Not As Many

     There are not as many cat stories now to share.  The reason is simple.  We feed less than ten outside; whereas there once was around twenty to thirty.  We've seen cats die.  We've seen less coming.  We simply call them missing.  Surely something has happened to them for certainly they would not pass up a free meal.  With only a few female cats, kittens are less.  And if they manage to survive weeks, then some other death cause becomes them.  Whoever said there were so many strays out there could be wrong.  There was never a census paper filled out by them.  A stray cat has such a hard life.  He becomes victim to predators from the two-legged kind to the four-legged kind.  Whatever is his demise?  Whatever?  There do seem to be less at my house.                                           A cat is a beautiful animal.  He was put on this earth for a reason.  If I could, I would bring every cat inside for his safety.  But that is not possible.  I do wish there was more love for him by all.  I wish everyone could respect and love this harmless creature as I do.  As I sit here typing, one of my indoor cats is trying hard to get my attention.  I do love the feel of a cat's hair.  If taken care of properly, they are so soft.  They love the rub as well as I love to give it.
     My cat has won.  I discontinue writing for now and am reaching over to give her that love rub.  

Nibblerz

     This story is written by my eleven year old grandson, Adam.  


     On my eleventh birthday, God gave me a kitten.  I walked outside that morning with my mom and brother.  We found a friendly orange tabby.  He was so cute and cuddly, we decided to keep him.  We saved him so he won't go in the busy road.  He meows a lot and he is playful. We call him Nibblerz because he will nibble on your fingers and toes.

Hilarious Cat Episodes (2 0f 2)

     It was Thanksgiving.  After eating, the dishes could wait until tomorrow.  The food was put up.  There was a lot of turkey left.  But even cleaning it from the bone could wait until tomorrow.  The turkey was put in the refrigerator covered with aluminum foil.  
     I walked into the kitchen early the next morning.  There on the floor was the turkey I had put in the refrigerator the night before.  And there eating on the turkey was the culprit himself, who had somehow gotten the turkey out of the refrigerator.  It was our cat, Tiger. Before attempting the cleanup job, I stood there amazed.  How did that cat get the refrigerator door open?  The door itself had suction.  How he got in the refrigerator was a true wonder.  But there eating from the floor was proof he had gotten in somehow.  I found myself changing anger to laughter.  The turkey now was going to have to be thrown away. And so, I allowed tiger to keep eating.  It may have been seen as rewarding him.  But then again, he really deserved the turkey after the hard work he must have put into getting it.  I still laugh to this day about it.  Cats can do some of the funniest things...

Hilarious Cat Episodes (1of 2)

     It was back when residents had to furnish their own trash cans. They were easily turned over by animals.  Trash was then scattered everywhere.  Today's trash cans for my subdivision are furnished by the city.  We pay for the service through our taxes.  Getting into one of those sturdy furnished cans is hard for animals to access.  But then, my story is about way back when trash cans were easily accessible.  It brings about my first of two hilarious episodes.                    
    Tiger was an indoor and outdoor cat.  We never had him neutered.  Money was hard to come by then.  It is now too. Neutering was an expense back then that would take away from feeding and clothing my children.  So, Tiger went roaming when outside.  It was hilarious one particular day the children called for Tiger.  Down the street the domestic short-haired cat came.  He was dragging behind him an entire skeleton of a turkey with what meat was left on it.  He dragged it into the front yard and commenced eating.  The dragging it behind him was so- so funny!  It looked bigger than him.  But Tiger had managed to drag it home where he was then safe to eat it.  It left a picture that remains in my mind to this day.  It was so hilarious!

Coming up in July...

I've got to get caught up on some paperwork.  When I do, I will post another cat story coming up in July.

Sticky on Vacation

     It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder.  My first story back, in my absence from submitting stories, begins with a story about Sticky.  Sticky was an outside cat.  He was diagnosed with leukemia which originally kept him from becoming an indoor cat.  But his latest visit to a vet had them saying he did not have leukemia.  After several attempts failed to get the indoor cats to accept him, he was destined to remain outdoors.  In previous stories I told of the house we built for this outside cat.  He slept inside it through a harsh winter.  The warm heating pad made life very comfortable for him.  But....two weeks ago a rough thunderstorm came through during the night.  Generally I can sleep through thunderstorms, but not this one. The thunder was so loud and terrifying that it woke me from a heavy sleep.  

     When morning came and I opened the front door, no Sticky was to be found.  He generally always comes to the front door when it is opened.  He gets his treats and food off and on all during the day.  The boy never has to search for food.  But this morning, Sticky did not appear.  His disappearance would go on for a week.  He had apparently been frightened off by that loud thunder that had scared even me.  How could Sticky survive out there after being handed his food since weaned?  Since it was a week gone, I wrote Sticky off as having used up all his nine lives.  Sticky simply was no more.  

     It was one week to the day that Sticky had disappeared.  My son was outside in the front yard.  He opened the front door calling to me, "Come outside!  I want to show you something!"  

     Immediately I went out the front door following him close behind.  There, to my surprise, was Sticky.  He looked the same as always.  There was no filthy coat.  There was no apparent weight loss.  It was like he had never been missing.  He went into his usual routine.  There was one minor change, though.  A metal rocking chair for me was on the front porch.  I sat in it often while watching Sticky eat.  It had a nice cushion in it.  Now I was about to find myself sharing the chair with Sticky.  He curled up in the chair and went to sleep.  

     I am glad Sticky is back.  I don't mind sharing my chair.  I am just so glad to have him back.  He was missed by both myself and my son.  His absence made us realize just how much we love him.  

     As my son says, "Sticky was just on vacation."

     

Jealousy

     Humans know what jealousy means.  It really needs no definition.  Animals don't know our meaning of it.  But yet, they display it frequently.  I have four inside cats that I rescued when kittens.  Mother cat abandoned them in my garage.  I don't know why she did it.  But it became up to us (my son and I) to take care of them.  It will be four years this October that the four came to live with us.  At first, we closed the garage and allowed them to live there.  The three females were spayed and the one male neutered.  The plans from the start were to release them outside when we thought they could take care of themselves.  But becoming attached to them would eventually find us moving them into the house with us. 
     Before all this came about, we frequently went into the garage to play with them.  When they got tired, they climbed upon our chest and went to sleep.  Three of them did this.  The fourth one, who was a runt and named Runt, never did this though.  She started out sick and required a heating pad for warmth.  She constantly laid on the heating pad.  What they all learned in that garage, they brought with them into the house.  Runt sleeps alone.  The other three still do that climbing on the chest and going off to sleep.  They are no longer kittens, but weigh now 17 to 20 pounds apiece.  They do get heavy. 
     One cat is lying in a better place than another.  Up jumps Bugs who runs My-a off.  Was that cat getting more love?  He now lies in the exact spot that My-a once did.  On another occasion, Blossom seeks my attention and is lying on me.  Up jumps My-a who runs Blossom off. 
     "I'm hungry," Runt meows for food.  Here comes the other three meowing and pushing Runt aside to gain the attention.  Everyone of the four are meowing now in their attempt to gain all my attention.  Since I don't work, I see the antics of these cats all day long.  In their eyes, I am an important part of their lives.  They all want me......How blessed can a person be to have all that love?  I can only explain their behavior as jealousy.  They are showing a human emotion.  My son laughs it off by saying, "You're their mother."  Actually, I am.  My son and I are the only humans they have known.  We love them and they know it.  They love us and we know it.  I try not to show any favoritism.  I practice loving them all four the same........It is hard though to show no favoritism.  I do have my favorite as I think all mothers do.