AmandaI don’t know where I got the propensity to save cats, but it reminds me of the time when I was a kid, and we had a stray cat that had been hanging around our yard. One night the temperature was predicted to fall below zero and I was worried that the cat would freeze to death. So, I took the cat into the garage and put it in my mom’s baby carriage, carefully wrapping it up in a blanket to keep it warm. The next morning I went out and checked on the cat. It was alive and warm, and covered in cat poop because I had wrapped it in the blanket so tightly it couldn’t get out. The cat didn’t seem to mind as much as my mom did, because the blanket I had wrapped it in was her beautiful, blue velvet, baby blanket.
Fourteen years ago my sweet kitty Amanda died after over twenty years of life. I buried her right outside my bedroom window. A few days later, in the middle of the night, the motion detector light went on outside that window. When I looked out, there, standing on top of Amanda’s grave was, Amanda! Or at least, being half asleep, that’s what I thought I saw. After my initial panic that I might have buried her alive and she had dug her way back out, I realized that the cat standing on the grave was not Amanda but one that looked almost exactly like her. I got up and went out just in time to see the cat disappear up into my attic through an open vent. That was when I discovered that two cats were living in my attic. I named them Carl and Attica.
Carl was a good ratter and eventually got tame enough to hold, but he died a few years ago, and the rat population soared. Attica , continued to live in my yard under the deck, but remained feral and wild. For fourteen years I had this cat living out there, eating the cat food I provided, and even coming when I called her name. In all of those fourteen years she never, ever let me touch her, until today. Unfortunately it was the first and the last time I would touch her, because it was to pick Attica up and bring her to the vet. She didn’t survive, and now has joined Amanda in that kitty graveyard behind my house. I now only have Fat Kitty living in my yard and the only thing she’s good for is as a paper weight, but at least she lets me hold her.
Fourteen years ago my sweet kitty Amanda died after over twenty years of life. I buried her right outside my bedroom window. A few days later, in the middle of the night, the motion detector light went on outside that window. When I looked out, there, standing on top of Amanda’s grave was, Amanda! Or at least, being half asleep, that’s what I thought I saw. After my initial panic that I might have buried her alive and she had dug her way back out, I realized that the cat standing on the grave was not Amanda but one that looked almost exactly like her. I got up and went out just in time to see the cat disappear up into my attic through an open vent. That was when I discovered that two cats were living in my attic. I named them Carl and Attica.
Carl was a good ratter and eventually got tame enough to hold, but he died a few years ago, and the rat population soared. Attica , continued to live in my yard under the deck, but remained feral and wild. For fourteen years I had this cat living out there, eating the cat food I provided, and even coming when I called her name. In all of those fourteen years she never, ever let me touch her, until today. Unfortunately it was the first and the last time I would touch her, because it was to pick Attica up and bring her to the vet. She didn’t survive, and now has joined Amanda in that kitty graveyard behind my house. I now only have Fat Kitty living in my yard and the only thing she’s good for is as a paper weight, but at least she lets me hold her.
Fat Kitty
So sad when our animal companions cross over the Rainbow Bridge into heaven. She'll be with Her life long friend, Carl. Together they can now continue playing as kittens in sunny green pastures chasing butterflies, being free of their worn out physical bodies. My sympathy goes out to you. You adopted care for her most of her life. It's caring people like you, whose lives you touched, that make this world a better place for animal, especially ones that you are allergic to. That shows strength in compassion.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I found out that I'm allergic to cats from my doctor. Instead of drugging myself up with his prescriptions, I went out and bought a Hunter brand tower air filter and ionizer. The stuffiness and drippiness of my clogged nose has disappeared. I don't have watery ichy eyes and I can sleep at night. You might try getting a good allergen filter on your furnace too in combination with an good quality air purifier / filtration system. Also get those allergen filters for your vaccuum cleaner and use it often. It worked for me.
awww. sorry to hear about Attica.
ReplyDeleteWHICH ONE ?
ReplyDeleteWhich one what?
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about Attica. You took good care of her even if you couldn't hold her.
ReplyDeleteAlan: I think it is so wonderful that you put Attica to sleep so humanely. I know it wasn't cheap, but it was really nice of you. She is in a better place now.
ReplyDeleteSorry to to hear about Attica's passing, but you helped her have a happy life. Strange about the other cat standing on her grave. Maybe it was a playmate of hers saying goodbye & bringing you his sympathies. Cats (and other animals) seem to "know". You must have a very kind heart---a cat magnet.
ReplyDeleteOops! That was Attica standing on Amanda's grave. Reread the post---got it. Sorry about Amanda AND Attica.
ReplyDeleteIs the fat cat?
ReplyDeleteThe last picture of me holding her. In the picture she doesn't look that fat. Since I've been taking care of her she has lost a little weight, but she does weigh considerably more than an average cat. Oh, and she shakes like Katherine Hepburn did.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of a "rater". Up here we call them "mousers". My neighbor has barn cats, the only one I ever see is Vinney. He was Ivy because of the ivy on the barn, then they found out he was a boy. When I go over to visit my neighbor I have to watch out for dead mice near the stairs to the front porch because they always bring the mice home to show off. It's kinda cute. I remember Uncle David's cat would bring snakes and lizards in under the dining room table he was proud of. Surprise.
ReplyDelete