She remembers me

For some reason I am always surprised when an animal remembers a human that the animal used to know but no longer sees on a regular basis. My father was the manager of the Children's Zoo in The San Diego Zoo from when I was five years old until he retired when I was about 25.
He formed a bond with a young cheetah named Sonja who had been in the movie "Hatari" (if I remember correctly.) When Sonja moved to the main zoo, my father didn't see her daily anymore, but whenever he did go to her new enclosure, she would make a beeline for a part of the fence (behind the scenes) where my father could reach his fingers though the wire to touch her. She would rub up against the fence just like a big kitty cat and chuffle -- the purr-like sound content, happy cheetahs make. This went on for many years.

Bonnie remembered me, too. Erika let her out the front door when I drove up yesterday night and when I called her, she made an excited beeline right to me. Tonight, she jumped up on the bed in my room (the guest room) and was about to settle in until Erika called her. It's true, I was Bonnie's mom for almost a year, so I guess it shouldn't be surprising that she would remember me, but for some reason it is!

I remembered how nice it is to be with Erika and Bonnie. And the reality is even better than the memory! I would chuffle if I could!