Happy New Year!

Please enjoy these photos from my Christmas and may you and your feline family members have a warm, merry, and bright New Year in 2018!

There is Still Good in the World

     These photos are from a local place in my community where people can fill jugs and purchase their own mineral water.  The place has been there since the 1950s....
However, recently I noticed a change there.  They have started feeding stray cats there.  It warms my heart to see it.

Boy, am I in Trouble!

     If black cats are really bad luck, then boy am I in trouble!  I have one neighbor to my right that our family is friendly with.  Their house is directly next door.  I have another neighbor we are friendly with that is to my left and is actually two houses away and quite a distance from the main road.  These neighbors we are friendly with, but for whatever reason, they do not associate with each other.  They just don't have anything in common and I guess the distance keeps them from communication.  Anyway, the neighbor to my left found a black kitten out on the highway and brought her into their home.  They love and adore her and gave her the name "Pickles."  About a week later, the neighbor to my left adopted a black kitten from a shelter and affectionately named him, "Pepper."  Both cats are indoor and outdoor cats so I see them out and about. I am particularly amused by this situation since the cats look identical and their names are fairly similar. Yet, their owners don't even speak to each other!  Should I be amused, though?  I mean, really....if black cats are bad luck, I have one on either side that I can't get away from.  Boy, am I in trouble!

BY THE WAY....HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)

A True Love

     I used to wonder sometimes what non-pet lovers were missing out on.  When growing up on the farm, there were animals.  We had livestock, of course.  We even had a pet pig named Porky.  We had cats and we had dogs.  But I never really got close to any.  Other members of the family saw closeness.  Even in adulthood, I never got that close.  But then it happened.
     I started feeding stray cats.  One mother cat left four kittens in my garage.  She just left them with obviously no intention of coming back.  We took them to a vet.  One had pneumonia and was not expected to make it through the night.  But with a shot and a heating pad at night, our Runtie Poo made it through.  Our Blossom Boo, Bugs-a-Roo, and My-a-Moo were healthy.  That was 2009 and now here it is 2017.  They remain indoor cats.  Each one has a different personality.  I love all four, but there's always that one that shows an unforgettable personality.  Here now is my story about my diluted calico cat, my My-a-Moo.

     I knew from the start My-a-Moo was showing love toward me.  They say a cat picks it's owner and sure enough she did.  I can't sit down without this cat finding me and attaching herself to me like a security blanket.  The cat loves me and I do her.  Recently, I had surgery which meant a long stint in the hospital.  My son reported to me that My-a-Moo missed me.  Upon return home, My-a-Moo could not stay off me.  It was up to my neck she came.  She was not giving up.  She meant to be by my side.  I figured out ways to keep her from my surgical area.  Now she comes to me in the daytime.  This less often.  But at night she is by my side up around my neck where I frequently rub her and talk to her.  I love her!  Obviously, she loves me too.  I will certainly miss her when she is gone.  If I go first, she will be taken care of.  The family members know this.

     It is obvious to me that I missed out a lot those earlier years.  But then again, it is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.  I do love, with all my heart, My-a-Moo.  And to all of those non-pet lovers out there, it's not too late to find, "A True Love."

The Fly Swatter

     I guess everyone knows what a good mice catchers cats are.  It's a known fact that they catch mice!  They may play with them or they may not.  Whether they eat them or not, it does not matter.
Mice have a funny way of finding their way into our homes.  They find an opening somewhere.  But they are goners as soon as my cats sense their presence.
     What amuses me about my indoor cats, however, is how they manage to take care of flies.  They have replaced my fly swatter.  Once these cats catch sight of a fly, they run from window to window in hot pursuit.  Across the room they chase the pesky insect.  They run and jump until there is a fly no more.  They eat it!
     Who says cats are not useful pets?  My cats solve both the mouse problem AND the fly problem.  I'd say they earn their keep.

Where do Strays Hang Out?

     I ran into a lady one day who asked me about feeding strays.  She then told me that she didn't have strays in her neighborhood.  I kind of laughed and said, "Put some food out and find out if that is really true."
     At times I have seen many strays in my neighborhood and at other times, we go months without seeing any. Where do strays hang out?
     The answer to that is probably very simple.  They hang out where they are apt to find food.  They can't simply go to a grocery store to find food.  They depend on handouts from humans and their instinct to catch their own prey.
     Since I have fed strays before, I tend to look for them when I am out.  Driving into a car wash one day, stray cats scattered.  Where did they go?  They went down by a dumpster where some kind person had placed bowls filled with something for them to eat.  How many little faces were peeking out!
     Further down the road, a restaurant that had one driving by it where one saw the backside of it, I saw a mother cat and her kittens.  I could see containers placed out by the dumpster with what looked like dry cat food inside.
     I often hear, "Don't feed strays."  But why?  They are out there.  And they need us.

Stan Lee-5 Weeks After Surgery

     This is my update from last month.  After I got Stan Lee home from the vet, he was very happy to be home.  But quickly I discovered that it was not going to be easy to take care of him.  It wasn't really difficult to water down his wet food and warm it up for him.  I did not have to syringe feed him, but I did have to hold the plate up to his mouth at first for him to lap it up.  I fed him about 4-5 times a day to make sure he was getting enough nutrition.  I gave him his medication twice daily.  He slept a lot.  He liked lying on a heating pad.  He walked around a little when he was awake and he was able to use the litter box.  The hard part was just seeing how pitiful he was.  There were many times that I thought to myself, "Why did we ok the surgery?  His personality is never going to be the same."
     I discovered a large knot on the back of his skull. I began to fear brain damage. I was constantly worrying over him because even when he improved physically, it seemed like he would never be quite himself again.  He has always been an extremely affectionate cat toward me, but he wasn't any more.  After that initial moment of joy when he got home, we didn't get much attention from him.  The only thing that made him act happy was seeing our dog come into the room.  The dog would walk in and Stan Lee would stand up and PURR.  Then he would go over to the dog and rub himself against him.  His progress seemed slow but it was always progress.  He began to move around more and go find the water bowl to drink out of. At about 4 1/2 weeks post-surgery, he began jumping back to his usual position of daytime napping on the top bunk bed that belongs to my oldest son.

     Finally, at exactly 5 weeks after the initial hit by the car, he came to me purring loudly and rubbing his face into mine.  He was finally, FINALLY acting like the old Stan Lee. He still eats wet food, but I no longer water it down for him.  I caught him eating dry dog food so I offered him some dry cat food.  He turned his nose up at it, and he still happily munches on the big size dry dog food chunks every so often. He sure is going to look funny. His jaw is tilted and a bottom tooth sticks up.  The matching bottom fang tooth that's supposed to be on the other side is gone--probably got knocked out at the car impact.  But he looks beautiful to me.  I know, 5 weeks doesn't seem like a long time.  It was and it wasn't all at the same time.  The vet staff says they can't believe he survived.  He will remain an indoor cat for us.  He still has the wire in his jaw, but I will be taking him back to the vet a week from tomorrow to check on it.  They had said 6-8 weeks total time to have the wire in place.  We will see. In the meantime, he will probably be in my lap.

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.) 

Stan Lee

     Here it is the last day of May and I am just now writing this month's blog post.  I am already a procrastinator by nature, but I usually manage to post a cat story at least a week before the month ends.  I probably would have stayed true to my nature if something hadn't come up to delay me longer.  Stan Lee, my newest cat that I got a year ago as a kitten, was hit by a car on Saturday, May 20th.  He is still alive, but he has a lot more healing to do.
     My Stan has been a wild man from the start.  A very affectionate wild man.  He loves dogs and people.  He loves our next door neighbor's cat.  He is quite the killer.  He likes devouring squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and moles  (ewwww).  He is a character and I love him dearly.  We all do.  However, Stan has no fear of the road.  He has been a ticking time bomb.  It was inevitable that he would be hit.  Yet, I did nothing.  Nothing except chase him from the road when I saw him there.  I didn't keep him trapped indoors like I should have.  And now he is forever changed.
     He wasn't as hurt as he could have been.  We took him immediately to the vet.  After x-rays, they could see that the only injury was a broken jaw.  I knew the jaw was broken and I was prepared to have him put down if he had internal injuries or additional broken bones.  What was I to do since it was only the jaw?  My husband and I agreed to the surgery to wire his jaw.
     Stan stayed with the vet for over a week.  They wanted to keep him another day, but I told them yesterday that I was ready to take over his care.  I was worrying that he needed us, his family, in order to really rest and heal best. He is on a watered down wet-food diet and pain medication.  He was VERY happy to be home.  He wants to cuddle everyone and not be left alone.  I am hoping he continues to heal and we don't have any trouble keeping him as an indoor cat from here on out.
     This is the part of being a pet owner that stinks!  When they are hurt, or when they die, it is unbearable.  I feel horribly guilty about allowing Stan Lee outside.  I feel horribly guilty about subjecting my children to this continuous heartache.  We have lost so many pets over the years.  The last two died from cancer/old age.  The one before that was due to liver failure after being exposed to a poison.  It is very sad.  I will hopefully write again next month about how Stan Lee has bounced back. And then I can write more lighthearted and fun posts about his adventures.

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)

Happy Easter!

Have a Happy Easter from the My Life With Cats blog family!  This is one of my daughter Teresa's cats.

A Million Dollars

     I came from a family of eight children.  My mother told of how area neighbors who were childless offered to take and raise one of her children as their own.  But this was something my mother never considered.  We were a farm family and always had food on the table.  Besides being a farm family, my parents also ran a country grocery store.  And so, we were well provided for.  In case the rumor got around that Mother was approached, she quoted her most famous line, "I wouldn't take a million dollars for any one of my children."  This was funny as if anyone was really going to offer it.  In the 50's and 60's there didn't appear to be that kind of money floating around.  But it still leaves in my mind what is the value of human life?
     Although my children are all grown now, I find myself using that similar quote, but not on children.  I use it on my cat, My-a Moo.  I never thought I could ever love an animal as much as I do her.  As she cuddles up in my arms, even making her head under my chin frequently, I find myself stroking her soft hair and repeating my mother's words.  "My-a Moo, I wouldn't take a million dollars for you."  Like say, who is going to make me that kind of offer?  But to me, it doesn't matter, for I would not take anything for her.  I feel that is actually what I am saying.  This, I feel, was what my Mother was saying about the neighbors wanting one of her children.  In a sense, this cat has become a child to me.  I really do love My-a Moo Cat.
     To many pet owners, I wonder what price they would put on the life of their cat?  Love is a strong feeling, and to some, their quote may go even higher than mine of a million dollars.  We do love our cats.

The Last Cat Standing

     I gave her the name Shady.  Across the street from my house to a neighbor, she ran.  Slowly I began to know this cat was a female.  I patted her at times and even began to rub and pick her up frequently.  But still she was a stray getting food at two houses.  She was the last stray I fed.  I had taken some strays in, but others outside simply disappeared.  Perhaps they had met their demise by humans, other animals, or merely traffic.  My street had become very heavily travelled.  I just knew in time Shady would be hit and killed.  She never watched for cars as she ran without even looking. 
     Finally one day, just before Thanksgiving, 2015, my son opened the door and Shady came inside.  I think Shady never looked back to what she had left outside.  Five cats, once strays, were already living inside.  But now they were house cats.  They seemed to accept Shady without much bickering.  With a nice warm place now to curl up in and fresh food and water, Shady seemed to have no trouble accepting her new life.  Sometimes, I'd catch her in the window looking out, but never a time did she head to the door when open to escape.  She seemed quite content.  I felt good that we had rescued a cat whose life expectancy was two to five years outside.  I figured Shady to be around two to three years old.  But I would find out I was wrong.
     It was about one year to the day that Shady began getting sick.  There was loss of appetite.  There was constant drooling at the mouth.  She had an odor about her that made it obvious that a lot was going on inside her.  I called our vet to have them look at her.  Even though she had been with us only a year, I began to love Shady as much as any other cat living inside with us.  I was prepared to make her better and worry not about the cost.  But one test for feline leukemia had them coming back with a diagnosis that I did not want to hear.  There would be no saving Shady.  She was dying.  She had everything in the world a cat could have wrong with her.  They seemed to be amazed at how long she had lived.  They figured her age must be past ten.
     A long life outside for Shady had me wondering how she had survived so long?  But now the end had come.  Did we indeed add to her life by bringing her inside?  I like to think so.  She was evidently a strong willed cat who fought survival to the end.  There's no telling what she experienced in her lifetime.  She did round off her last year of life knowing the love that a human could give. 
     I loved that little black cat I called Shady.  I will never ever forget her!

Cats, Cats, Everywhere!

     We got a new puppy in October.  He wanted to eat that cat food.  I didn't want him to.  The battle began.  I solved the problem the only way I knew how.  I started feeding the cats outside on the side porch.  The puppy couldn't get there because it was out of the fence.  And the food was in no harm of getting wet since it was on the porch and placed up on a table.
     We have four cats and they all have distinct personalities.  Goldie is the mean one.  She is a gray tabby that has no tail (almost 10 years old). Alice is the princess.  She looks like a big fluffy white, gray, black and brown puffball-- with blue eyes (almost 6 years old).  Nibby is the wanderer. He is a scrawny orange tabby (2 years old), and Stan is the dumb, lovable one.  He is a gray and black tabby with white on his face, a white bib and white paws (9 months old). They get into little arguments sometimes.  It was kind of nice to put all of those personalities outside to eat!  They have always been indoor and outdoor cats anyway.
     So imagine my surprise when I walked out one night and there was a big fat orange and white cat eating the cat food.  I don't have a big fat orange and white cat!  He looked at me and ran off!  OK.  I go out there another day and there's a gray tabby with a tail looking at me!  Ummmm,....why am I feeding all of the neighborhood cats?  These cats did not look like strays.  These are other people's pets and I AM FEEDING THEM!  No way.  Still, I like the ease of leaving their food out there.  And as long as they are outside, these other cats don't seem to come around. There haven't been any cat fights.  Another day, I see a black cat.  I've seen him around before, though.  I guess he is probably snacking on my cat's food too.
     The final straw came when I was in my house one evening and I heard a cat meowing.  I look around surprised because it sounds like it is coming from outside and my cats are snoozing inside.  Plus, honestly, you know your cat's voice and this meow sounded different.  Sure enough, I go outside and Mr. Fat Orange and White Cat was begging for more food.  He ran from me, though.  I figured it was time to quit feeding my babies outside.  I didn't mention that I buy the pricier, grain-free cat food because Goldie was having digestion issues.  Yeah.  Premium stuff.
     So feeding other cats wasn't smart.  Yes, I know.  Not only did it cost me money, but it got a lot of unwanted company.  And truly, I was lucky that I hadn't attracted raccoons yet.

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)