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#1
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Do they know what they've got?
I currently have a lapful of drooling Pokey Smokey. Despite the
puddle-o-drool on one draft of my term paper, I can't move this happy boy. Smokey is just in kitty heaven right now. It's hard to imagine how thin and hungry and dull-furred and timid he was when I first met him living wild on the base. At the time, I was living in a rather shabby apartment building with drugs, domestic abuse, child welfare investigations, noise violations, bogus fire alarms and auto theft being par for the course in our neighbourhood. And yet, Smokey thought that our apartment was the greatest palace ever--after all it had a roof, a couch, fresh water and unlimited food. Our new apartment's even better because all the windows go down to the floor, the better for cats to sit in front of them and gloat at all the losers who have to be outside instead of in Smokey's awesome home. He continues to slaver affection on absolutely /anyone/ who is willing to give him a scritch or a bite of sandwich. Comparatively, the bitties have no apparent memory of the fact that they were found on a slab of styrofoam behind a university lab. As far as they're concerned, Dylan's their natural mother and they've got nothing to be grateful for--providing for them is his /job/. They've got no clue how lucky they were not to have either died of exposure on that trashpile, or been put to sleep by an overburdened local animal shelter swamped by over 50 cats coming in daily that summer. Nocturne...well, I don't know about her. She seems happy to be out of the animal shelter, but we could be keeping her in /far/ more luxury.... --Fil |
#2
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Do they know what they've got?
Enfilade wrote:
I currently have a lapful of drooling Pokey Smokey. Despite the puddle-o-drool on one draft of my term paper, I can't move this happy boy. Smokey is just in kitty heaven right now. It's hard to know if they remember their earlier life, but Smokey certainly knows now that he is a very lucky kittyboy. I sometimes wonder if Caliban remembers coming on the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki, and if he remembers his real mother, the street cat in Tallinn. He was much too young when he was separated from her, I'm quite sure about that. He can't have been more than 8-10 weeks old when I first saw him, and then he'd been here for several weeks already. ( But he's grown into a fine young catman. We are celebrating his first birthday tomorrow (Saturday). -- Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki |
#3
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Do they know what they've got?
"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message ... On 2006-04-14, Enfilade penned: Comparatively, the bitties have no apparent memory of the fact that they were found on a slab of styrofoam behind a university lab. Sometimes I wonder if Oscar remembers being raised by her feral mom. She was such a tiny thing when I got her. I think the vet said she was 10 weeks at that point. It's hard to imagine her surviving in the wild, even with a caretaker. She's just so ... spoiled. I don't know. Once in a while Molly gives me a look that says, "Hey I've taken care of myself before and I can do it again. Now lets do things around here my way!" Jo |
#4
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Do they know what they've got?
Comparatively, the bitties have no apparent memory of the fact that
they were found on a slab of styrofoam behind a university lab. Sometimes I wonder if Oscar remembers being raised by her feral mom. She was such a tiny thing when I got her. I think the vet said she was 10 weeks at that point. When I met Rita at the shelter, she'd been transferred from another shelter to try and find her a home. Personally, I think they transferred her over so I could pick her up. I have no clue what her early life was like, but she's absolutely fearless. Not afraid of thunder, lightning, or even the sucky monster. Never saw a cat like her. Jane - owned and operated by Princess Rita |
#5
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Do they know what they've got?
Enfilade wrote:
I currently have a lapful of drooling Pokey Smokey. Despite the puddle-o-drool on one draft of my term paper, I can't move this happy boy. Smokey is just in kitty heaven right now. It's hard to imagine how thin and hungry and dull-furred and timid he was when I first met him living wild on the base. Tanada Remembers. She is still terrified of all pre-adolescents. The woman who had her before we got her thought it was cute that her toddlers liked to chase Tanada and poke her and grab her tail and all the other things toddlers who have not been properly trained do. Huey Remembers. He adores his PawRob and takes care of him. He loves all the aviation people that he's met. After all, they rescued him from the airfield where he was dumped. He has not particular fears of being dumped, other than having panic attacks if he can see any of the bottom of the feeding trough. Sonya Remembers. She is very loving but very leery of male humans. She is always aware of who or what is around her, and though she craves human love, she always breaks off scritching sessions as though she doesn't want the hurt of being rejected. She'd rather be the one who does the rejecting. Her scars are subtle, but they are still there after over a year with ys. Pine Cone remembers. He's terrified of white vehicles. He is afraid whenever we take him anywhere, as though he thinks we'd dump him. He is leery of new people, especially men. He adores Amanda and demands to be with her whenever he feels nervous. He also gets upset if he can see any of the bottom of the food trough. QC Remembers. She mothers all the new arrivals here, until she feels that they can make it on their own. She's a sort of psychological nurse, and takes care of those who are scared, traumatized or in need of comfort. Sometimes she just needs lots of comfort from us in return. When it is given she revs her purr motors and nuzzles and drools her relief that we still love her. Merlin Remembers. He still acts amazed that he is allowed on the furniture, has toys to play with, cats to talk to, cat nip to sniff and eat, and can run and play in our house without being yelled at. He is the most subtle of the rescues, but then the abuse was more subtle for him. Qui Gun Kit Remembers. He remembers he can have all the food he wants and therefor doesn't have to worry about the trough being empty, the other cats will play with him, he can go into the enclosure and be safe from other animals, all the other cats spoil him and let him dictate the rules of the games, and that the humans as well as the other cats take care of him and make sure that he has a happy and fun life. QGK doesn't seem to have any fears. That is the best kind of reward for his grandmeow. Pam S. happy to be a part of each of their lives |
#6
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Do they know what they've got?
On 2006-04-14, Jo Firey penned:
I don't know. Once in a while Molly gives me a look that says, "Hey I've taken care of myself before and I can do it again. Now lets do things around here my way!" Hahah! I've seen lots of looks from Oscar, but none that seemed to translate that way. -- monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca |
#7
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Do they know what they've got?
"Tanada" wrote in message
ink.net... snip lovely stories of kitties who remember I'd love to see pics of your kitties again Pam. Do you have them posted somewhere? I need to put faces to these names again :-) Susan M Otis and Chester |
#8
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Do they know what they've got?
This is a wonderful post Fil. The purrsonalities of your kitties really
jump out from this and I've often wondered the same thing about our boys. I think that, very slowly and dimly, it may *possibly* be registering with Otis that home is safe and his other crazy ideas are not! This after the fourth highly dramatic disappearing act that he's had - the Halloween disappearance of 5 years ago, the new home disorientation walkabout of 3 years ago, the cattery breakout of 2 years ago, and the flooded basement escapade of last summer. He's taken a day or two to become un-feral after being rescued from each of these adventures - his instincts had kicked in when he was lost and he just did what he had to do to survive. After he was able to relax being home for a day or two, he dissolved into a puddle of affection and gratefulness. After all, his highness could *easily* take care of himself, don't ya know, but this free food and lavishing of attention is *much* better! He's sticking close to home now, a velcro kitty with an absolute affection for meowmie. Either he's getting more sedate in his old age or he's learned something. But I imagine him being lost as a 3.5 month old kitten in a rough part of Calgary in early March. His long tail arching up to touch the top of his head and proudly showing off his bits. He had unstoppable energy and confidence. He would have reached a bad end certainly if he had not been captured and put up for adoption. Probably would have reached a bad end if somebody else had adopted him. In fact, I wondered if his previous family just turned him out because he was such a hoolikitten. In any case, they didn't go looking for him. He's just been a typical teenager all his life - oblivious to consequences and thinking that bad things just happen to other less athletic cats! Chester, I believe, remembers. We got him a couple of hours before being PTS at the shelter. I think he was turned in by an owner and he knows what it's like to be abandoned. He is a grateful, statesman-like gentle-cat who graciously and thankfully accepts our hospitality. After these ten years, there is still a thin veil of reserve - as if he expects us to be turncoats in the end. My poor dear Chester - NEVER! Susan M Otis and Chester "Enfilade" wrote in message oups.com... I currently have a lapful of drooling Pokey Smokey. Despite the puddle-o-drool on one draft of my term paper, I can't move this happy boy. Smokey is just in kitty heaven right now. It's hard to imagine how thin and hungry and dull-furred and timid he was when I first met him living wild on the base. At the time, I was living in a rather shabby apartment building with drugs, domestic abuse, child welfare investigations, noise violations, bogus fire alarms and auto theft being par for the course in our neighbourhood. And yet, Smokey thought that our apartment was the greatest palace ever--after all it had a roof, a couch, fresh water and unlimited food. Our new apartment's even better because all the windows go down to the floor, the better for cats to sit in front of them and gloat at all the losers who have to be outside instead of in Smokey's awesome home. He continues to slaver affection on absolutely /anyone/ who is willing to give him a scritch or a bite of sandwich. Comparatively, the bitties have no apparent memory of the fact that they were found on a slab of styrofoam behind a university lab. As far as they're concerned, Dylan's their natural mother and they've got nothing to be grateful for--providing for them is his /job/. They've got no clue how lucky they were not to have either died of exposure on that trashpile, or been put to sleep by an overburdened local animal shelter swamped by over 50 cats coming in daily that summer. Nocturne...well, I don't know about her. She seems happy to be out of the animal shelter, but we could be keeping her in /far/ more luxury.... --Fil |
#9
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Do they know what they've got?
Susan M wrote:
"Tanada" wrote in message ink.net... snip lovely stories of kitties who remember I'd love to see pics of your kitties again Pam. Do you have them posted somewhere? I need to put faces to these names again :-) Susan M Otis and Chester I haven't added anything new for quite a while, but the albums are at: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tanadashoes/ I deleted the fuzzy folder information, but if this doesn't work, you can get there through the fuzzy album url. The owners thank you. They are beautiful and know it. They just want everyone else to know it too. Silly cats, as if they could be anything but beautiful, or adorable. Pam S. |
#10
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Do they know what they've got?
In article , Marina
wrote: Enfilade wrote: I currently have a lapful of drooling Pokey Smokey. Despite the puddle-o-drool on one draft of my term paper, I can't move this happy boy. Smokey is just in kitty heaven right now. It's hard to know if they remember their earlier life, but Smokey certainly knows now that he is a very lucky kittyboy. I sometimes wonder if Caliban remembers coming on the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki, and if he remembers his real mother, the street cat in Tallinn. He was much too young when he was separated from her, I'm quite sure about that. He can't have been more than 8-10 weeks old when I first saw him, and then he'd been here for several weeks already. ( But he's grown into a fine young catman. We are celebrating his first birthday tomorrow (Saturday). Rhonda sends we-share-a-birthday purrs. She will be 4. |
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