The Gang of Three (Max, Beastie, Franz)

X-No-Archive: Yes

On my bikeride this morning I thought about Beast and then about the
other two. They were together a remarkably long time, considering they
were all refugees, from 1991 to 2000.

Max was top-cat in seniority and my affections but Beastie ruled the
clowder. When Beast showed up I tried to chase him off because Max had
been declawed and was always indoors until I arrived home one night to
find all three lying around like long-time friends. Oh well. It took a
bit of time to win Beast over but an offering of fresh tuna from my
dinner finally did it. Beast took advantage of Max's shyness and
constantly tweaked him - Max eventually learned not to take him
seriously.

One funny remembrance. In the early days there was Beauty, another
refugee who only had a couple years to go but it was the time of his
life and he was a great a joy. One morning I was skimming the pool and
Beast chased Beauty around the berm, Beauty losing footing at one point
and falling half in. Great sport! So Beast starts on Max who runs
around the pool edge as well but suddenly turns and jumps the narrow
isthmus in the center and Beast, attempting to make the sudden change,
misses and lands in the pool. His chagrin was as great as my laughter.

When I trapped and brought Franz home he was entranced by Beast and
would follow him all around, to Beastie's great disgust, hisspitting and
running - "YooHoo! Sailor! Seafood!" and this large ginger cat
running from the relatively diminuative Franz. I always figured that
the reason for Franz's affection was because there was a lot of ginger
cats in the feral pack Franz was born into. Eventually Beast got
acclimated and even basked in Franz's attentions; for one thing it made
it easy for Beast to entice Franz into a grooming session which would
always end with Beast bopping Franz. Here's the two playing guard cats:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...8669adMlyQfXEX

In June 1996 I moved from Florida, forever I thought, Ha! This
transported all 3 from an urban environment - all they'd ever known - to
really rural surroundings with the nearest house 500' off. Franz,
always afraid of anyone but me, managed to escape the house - jumping 6'
o the grond and running into the woods. 2 or 3 days later I came home
from work and heard a meoww: Franz was abut 50' up a pine, no doubt in
reaction to some large strange animal. When I spoke to him he came donw
in a hurry and we had a love-in. Beast's adjustment was immediate. One
morning as I turned onto the dirt road from the driveway I saw a flash
of ornage down the road. Peering, sure enough, it was Beast, about 400'
down and on the opposite side poiuncing on something in the brush. "All
these worlds are yours" my friend. "But attempt no landing on Europa".
Norm - here's Max and Beast surveying their new surroundings:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...8737ZOSqvYSfjP

--
"The web has got me caught. I'd rather have the blues than what I've
got." via Nat King Cole

Norm, thank you so much for your photos of your beloved RB strays that you
gave a forever home to over the years. Thanks to the loving care you also
gave them, they will be there @ foot of RB to greet you. I looked @ all the
pics in the album.


"Norm" wrote in message
...
X-No-Archive: Yes

On my bikeride this morning I thought about Beast and then about the
other two. They were together a remarkably long time, considering they
were all refugees, from 1991 to 2000.

Max was top-cat in seniority and my affections but Beastie ruled the
clowder. When Beast showed up I tried to chase him off because Max had
been declawed and was always indoors until I arrived home one night to
find all three lying around like long-time friends. Oh well. It took a
bit of time to win Beast over but an offering of fresh tuna from my
dinner finally did it. Beast took advantage of Max's shyness and
constantly tweaked him - Max eventually learned not to take him
seriously.

One funny remembrance. In the early days there was Beauty, another
refugee who only had a couple years to go but it was the time of his
life and he was a great a joy. One morning I was skimming the pool and
Beast chased Beauty around the berm, Beauty losing footing at one point
and falling half in. Great sport! So Beast starts on Max who runs
around the pool edge as well but suddenly turns and jumps the narrow
isthmus in the center and Beast, attempting to make the sudden change,
misses and lands in the pool. His chagrin was as great as my laughter.

When I trapped and brought Franz home he was entranced by Beast and
would follow him all around, to Beastie's great disgust, hisspitting and
running - "YooHoo! Sailor! Seafood!" and this large ginger cat
running from the relatively diminuative Franz. I always figured that
the reason for Franz's affection was because there was a lot of ginger
cats in the feral pack Franz was born into. Eventually Beast got
acclimated and even basked in Franz's attentions; for one thing it made
it easy for Beast to entice Franz into a grooming session which would
always end with Beast bopping Franz. Here's the two playing guard cats:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...8669adMlyQfXEX

In June 1996 I moved from Florida, forever I thought, Ha! This
transported all 3 from an urban environment - all they'd ever known - to
really rural surroundings with the nearest house 500' off. Franz,
always afraid of anyone but me, managed to escape the house - jumping 6'
o the grond and running into the woods. 2 or 3 days later I came home
from work and heard a meoww: Franz was abut 50' up a pine, no doubt in
reaction to some large strange animal. When I spoke to him he came donw
in a hurry and we had a love-in. Beast's adjustment was immediate. One
morning as I turned onto the dirt road from the driveway I saw a flash
of ornage down the road. Peering, sure enough, it was Beast, about 400'
down and on the opposite side poiuncing on something in the brush. "All
these worlds are yours" my friend. "But attempt no landing on Europa".
Norm - here's Max and Beast surveying their new surroundings:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...8737ZOSqvYSfjP

--
"The web has got me caught. I'd rather have the blues than what I've
got." via Nat King Cole

in article , Hopitus at
wrote on 5/12/05 6:21 PM:

Norm, thank you so much for your photos of your beloved RB strays that you
gave a forever home to over the years. Thanks to the loving care you also
gave them, they will be there @ foot of RB to greet you. I looked @ all the
pics in the album.

They are such wonderful memories.

X-No-Archive: Yes
Karen wrote:

in article , Hopitus at
wrote on 5/12/05 6:21 PM:

Norm, thank you so much for your photos of your beloved RB strays that you
gave a forever home to over the years. Thanks to the loving care you also
gave them, they will be there @ foot of RB to greet you. I looked @ all the
pics in the album.

They are such wonderful memories.

Thanks to you both for your comments and your own contributons here. A
digital camera is so great for getting spontaneous pictures, that keep
your companions forever nearby. Somehow it seems too that my current
companions have taken on some of Beasts habits - like Quinn taking
Beasties favorite spot jammed between my leg and the chair arm or just
lying nearby purring.

--
"The web has got me caught. I'd rather have the blues than what I've
got." via Nat King Cole

On Thu, 12 May 2005 13:25:14 -0400, Norm wrote:

X-No-Archive: Yes

On my bikeride this morning I thought about Beast and then about the other
two. They were together a remarkably long time, considering they were all
refugees, from 1991 to 2000.

Max was top-cat in seniority and my affections but Beastie ruled the
clowder. When Beast showed up I tried to chase him off because Max had
been declawed and was always indoors until I arrived home one night to
find all three lying around like long-time friends. Oh well. It took a
bit of time to win Beast over but an offering of fresh tuna from my dinner
finally did it. Beast took advantage of Max's shyness and constantly
tweaked him - Max eventually learned not to take him seriously.

One funny remembrance. In the early days there was Beauty, another
refugee who only had a couple years to go but it was the time of his life
and he was a great a joy. One morning I was skimming the pool and Beast
chased Beauty around the berm, Beauty losing footing at one point and
falling half in. Great sport! So Beast starts on Max who runs around the
pool edge as well but suddenly turns and jumps the narrow isthmus in the
center and Beast, attempting to make the sudden change, misses and lands
in the pool. His chagrin was as great as my laughter.

When I trapped and brought Franz home he was entranced by Beast and would
follow him all around, to Beastie's great disgust, hisspitting and running
- "YooHoo! Sailor! Seafood!" and this large ginger cat running from
the relatively diminuative Franz. I always figured that the reason for
Franz's affection was because there was a lot of ginger cats in the feral
pack Franz was born into. Eventually Beast got acclimated and even basked
in Franz's attentions; for one thing it made it easy for Beast to entice
Franz into a grooming session which would always end with Beast bopping
Franz. Here's the two playing guard cats:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...8669adMlyQfXEX

In June 1996 I moved from Florida, forever I thought, Ha! This
transported all 3 from an urban environment - all they'd ever known - to
really rural surroundings with the nearest house 500' off. Franz, always
afraid of anyone but me, managed to escape the house - jumping 6' o the
grond and running into the woods. 2 or 3 days later I came home from work
and heard a meoww: Franz was abut 50' up a pine, no doubt in reaction to
some large strange animal. When I spoke to him he came donw in a hurry
and we had a love-in. Beast's adjustment was immediate. One morning as I
turned onto the dirt road from the driveway I saw a flash of ornage down
the road. Peering, sure enough, it was Beast, about 400' down and on the
opposite side poiuncing on something in the brush. "All these worlds are
yours" my friend. "But attempt no landing on Europa". Norm - here's Max
and Beast surveying their new surroundings:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...8737ZOSqvYSfjP


Thanks for the great story. MLB