Saturday, May 30, 2015

CAT TALES





I've lived with annoying parrots, neurotic dogs, and psychotic lovers. I never lived with three cats until about a year ago. If forced to choose among all the aforementioned evils, I would definitely pick cats. I've always had an intense penchant for feline companionship. It's one of my many idiosyncrasies.

What are you saying, Jon?

I'm saying that I love cats and I'm nuts.


Living with felines isn't always undiluted bliss.
This morning I was attempting to go outside to empty one of the litter boxes (for another litter box story, see my previous post). My back was hurting, as usual, so I temporarily set the litter box down on a bench in the kitchen. Somehow, my cat Scruffy leaped onto the bench and knocked the litter box down.

Cat crap and filthy, wet litter all over the clean kitchen floor. After exhausting my most impressive repertoire of dirty words, I spent over half an hour - in agonizing back pain - cleaning the floor.

All of my cats are indoor cats. I never let them out. A few nights ago my oldest cat Scratch accidentally got loose during a storm. I was busy doing things and didn't notice that she was gone. At 2:00 a.m. I happened to look out the back door and there she was on the porch - soaked to the whiskers and miserable. She must have been outside for at least five hours.

Scratch (Kitzee)
my nearly ten-year-old cat



I never thought I'd have three cats - it just sort of happened.

I got Scratch (also known as Kitzee) at the local shelter in Odessa, TX , in October, 2005. She was three months old. Both of my parents knew her. My Mom always called her Kitzee.
 My father - who generally hated cats - actually loved Kitzee. It was amazing. I never saw him have such affection for an animal. He died two months later.

After my Mother died, in 2009, Scratch (Kitzee) would sleep on her empty bed every night. It was incredibly touching.

 Scratch, cat napping


My two younger cats, Bosco and Scruffy are both a year old. They are the result of an agonizingly long story (I'm notorious for telling agonizingly long stories).

When I lived in Texas my neighbor abandoned twelve cats when she moved. I innocently started feeding them and - - well, it snowballed into a nightmare. I was soon completely overrun with felines and litters. It took several years to find them homes and get things under control. 

Scruffy and Bosco were both born in the spring of 2014 but were from different litters. They were also both so sick that I separated them from the other kittens and kept them indoors.

Scruffy and her four siblings (in Texas)
Scruffy is the smallest one on far right.
Momma Cat is looking at her brood.
All these kittens got good homes 



Scruffy was the runt of the litter. She was alarmingly scrawny and ragged looking, but had such an affectionate and loving personality that I was completely smitten. I had no intention of ever giving her away.

Bosco and his two siblings were only a few weeks old when they were somehow caught in a flood. The rain was torrential and I heard frantic tiny meows in the back yard late one night. I went out with a flashlight and found three kittens nearly drowned. I rescued them, but unfortunately Bosco was the only one who survived.

Bosco (center) and his two siblings
shortly after I rescued them from the Texas flood

For the first few months Bosco was so tiny and fragile that I was positive he'd never grow and very doubtful that he'd survive. It took a lot of TLC to get him on the road to recovery.

Fast Forward - a year later.

Today Scruffy and Bosco are inseparable companions. They both still have some health issues but are doing very well. Scruffy is a wild child - - extremely active and constantly mischievous.

Scruffy as she looks today
one year old

 Bosco is the  sweetest, most gentle cat I've ever seen. Incredibly, he is now as heavy as my ten-year-old cat Scratch (Kitzee), and he looks older than one year.

Bosco as he looks now
a little over one year old


Scratch isn't exactly pleased that Bosco and Scruffy have joined the household, but she tolerates them - - and even plays with them now and then.

End of cat tales.

Excuse me while I cough up a hairball. 



Note:
Scruffy and Bosco had different mothers but I strongly suspect they had the same father. He was a great big black Tom who fathered nearly all the kittens in the neighborhood. 







27 comments:

  1. I love cats, I haven't kept on in decades.

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    1. A new kitty might be a nice companion while you're recovering from surgery - -
      but, then again, it might be a pain in the butt.

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  2. Don't know where to start, Jon. Yours stories, not to mention every one of your pics, tug at my heart strings in ways that few others are capable of doing. Reminds me that it's high time I did another pussy-posting. They are always particularly popular, getting visitors from even more widely flung countries around the globe than my film blogs get. And I've no doubt that you will too with this one which is a gift for the untold millions of ailurophiles like us.
    (I may come back here later to comment on this subject and this posting. Thanks.)

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    1. I had a feeling you'd enjoy this post, Ray. Return visits are always welcome.

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  3. sweet pussies! cleaning the litter box is my LEAST fave chore around the house.

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    1. It's bad enough cleaning one litter box. Multiple ones are a nightmare.

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  4. Amen to what Ray just said! Reading of Scruffy and Bosco's beginnings, and the love that nourished their bodies and souls, is wonderfully poignant.

    I once had a kitten - for about 7 hours. Unfortunately, the wind-up alarm clock that I stuck in it's box (hidden in the tub, behind the shower curtain) went off in the middle of the night, causing my parents great alarm -- and probably traumatizing the poor kitty for life.
    My son's family - and several friends - have all enjoyed felines I've come to love ...but I'm reluctant to adopt. (It's OK to laugh), but I've got this crazy need to know where my pups are, practically every minute of the day and have them cuddle-on-demand. With the exception of your sweet Bosco, I don't suppose I could ask that of many kitties.

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    1. I'm laughing at the alarm clock story. Your pups might not appreciate a feline in the house. Believe it or not, my two young cats always cuddle on demand.
      Scratch is also affectionate but it depends on her mood.

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  5. Anyone who loves animals... and especially cats... is okay by me. Our lives would be so much less without them. Our girls are champion cuddlers, and even though they especially like to do so in the middle of the night when I'm trying to sleep... they're still welcomed. (For a while...)

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    1. I've discovered that most cats (not all) thrive on affection. The more loving you are to them, the more love they give in return.

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  6. Great post, Jon! I have always had respect for the social and organizational skills of cats. Their capacity for survival and self defense is conducive to sudden and astonished respect as well. We no longer keep cats but permit them freedom in our yard and keep a tub of fresh water out there. They come through here from small yards and apartments to hone their hunting skills and, yes, be called "pretty kitty". Even us tough guys need to feel pretty sometimes.

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    1. Cats have an uncanny sense of knowing where they are wanted and loved. They will always be in your yard, Geo.

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  7. Like Geo. mentioned above, the social organization of domestic cats is fascinating. Feral cats can form large clans, altho they are not organized the same way lion prides are. Indoor spayed/neutered cats almost always defer to the oldest female in the house. I once saw a cool territory map for cats (which sadly I cannot currently locate on the ol' Googler). A spayed female that was allowed outside had the smallest territory (usually just her yard area around the house), but was considered the fiercest defender of her territory. It was posited that may be because she has the most to lose.

    Anyway, I'm a big believer in indoor-only, just for safety. And certainly where you live, those kitties have to stay inside. I'm surprised coyotes didn't "take care" of your TX feline surplus.

    I may have mentioned this before, but there are self-scooping litter boxes available. However, some cats are put off by them. Also, have you considered dumping the litter into some sort of bag (re-usable would be nice) and then carrying it out? That may be easier on your back.

    I miss having furry children SO much, but am not sure I can ever deal with the heartbreak of their death again. ~~~ NB

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    1. Very interesting information. Scratch, my 10-year-old female, is very adept at defending her indoor territory.I occasionally do use a big resealable bag to take out the litter. It is definitely easier than carrying a box.

      My yard in Texas was enclosed with a six-foot fence (which is why the neighboring cats loved it) - but dogs and even foxes occasionally got in. Here in the wilderness of TN an outdoor cat wouldn't last long at all.

      I can fully understand you unwillingness to have to go through the death of a furry companion.

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  8. All three are such pretty cats. Might be time for an x-ray of your back. Take care, Sheila

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    1. You're right - but I would be afraid to learn the results of the x-ray. I hope your husband has recovered from that nasty accident.

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    2. Yes he has, thank you for asking. He had his ICD implanted mid May, so hopefully we're done with surgeries. Take care of yourself and your back. Sheila

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  9. Have you noticed when you write about cats people seem to be more interested? Not many give a darn about my country roads and cows but when I had Susie she brought more interest. John and I were just recently talking about what a good well behaved cat she was.

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    1. I was extremely surprised at the interest in this cat post. I honestly didn't think anybody would care about.it.

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  10. I've never owned a cat. I suppose that I've always been more of a dog person and while owning both isn't exactly alien, it can present challenges! And yet I find myself liking cats when I visit friends and relatives who own them. Who knows, there may yet be a cat in my future! Good on you for giving these three lovely cats such a loving home. I'm a strong believer in karma and if you do good, then it will also come your way.

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    1. I like dogs, too, but I've always been a cat person. They are nocturnal, mysterious, and complicated (much like myself). Most cats can be extremely affectionate, if you give them enough TLC.

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  11. My heart be still. I love, love love cats. And men who do. You are a rare breed. So many fellas want to banish these sweet felines. Your kitties are an awesome bunch. Perfectly suited for the life you lead. INDOOR cats are the only ones to have so they do not wind up in the middle of the road, dead. Your TLC has given these three a wonderful home and provided unparalleled companionship for you. An occasional mishap with the litter box is worth the cost of keeping these precious animals near and dear.

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    1. I'm surprised at how many men don't like cats. I think cat lovers have to be sensitive and artistically inclined (lie myself).

      The cats that make the VERY best pets are those that are kept indoors. I know so many people who let their cats outside and I think it's a foolish idea. Indoor cats have much healthier and safer lives.

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  12. Jon,
    As you know I LOVE cats. And as I've mentioned before Bill doesn't. So I have to appreciate the treasure of feline companionship from afar. I loved reading your story of how you adopted your present trio totally different personalities. Someday I will have a cat (or two or three) and will have my own rescue stories. Just this morning we rode by a pet store where I saw a sign outside that said "New kittens!" I was tempted to go in and rescue every one. But of course when I am in a position to have a cat I am sure I will have plenty of opportunities to rescue my cat from other more dire situations, which I have every intention of doing. Of course I know once I because a "cat household" my traveling days are over but it will be worth it.

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful story with us Jon.
    Ron

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  13. I'm so glad you enjoyed my feline tales, Ron - and I hope someday you'll have furballs of your own (nothing sexual intended).
    I wish you had lived near me when I was in Texas. I had a surplus of adorable kittens to give away. I would have kept all of them if it had been possible.....(but three is enough!!!).

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  14. I love cats and I think yours look great, particularly Kitzee. So many people think cats are all much the same but some of them are such personalities - sleeping on your mother's bed is so touching.

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    1. Kitzee is a beautiful cat and a good one. She was always well-behaved and very affectionate. Cats definitely do have very different personalities.

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