I have always been crazy for cats. Even as a small child my passion for cats was always there even though my dad was a dog guy. We had a cat for awhile that lived nearby the house and I was able to love on it, but it wasn’t mine. It was an independent creature, however as many cats are. She only wanted to receive affection on her terms. Cats are funny that way. They can drive you crazy wanting attention or treat you with total disdain.
The First Significant cat in my Life
She came into my life as a tiny ball of fur. It was love at first sight. A gift from my dad for my 12th birthday, she was creamy white with dark face, ears, paws and tail and gorgeous blue eyes. My first of many Siamese, and I named her Ming. Ming was sweet and loving, going everywhere that I did and getting into lots of trouble. She had a thing for my socks. Ming could get her clever little paws into the edge of my sock drawer and open it. I had socks with holes in them for years where she had dug them out and chewed on them.
As Ming grew into a beautiful Siamese cat, we became inseparable. She went everywhere that I did and would be waiting for me at the top of the stairs when I got off of the bus from school. Unfortunately she got out of the house once and a dog bit her breaking her tail. I was so upset and cried for days but she appeared to heal well. Later however, when we had her bred there was a problem. She went into labor but was unable to pass the kittens due to her tail being crooked. A vet removed four fat little Siamese babies from her and she recovered well but I was crushed.
A Trip Across Country
Later my parents divorced and we moved from Washington State to Tennessee. Ming rode in the back of the truck (It had a camper top on the back} all the way. Once there we moved into a trailer where she got out again. I was never able to find her and it broke my heart. To this day I wonder where she got to. I hope that someone found her and took her in. The alternative is too painful to think about.
A Succession of Cats
Since I was twelve I have owned a cat of one type or another. Clem was a blue point Siamese. He was very laid back but had stinky feet. Clem was the only cat I have every owned that loved getting a bath for those stinky feet. He actually enjoyed the whole bathing process from shampooing to towel drying. He went with me when I married an army man and went to reside outside of Fort Campbell Kentucky. There he got into a fight with another male cat and died. I was again heart broken. Determined not to have any more cats because the heartache is so real when they die.
My resolve lasted for two years. Then I started looking for a kitten again. I found a litter of Siamese kittens outside of Seattle Washington where my husband and I lived for awhile. When I went to pick one out, I found two brothers wrestling with each other and fell in love instantly. They both went home with me, King and Prince. They were little stinkers when they were little, climbing curtains and making messes. King was a hunter and would show up at the door with his cheeks puffed out and bird feathers stick out of his mouth. He would try to bring his prey into the house and destroy it, showing me what a good provider he was. I quickly learned to check him before he came in. Otherwise there was a bird or a garden snake loose in the house and mayhem ensued.
A Little Kitten named Foo
Foo was a tiny Siamese kitten that fit in the palm of my hand. She was the runt of the litter and the vet tried to get me to put her to sleep. She weighed a whole 8 ounces. He said she “wasn’t right” but could not tell me exactly what the difficulty was with her. She was definitely not very smart and never got very big but my heart could not stand the thought of never giving her a chance. Foo lived about 10 years, and I loved her dearly. She was a one person cat, as they often are, and was very grumpy but that made her even more loveable to me.
Skip ahead with me many years to where I am now. I adopted two feral kittens that are my current fur babies. Bess is a dark shorthair and her sister is, you guessed it, a Siamese named Cassie. I have no idea how three dark colored cats and one Siamese came from a dark momma cat but they did. Bess is the undisputed boss, she beats up on her sister for getting affection. Cassie is the sweetest cat on the earth, always wanting to be where I am.
A Cat named Smokey the Bear
About a year ago I was working at Walmart when a customer came in with a cardboard box. When I looked into the box a tiny gray face stared back at me and hissed. I fell in love. This kitten was so tiny, I initially called him Itty Bitty Kitty. I soon named him Smokey the Bear for his gray fur and has grown to be huge, I believe that he has some Maine Coon in him.
He has very large ears, a broad head and a huge fluffy tail. He is also a complete stinker, getting into everything. My other two cats were very upset, especially the boss, Bess. I could tell by her face. “What is THAT, and what is it doing here? It took about a month but she is okay with him now. They are not best buddies by any means but they tolerate each other which is okay. Bess puts him in his place every once in awhile.
Smokey has anxiety and zips around the house at about 100 miles per hour. Thankfully I have found a solution that you can read more about here for your anxious pets. It has been shown to greatly reduce anxiety and have a calming effect upon your pets. I can tell you that it works for both Bess and Smokey, they wear one on their collars.
The Expenses of Cat Ownership
Everyone knows that owning a pet is expensive. The cost of food and upkeep are almost up there with that of humans these days and so is vet care. Fortunately there is a solution for the vet care. Here is a source where you can find low cost pet insurance and have a vet on call 24 hours a day via your computer. I know that for me nothing is too good for my furry children.
They occupy a special part of my heart and I don’t know what I would do without them in my life. I will most likely always have a cat in my life. They are special little creatures, each with their own personalities. I don’t know that I would recommend three however, unless you enjoy a little mayhem in your life. But overall, enjoy your fur babies because they are only here for a short while. Love them while you can