To all the cats I've known

ma again

[West Texas Chuck]

This is my list of all the cats I can remember since I cared about pets.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

“The second litter was born in her litter box.”

“Well, why do you think they call it that?” says Roseberry. ;)

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

Well, since we’re going to bring up ferals, I guess I can add to my list. Although I have to pretty much stick to the current ones.

Mittens - a tortoiseshell tabby with white chest and paws (hence the name). She’s one of Patch’s “pre-housecat” babies. She runs off if we approach, but she’s learned that if she sits where we can see her and looks pitiful enough one of us will put food out for her.

Leo - long-haired cream tabby; one of Mittens’s littermates. We don’t see him much, but he still comes around occasionally.

Tangerine - orange tabby. Haven’t seen him in a long while...

Thai - lynx point kitty. I’m pretty sure he’s another one of Patch’s kids (she sure does get around!).

Frankie - flame point kitty. Named for his bright blue eyes by my wife.

Tom - gray tabby with enough attitude for a whole colony of ferals!

[PA Engineer]

They are interesting (beautiful) cats with distinct personalities.

[Sarajevo]

Howler-Monkey

Bibi

Cookie

Earl Grey [The Bed-Tick]

Frankie

Leo and Tigger

Sammy

Lilly

Callie [the Siamese looking one] and Moonie

Farnsworth

Tigger was the only one who was purchased. We rescued him from a pet store in Colorado Springs. Frankie, Sammy, and Leo are litter mates that the wife picked up at a flea market.

Moonie and Callie are a pair. Moonie was a mean little feral who decided that pets, food, and a comfy kitty bed were better than living outside, so he self-domewsticated. He brought Callie home one day when she was a kitten. The Mrs thought Callie was a baby squirrel because she was so small.

[mupcat]

Great group! Howler-Monkey has an amazing face! Looks like he/she has on eyeliner, and I’m not sure I’d like to meet him in a dark alley. What an expression. :-)

[dforest]

To all the cats I’ve loved before....

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=julio%20iglesias&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CFoQtwIwCA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtOifaUXPk4g&ei=rJ9aT4-SBIqLgweL7JiiCw&usg=AFQjCNEgrLaP7oPY6B7uw0mFjfDqr_1wlA

[boatbums]

We had a few dogs growing up, but when I was out on my own, my natural druthers were cats. At my first apartment I shared with my best friend after college, we first had a precious little kitten given to us by a friend's Mom. That sweetie was so precious, we named her Precious but as she grew up she showed us how little we knew about "appropriate" names for cats. I think she would have called herself, Sheba or, maybe, Cleopatra, because she made sure everyone knew SHE was the queen in charge. I remember a friend brought over her cat to "visit" and Precious attacked her. I chased after Precious to get her away from my friend's cat and she chased ME, hissing and slashing until I found the broom to chase her away. After that, we didn't have visitor kitties again.

The exception to that was a darling tiger-striped kitten that my roommate brought home one day. Her name was "Tigger" and she was loving, affectionate and docile. Precious did okay with her because Tigger accepted the rule of Precious. In reality, Precious should have been named Tigger and Tigger, Precious! When my roomie was getting married and I moved into another apartment with a different friend - where pets were not allowed - we advertised "free to a good home, spayed, all shots" in hope of finding a new family to love Precious and Tigger. A family responded and took them both, but a week later they called to give Precious back. She had hid under a bed and refused to come out hissing and growling at anyone who dared to come near her. Tigger was as happy as a clam so, naturally, they wanted to keep her. I finally found a lady at work who agreed to take Precious and, although she let her be an outside kitty, she seemed to do okay.

A number of years went by without a pet, but when I got a really good job with a great salary, I moved to my own apartment. I lived there for about two or three years and then met my future husband. We dated for nearly two years before he went through a period of indecision about our future so we stopped seeing each other until he could "figure it out". I was heartbroken. But a month or so into a four month separation, I was returning from a movie with family and a kitten ran out in front of the car we were in. We immediately stopped and jumped out to check on the kitten and she peeked from behind one of the tires and came right to me. I picked her up and she relaxed in my arms and let me pet her. She was so pretty, almost Siamese colored and with blue eyes (I always loved blue-eyed kitties). I knew then and there that God had brought her into my life to comfort me during this hard time. I named her Emily and took her home that night and brought her to the vet the next day where she was deflea-ed, dewormed, de-mited and given her shots, she was twelve weeks old. She slept with me and it was such a joy to have her presence there with me every night. When my now husband came back to me he jokingly said I had replaced him with a cat! But he loved her just as much as I did. She traveled with us when we moved aboard our first boat and saw the Bahamas twice. She lived until she was 15 and we had to put her to sleep when she got incurable cancer. It broke both of our hearts to lose her. I came back to the boat and cried every day - I missed her so much.

After about two weeks of grieving, my husband said we needed to get another cat. I said I couldn't imagine doing that this soon and I just needed to get over losing Emily before I could even think of a new cat. But he talked me into going to a cat show and we found Stella, a pure breed Ragdoll who was five months old, she was a "flame-point" (reddish-blond against white) and with BLUE EYES. She was adorable, we named her Stella (after the beer Stella Artois) and we brought her home to the boat that day. She stayed in the forward guest cabin for three days hiding amongst the pillows and would only come out when I came in. She would head bump me and then eat right from my hand. I instantly fell in love with her - I ADORED her! The breeder said it would take about three days before she would be brave enough to come out and look around and she took exactly that long. She would sleep with us in our bed and climb under the covers to snuggle down by our feet. She would lick our feet as she settled down. Stella fell in the water FOUR times and, thank God, we rescued her every time. She CAN swim, we know that! When we got out of boating and moved into a house in North Carolina, she came with us, of course, and she rules the house now. She is now nine years old and usually sleeps by me or on me every night.

We decided we needed another kittie, so after a lot of research, we got Beaux, a flame-point, blue eyed, Birman. He is gorgeous! We got him when he was about ten weeks old and he was so cute. We kept him upstairs in the bonus room/man cave for the obligatory three days and after only the first day, Stella was sniffing at the door on the stairs and getting to know Beaux. He bravely decided to meet her and after only two days he came out of the room and introduced himself to Stella. She was not too sure about him at first but soon warmed up to him. She is now the big sister/queen of the house/top cat and he seems to be okay with it. They play their favorite game of "tag" and Stella chases Beaux, then Beaux chases Stella until Stella is tired and she lets him know by hissing at him. Usually, that's all it takes, but sometime a whack or two to the head convinces him the play time is over. He turned two last October. Hopefully we will enjoy their company for many years to come as they are both healthy and well adjusted.

My wonderful husband taught me that the best way to heal from losing a pet is to get another one. Stella DID heal me from Emily's loss, and though I will always remember her, I know that I have lots of love to give to these unique creations and plan to enjoy their part of my family for as long as the Lord gives me breath. I can't imagine not having them in my life.

[West Texas Chuck]

Hills? HILLS? Boy, them on there are real Texas mountains.

Go away or I shall taunt you a second time ;)

[Fawn]

Patches was raped! I’m sure of it. ;)

[West Texas Chuck]

I want to thank everyone for your posts. I know some of your stories are hard, but several are belly-laugh HILARIOUS!

[jocon307]

Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear your cat has diabetes. My dad had that and he had to take 2 shots a day too. There have been some advances, but I don’t know about oral insulin.

It’s very hard to give a cat medicine of any kind, you have to be very determined about it.

Maybe the vet can show you some techniques for controlling him.

Good luck!

[goat granny]

To control a cat for a pill, you need to totally wrap them in duct tape or you will be heading for the ER full of scratches and deep bites..

[boatbums]

Well, since we're doing pictures...

STELLA

BEAUX

THE TWO AMIGOS

[Sarajevo]

That’s Howler’s schmooze face. He looks like that when he is getting his pets and drooling. He purrs real load too!

[mupcat]

I think there is an oral type insulin.

If there is, and if it's liquid or a very small pill, you might consider using the Pill Pockets for cats. Your vet may even have them for sale at his office. I've had really good luck using them. If that doesn't work cats usually love liverwurst, and maybe that may be a way to make the medicine go down.

[jmacusa]

Thanks for the info. Did the oral med work for your cat? I ask because the research I’ve done on oral insulin for cats all gave it a thumbs down on it’s effectiveness. The odd thing is with my boy “scooter’’ is that when my wife tries to give him his shot(he needs it twice a day, morning/eve.) he gives her a hard time. When I give him the shot, no problem. Maybe he recognizes me as the ‘’alpha male’’? although as I understand it cats don’t generally behave in the ‘’pack mentality’ as they’re basically loners, lions being the exception.

[mupcat]

Oh I’m sorry, jmacusa, I didn’t mean to imply Billy had taken insulin. He doesn’t have diabetes, but does have other issues that requires him to take a liquid or pill.