The Return of the Calico

Upon rescuing our four indoor cats, there were two female calicos and two domestic short haired in the litter.  The two domestic were a solid grey female and solid orange male.  Mama Calico had abandoned them.  We took on the responsibility of caring and feeding the four when they were just four weeks old.  Since then, Mama Calico had one other litter before she disappeared.  She left behind two female Calicos (Devil Eyes and Little Calico).  But these two cats would disappear as well.  Little Calico’s offspring was Tarzan (a female, we had misnamed.)  Tarzan is a black long haired domestic. She is still with us.  From Devil Eye’s she left behind a white long haired female kitten (Moth Ball).  Skillet who is dark grey has managed to have a white female kitten (Hope).  We named her Hope because we hope she makes it.  The life for strays is short.  Mama cats, Daddy cats and kittens seem to really have short lives.  There are so many dangers outside.  I wish I could bring all cats I see outside into the house.  But I can’t.   I have a limit on how many I can take care of properly with food, veterinarian visits, etc.  But it still doesn’t keep me from wishing I could rescue them all.

But for the cats outside, the Calico has disappeared.  With the turn over, we have black, dark grey, light grey and a couple of orange males.  With the two white female kittens that I mentioned above, I’m in hopes the Calico kittens will return.  The different colors are so pretty.  Not to take anything from any of them, all cats are pretty.  But that Calico adds color to the colony. If only I could match-up the orange with the white; then surely calicos would come.  But that decision is not mine.

I was reminded this past Halloween about the superstitions surrounding black cats. I think maybe that has me thinking about wishing the colony had more color.  If I believed in bad luck, I would certainly have it.  The black cat is dominant within the circle of those I feed.

Black cats have played a major role in superstitions, folklore and mythology for centuries.  Black cats can portend either good or bad luck.  Most of us ignore the good luck becoming more familiar with the bad luck superstitions…witches, evil omens and scary path crossings.  I thought about the crossing paths each time I fed the strays this past Halloween.   The cats are not letting me touch them, but they sure run in front of me a lot as they head for the different pails of food.  Cats are loving creatures no matter the color.  I love all the strays I feed.  I want all to have a long and healthy life.
          But, I am not without wishing to write in the future of the birth of a litter of calico kittens.

     

Happy Thanksgiving!

           I will not be submitting a story to "My Life with Cats" again until the weekend of November 30 - December 2.  I am taking the Thanksgiving holiday off from writing.  With this announcement, I want to take the opportunity to wish all my loyal cat readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Until we share again our love of cats, God bless you all.

Your Friend,
Teresa

An Opinion: Everyone Has One

There appears to be many opinions on how to manage the estimated 50 million feral and stray cats.  I sometimes find it hard to believe there are that many out there.  Who took the latest census on cats?  How did they come up with that number?  People are counted every ten years and even then the number is inaccurate.  But according to what I have read, there are that many cats out there.  Even if one has never seen a feral cat, it likely one is in your neighborhood.  So, I should not question, but take it all as fact.  I simply do my best to be protective of the few I can.  Until I started feeding stray cats, I never saw them.  But then again, I never looked for them.  Now I seem to see cats everywhere.

             I was standing in a check-out line at a grocery store.  I was paying for only cat food at the time.  It never fails to bring a comment from the person in the line behind me.
            “How many cats do you have?”  It is the number one question that is asked of me.  One day a lady did not stop the conversation with the one mere question.  She continued to talk after I told her I fed stray cats.
            “We don’t have any stray cats in my neighborhood,” replied the lady.
              I had a come-back answer.
              “Why don’t you put out some cat food and find out.  That is how I started feeding stray cats.”
              The stray lives in shadows-the alleyways, empty lots and condemned buildings-of almost every neighborhood.  The stray cat’s life is short and usually harsh.  He/she struggles to find food and water in an environment filled with the constant threats of disease, starvation, cruelty and predators.
               I was standing in line to go in a food bank with someone who lost her job.  There was a conversation that commenced between me and a man behind us.  He was down and out about our economy and all the unemployed unable to find work.  He went right into downing people who take care of animals.
            “I think they should stop helping and caring for animals.  The money they spend should be spent on the people.”
            “I think you’re talking to the wrong person.  I feed stray cats.” I continued in saying, “If you’re worried about unemployment, you need to think about this.  If you stopped all people who did anything to help animals, how many people do you think would be unemployed then?”
           We all have opinions and too often we give them.  I do what I think is right.  As for cats, they are God's creatures put on this earth for a reason.  My opinion becomes one of respect for the innocent cat.  I can't do much, but at least I am doing something.