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.)

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2016 has been a year of new pets and new friends.  We can't wait to see and share with you more about our adventures in 2017.

A Season of Thankfulness--Cat Edition

     It's November.  Today is actually Thanksgiving!  Every year when November 1st arrives, I start hearing and seeing talk of thankfulness.  "What are you thankful for?"  On facebook, there is a challenge to write a post every day about one thing you are thankful for.  This is great!  We should always be looking for what we are thankful for and acknowledging God for his gifts.  Life can get so busy that we forget to do so.  So when November arrives, it is nice to be reminded to look around and realize how precious our lives are.
     For the purpose of this cat blog, I would like to say that I am thankful for the kitten we added to our family this year. I have already mentioned him in a previous post entitled Sliding Cat. He is Stan Lee.  He is now 7 months old and while he started out crazy and wild, he has already settled down quite a bit.  We suspected that he was grieving over our dog that passed away at the end of September.  He is still quite subdued as we have added a puppy to our zany zoo of a household.  I don't know what is going through that cat's mind as the puppy tries to spar with him and he just lays down in front of him.  Our last dog didn't act that way.  She just lay there as Stan cuddled up to her.  Stan tries to cuddle with the pup, but the pup bites him.  Stan is coming around, though.  He bites back!  And sometimes when the puppy gets too riled up and I step in to make him stop, Stan instigates another battle.  
     As you can guess, there is never a dull moment around here.  I am thankful for that, too.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving and remember to be thankful every day of the year.

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)