Tag Archive | Kitty Corner

Best Friends

Oct13

Best Friends

Isaac and Patch were best friends. Actually, Patch was more like a brother or “dad” to Isaac, our “Sylvester or Tuxedo” cat. This photo was taken when both cats were seniors.

Patch was about two years old when Isaac and his twin, Jacob came into our lives. The twins were so small, we had to bottle feed them. They were so small that we made their first litter box out of John’s Justin’s Boot box. I added a ramp for them to climb on because they were too small to jump into the box without help.

We didn’t know how Patch and three old Zippy would respond to the kittens so we kept them in our unfinished basement room. The older cats didn’t know what to think about the meowing in the room and stayed close to the door to the kitty room. When the twins were finally old enough to meet their big brothers, Zippy and Patch appeared to be afraid of the little guys!

For about a week, we brought the kittens into the den for about an hour and let them sniff around and to become acquainted. The first night, John held Jake on his lap to watch a hockey game. Boy, was Patch insulted! His emerald-green eyes looked even greener as he gave us his “I’m not happy about this” look – and then he took off! John searched through the house and couldn’t find him. “He’ll come out of hiding soon,” I said as I helped him look under furniture and into closets. (Both of the older cats could open the closet doors.)

We were completely surprised when we returned to the den and found Patch curled in a ball under the couch! The stinker tricked us!  Zippy, on the other hand, kept an eye on the little guys. By the end of the week all four were best friends!

The first night they interacted, Patch grabbed Jake and cleaned milk off the kitten’s face and looked at me with his “angry” look. He seemed to be asking, “why didn’t you clean the boy’s face?” I had tried to clean them with a washcloth but it took a cat’s skill to clean him perfectly!

The first time we allowed the “twins” to wander around the rest of the house, Patch and Isaac played a game of Hide and Seek. While Patch was hiding, John gathered up the kittens and put them back into their room for the night. A few minutes later, Patch gave the loudest, most mournful cry I have ever heard. Apparently, he thought he had lost Isaac. When I took him into the kitten’s room, Patch checked out both of the kittens and gave them both a bath before he left the room. Zippy was just as protective.

When he was about sixteen years old, Patch started having seizures, resulting in blindness less than a year later. Isaac was Patch’s see and eye cat. Patch was seventeen years old when he gave up his struggle. He passed away in our arms – beside John with his head on my shoulder and Isaac sitting beside him on my lap. Isaac was eighteen years old when he joined his brother and buddies.

The Bible says that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. That friend is Jesus!

Ruby in the Sitting Room May 10, 2012 – YouTube

Jun20

 

 

Our Maine Coon, Ruby was sitting in the master bathroom one evening and I couldn’t resist snapping pictures. The funny thing is that she just sat there. What was she thinking? She usually runs when I reach for the camera. As I looked at the pics, I decided it might make a cute slide show.

She loves to lounge by the empty tub and knows how to rub against the cold water spigot to get a drink. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know how to turn the water off! This was the first time I have actually seen her sitting on the (“ahem”) seat. Our Queen Ruby Anne on her porcelain throne…

Ruby in the Sitting Room May 10, 2012 – YouTube.

Alice has a “sinking” feeling that a bath is in her future.

Mar8

“Alice, what are you doing in the sink?”

“First, you were sitting in the kitchen sink and now, look at you. Do you want a bath?”

“I’m otta’ here before Mom gets the shampoo! Bye-bye for now.”

Meet Alice

Jan28

Welcome home, Alice!

Alice in her cage at the Animal Hospital. They let her out often to greet customers.

Welcome home Alice! Hope you like it here!

This is Alice, the newest member of our family. We first met Alice in September when we were moving into our new house. We had let our two Maine Coons, Skippy and Ruby spend the night at the “kitty spa”. As we entered the Vet’s office this tiny kitten greeted us. It was love at first sight. She practically jumped into my arms and started purring and giving me kitty kisses.  The following day when we picked up the Purdy duo, Alice tugged at my heart strings again. I almost couldn’t bear to leave her there!

John took Skippy to get his two-year-old check up last week and Alice was still there. Greeting everyone who came in, running around and enjoying life. John asked about her and they said that someone had seen this tiny kitten walking along the road where someone had left her. Apparently, they couldn’t keep her so they brought her to the vets office. She has been there ever since. Other kittens have come and gone but for some reason, no one wanted Alice – except us. Maybe she was there for us. We both have birthdays coming up and John wanted to get her for me.

In the past, all of our kittens had been rescue kitties or they have literally walked up to our door, waiting for us to take them in. Of course, who can bear to think of a hungry critter running around in the cold needing someone to care for them? I used to say that “every time I pray for a baby to adopt, He sends a stray kitten or two instead.” They were cuddly, sweet and loved to snuggle.  Our Maine Coons on the other hand, are sweet and love to be near us but they aren’t as cuddly as our other cats had been. They will sometimes sit on our lap for a few minutes and will curl up on the bed, begging for a tummy rub and then they wander to the foot of the bed until they get hungry.  John can pick them up for a minute or two but at 16 and 18lbs, that is a difficult task for me. So it seems more like Skippy and Ruby are “Daddy’s cats.” Did I mention their intelligence? They are very smart and love to “hang out with me” but Moms know how it is. Empty arms.

We picked Alice up today and she was still giving out kitty kisses and loves to snuggle with her head against our shoulder, purring so loudly it sounds like a lullaby. She is so tiny! She couldn’t weigh three pounds! For that reason, we are introducing her to Ruby and Skippy slowly, while she is in the kitty cage. For a few nights, the master suite is the nursery. If my other sweet angels cry because the door is closed, I will have to put Alice in her cage. If not, I will have a kitten to spoil and cuddle. (Ruby usually cries if she is not with us so we’re praying she will be content tonight.)  Skippy seems to be fine with our new family member. Ruby ran to her “safe hiding place” after mildly objecting. After all, she has been “the baby” for almost two years. Time will bond them as friends and sisters. I’m sure of it.

"I'll watch out for you, little sis!"

Ruby checking out her competition from a distance. I know they will be best friends!

Play time!

This little gal is fast!

If falling in love with a kitten and having to leave it behind for four months, I cannot imagine what it is like for my friend, Bonnie Sue Walker who has been waiting seventeen months for their little Jedidiah’s adoption to go through and that Wayne will be allowed to bring him from Thailand to live in the United States with them – his adopted family!

Pray for Jedidiah to come home.

Think of what it means to the Lord for us to want to be with Him. To be near Him and snuggle close in faith. Kind of makes one think, doesn’t it? He loves you, my friend, and always has!

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore in lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3

Zippy’s Gift

Dec15

I was looking through some old photos and found some cute Christmas pics of our cats. Most of these pictures were taken in the 1990’s so they are rather dated but I couldn’t resist posting one or two.

The first one I found was of Zippy’s first Christmas. He looked at the gifts under the tree and miraculously, found his gift. It even had his name on it. Zip was a very smart cat. We called him a “fetch kitty” because when we threw a ball for him, he would retrieve it and bring it back to us. His favorite balls were aluminum foil balls that I rolled and rolled around in a spoon until it was completely smooth and rolled faster than the toy balls. He had about a dozen of these handmade balls. One by one, they would disappear. “Where’s your ball?” I would ask and he always led me to the same spot. The stove – where he reached and fussed until I removed the drawer and sure enough, we would find every one! Somehow, he kept track of his toys. So what does this have to do with the gift under the Christmas tree? He picked his out without disturbing the other gifts. Wonder if the catnip inside the toy gave it away?

Some may think it is silly to buy a gift for a cat. After all, aren’t the boxes, paper, ribbon and gift bags enough to make the day special for a cat? (They certain love playing in the boxes and bags while ribbons are quickly hidden because they can pose a danger if fibers are swallowed.) However, Zip was part of our family and we loved him and wanted him to have something special under the tree too.

There are several spiritual applications running through my head but the Parable of the fatherhood keeps coming to mind.
“If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask them?” (Luke 11:13)

If Zippy was so excited about his small toy, shouldn’t we be excited about the good gifts our Heavenly Father has given us?

Lets think on the good gifts the our Heavenly Father has given us and the rest will be a bonus. Thank you, Lord for the gift of your Son!

Kitty Antics

Dec8
Smile, Ruby!

Have you ever tried to take a picture of your cats but the moment you aim the camera in their direction, they look away? The worst part of trying to photograph a cat is their eyes.

Ruby looked like she was posing for a picture as I walked past the “guest room” the other night.

Getting in on the action

“Get the camera, quick!” I called to my husband, John, “she’s posing perfectly!”

As you see, she decided to lie down on the job

as soon as she heard the camera beep.

Of course, Skippy had to get in on the action.

Now it’s play time – time to get out the feather toy!

Don’t know what to say? Maybe the cat’s got your tongue. Nah, they’re just grooming – getting pretty for Christmas!