock, Cape Town, at around a year old, he lived 14 love-filled years with Amalia Engelbrecht. When Amalia got an amazing opportunity to teach overseas, Chilli continued living on the property in Vredehoek with Amalia’s friend, where he and Amalia had lived for a few years.
A couple of months later, my family and I moved into the main house on that property, and that’s when I met Chilli, still known as Kiedis at the time.
He adopted me
So how did he get to be known as “Chilli” to everyone? Well, initially I couldn’t remember the name Kiedis. I was told that Anthony Kiedis the human was in the band the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, so, I called him Chilli whenever I saw him occasionally.
About a week after we moved in, Chilli decided to move into the house with us – he started at the veranda and steadfastly eased his way into the house and my heart. And that’s how Chilli adopted me and supported and loved me through an emotionally draining time in my life.
Fast forward a couple of years, by which time my family and I had rescued a nine-year-old dog and adopted two young cats and a six-year-old bunny named Gavin.
Chilli wasn’t happy not being the only fur child any longer yet adapted well to his new “siblings”, as long as they left him alone to do his thing.
Not a happy kitty
In January this year, I took in a 10-month-old cat and her three-day-old kittens. This, coupled with my long working hours which prevented me from spending as much time with him as I used to, may have been the last straw for Chilli. He started acting out and behaving in ways he’d never done before. He was entering people’s homes and cars, crying outside windows and outside the property; and sometimes lying worryingly close to the road. And all this time, he was meowing at a high pitch as if in pain or very hungry. Neither was, nor is, the case.
Although Vredehoek is home to many pets and their loving humans, not everyone was thrilled to have their space invaded by an almost 16-year-old, extremely vocal, ginger cat.
I was getting calls at all hours of the day and night; most were from concerned neighbours, and some were – let’s say – not as pleasant. I was fetching Chilli from people’s homes sometimes late at night and often relatively far from home for a cat to have walked to.
Communicating with Chilli
Amalia and I were obviously very concerned and, having unsuccessfully tried everything we could, I decided to schedule a session with an animal communicator, Marcelle du Plessis.
Marcelle connected with Chilli twice (although the positive changes were evident immediately after the first session). Chilli was acting out mostly to get my attention. Unbeknown to me, he and the bunny had been friends, and the bunny’s death in December had had an adverse effect on Chilli. Animals feel death a lot more than we know.
With Marcelle’s suggestions and assistance, Chilli no longer enters people’s homes uninvited; he doesn’t get into cars, and I haven’t received a call in close to two months saying that my cat is annoying/sick/hungry, or anything else. (I do get calls and messages from concerned people asking how Chilli is as they haven’t seen him in a while.)
During his recent adventures, Chilli met a number of fantastic and caring human beings, in particular, the amazing Jodie Figg and her beautiful family who live a street down from our house, and who absolutely adore him.
Chilli chooses to spend most days in Jodie’s home and spends most nights with me (or vice-versa, depending on how he feels).
Chilli was also diagnosed with an overactive thyroid, which is why he kept losing weight despite constantly eating (hence people thinking he was underfed and/or in pain). After only a few weeks on medication and special Hill’s dry food which he eats at Jodie’s (as I have a multi-cat home, whilst there he’s the only fur child), he’s already picked up weight, his fur is softer and he’s doing better all round.
I cannot express how amazing Marcelle is as a person and the incredible work that she does with animals. Chilli shared things with her that have helped me be a more centred and calmer person, and it’s evident that when my energy is scattered or too “charged”, it affects him negatively.
Thanks to Marcelle, Amalia, Jodie and her family, Chilli is living his best life!
