Catless In Seattle

This the first thing to know about me.  I am just starting this blog, so everything is in default at the moment.  I will put up pictures when I find them and we will see how it goes.  I am certainly open to suggestions, gentle critique right now and anything else you would like to contribute to the conversation.

I grew up with cats and there is nothing like a soft, warm furry body on my shoulder purring in my ear.  When a cat sleeps on me and is so relaxed it is almost as if they have no bones; yet they can be fully awake in a flash.  All our cats were outdoor cats, though my younger sister would let them into her room from the window.  We had a mama cat who would have a litter of kittens in the canyon, then bring them up to the house when they were old enough.  Of course we girls loved them and wanted to keep them but usually Mom would have the Humane Society come and take them away – at least those they could catch.  They all had personalities and things we each loved about them.  I’m not sure if they were all the mama cat’s kittens or if there were a couple who just arrived one day.

Eddie and I had two cats of our own, Muffet was mine and Tiger was more his cat.  Both were adopted from people taking in cats.  Muffet was my sweetheart, a fluffy calico angora – she had a cape and hood of calico and the rest of her was white.  She was very skittish because she had lived outside for the first year of her life, don’t think she ever quite relaxed completely with us.  She always wolfed down her food, then promptly threw it up again.  It was hard to figure out how much was enough for her so she could keep it down and get what nutrients she needed.  I realized after a while that she was an undercover lap cat – if you couldn’t see her it didn’t count.  At night she would sleep with me, but only between the cover and the blanket.  After a time I would wake in the middle of the night with a big weight on my shoulder or chest – it was Muffet; but it was dark, so her status as not a lap cat was safe.  not quite sure what as going on but she seemed to be determined to sleep on me no matter what part of me it was.  I loved her dearly and when she developed a tumor, she had to be put to sleep.  I regret that I didn’t do it before I left on a trip, I didn’t want to lose her and it was all about me, not what was best for her.  I had a call from the vet while I was away and she had to be put to sleep.  I felt I had abandoned her when she needed me most – it still hurts to this day.

Muffet was such a sweetheart, fairly quiet.  Then there was Tiger – a more rambunctious cat than any I have ever known.  It was 6 months after losing Muffet that we adopted him – my husband wanted another cat but I wasn’t ready.  I wish I had put my foot down but I allowed myself to be overridden – another example of giving up my power.  Eddie wanted to choose the cat this time and when the two of them locked eyes, Tiger had a home.  He was a very affectionate cat and loved sleeping on me – yes, I enjoyed it myself.  At night he would race around the house, knocking over things and generally making a racket.  Sometimes I think he used to run around the walls and who knows, he could probably have made it to the ceiling.  He was definitely a counter jumper and loved to get on top of the refrigerator.  I was at my wit’s end with him – I was ready to send him back.

However, as time went on I was able to deal with him and keep things out of reach. Plus he calmed down a lot and that certainly helped.  once again I was doing latrine duty and vet runs – this was Eddie’s cat but I tool care of him.  He too wolfed down his food and sometime brought it back up again.  He was always ready to eat anything he found – not always what we had in mind.  Unfortunately he also developed a tumor, had chemo for it but it really didn’t help.  He was on prednisone and I learned how to stick a pill down his throat and make him swallow it.  Not much call for the ability for quite a while.  They said he had 3 months at the most, it was 2 years later when I had to put him to sleep.  He kept getting thinner and thinner, yet he never acted like he was a sick cat, not until the end.  I held him in my arms and talked to him as they gave him the shot. I also asked him to tell Muffet how sorry I was I hadn’t been there for her.  All this at the time my dad had just died and our niece from Jerusalem was visiting.

I want another cat, I just remember the latrine duty and vet runs – still not ready for that. I have often thought Eddie and I are hazardous to a cat’s health since both our cats developed tumors.  It really isn’t related but I just don’t want to go through all of that again.  I love being around cats and pet them whenever I can, just not ready for one of my own yet.