Just A "haha"


Atwater Vitki
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After all that has gone on these past few weeks, I guess I just have need to put up a "haha", or funny story, to ease the ol' bean. ;) Anyway....

I mentioned replying to Sotik's topic about saving money:

Besides, our neighbors call us the "Auxiliary Shelter" anyway due to the strays we feed and spay/neuter...well except for the one...ooops! (Found out one of our 'rescues' and $165 for s/n, vet, shots etc etc...actually belonged to a lady a block away...did she reimburse? NO! She threatened to sue! Have yet to get served papers though...hehehe)

A couple of weeks ago we were frightened out of our recliners at around 8 pm by a vicious "attack" on our front door and doorbell...ya know...when all is calm and quiet and the BAM!! BAM!! BAM!! and a DINGA dinga DINGA dwang!!! outta nowhere type thing? Do I answer the door, or grab the billy club?

Looking out the drapes of the front window, there was a white and flowered house coat, skinny little twigs ending in large pink fuzzy slippers and a crop of white, gray and tea colored curly mop hair atop a 5' tall, thin as a nail, "alien"! I swear the last time I saw huge, fluorescent green and pink, acrylic glasses frames like those was about 1982! Ya know the type where the eyes look like basket balls rolling around inside a crystal ball image? Not seeing a threat, I cautiously opened the door....

"You the people that supposedly look after cats around here!?!" she begins without a hello, how are ya or go to Hades, "Did you neuter a brown and white long hair a few weeks back?! Look like THIS?!!?" she holds up a 5x7 refrig magnet framed picture of a cat with a string toy and large yellow letters spelling out "Cornwallis" at the top.

"Ah, yes. He does look familiar. Why? Is he your cat?" I said back, with an inevitable precaution.

"Ain't no "HE" anymore now is he?!" she nearly screamed back...

Hearing the commotion, Kay came to the door and tried to find out what the loud voices were first hand. The little ol' lady just went off on a "How DARE you!!" and "You had NO Right!!" tirade that would make even Quintin Tarrentino fans blush, minus the "F-bombs", but still, out of this little ol' lady was quite humorous if it wasn't for the adamant sincerity in her voice. Kay tried to cut in several times, but we both just stood there gazing at this animated display of upset and anger, voicing herself in the most unpleasant manner.

Finally, she took a breath and gave us the chance to let her know we had sent several messages "home" with him...Kay makes elastic collars enclosed in fabric, with our phone number and "Message Inside" in big letters on the outside. A gentle tug on the velcro flap and there's a small pocket to retrieve the note. We've done this with all cats, that might be owned, before simply taking them to the vet. The obviously feral ones are different.

We've had so many people move and abandon their cats around here that we never know if kitty just likes the attention and cuisine here better than "home" or is really homeless. A couple of the poor things have had their owners die and then just left as family either doesn't care about the cat or doesn't know about it. In this case it was over two months from the first time we sent "Cornwallis" home with a 'Note Collar' and four more notes after as we never know if kitty just gets out of the collar or what. After 8-9 weeks of no phone call or return message, what are we to think? All we saw was "jewels" hangin' off of "Mr. T" -(our nickname as he had a mohawk look with a brown stripe on his head) and one feral female litter, that we knew about, down the street with his genetics.

Mrs. "G" (Gerschwitz/Gerwits - sound), or Helen, finally calmed down enough to let us know she had taken the collars off as she had no idea who was putting "those things" on her cat. "I didn't know if it was some kids playin' a trick on me!" she finally admitted. We asked her if she read the notes and then she confesses she didn't "see" any note so we showed her one of the collars and she was baffled, she had no idea it "worked like that". Funny thing is, white material with dark blue or black "Sharpie™" lettering, can't miss it even when wrinkled up as the flap is always flat.

She didn't want to come in and sit and Kay had to return to her chair so I was left to "negotiate" with this little fireball that's 85 years, if a day, old! Helen had no desire to breed "Corny" or any such thing, she just kept on about how it "none of your business" what people do with their pets, regardless of rental "rules" being all outdoor cats must be spayed or neutered. "None of the office's business either!!"

Helen was very angry to say the least and on one hand we could sympathize with that, on the other, answer your "mail"! And on the third hand, beings this was only two nights after we got the news about Kay's health, we could really give a rat's pitoot about something that saved someone else $165.00!! of which all they had was complaint...but, in the end, it IS her animal, not ours. She finally left with a "what is done is done, but I still might get my lawyer on you!" :threaten: which I'm not really unsure of the legal obligations and ramifications, but three legal web-sites were a bit contradictory about the subject.

We thought we were doing Right and this episode served as a prime example as to what one perception is versus another about the feral animal problems we face in society. We certainly are not going to demand repayment of our hard spent money, but if she ever tried to sue, you can be sure it would be in our counter-suit! Thankfully, we've gotten most of the feral cats right around our house now, plus one that wasn't, is true, but since we've started our Feral Program here a total of nine cats have gotten spayed or neutered and we've spread the word about "how" to other areas of the complex of 264 houses. Hopefully this next spring will be an entirely different "bloom" from previous years!

I've talked to the lady that runs the local shelter we donate to and she's going to bring up the situation at the next annual meeting with her organization's co-founder's and their attorney in February. Thankfully a pet loving attorney donates to the cause, plus has helped them get their 503 non-profit status and handles any legal situation for a flat fee, per case for most small matters. It doesn't sound like much, but Mary-Jo said he saved her "thousands" while getting things going in 2001 when they started and several issues that have come up like "trespassing", "vandalism" (broken window to car left unattended with pets inside) and filings on abuse cases and such.

Oh well, felt good putting up some humor, take care all,

Blessings of Peace,

PS: "Corny" was by again this morning...funny how he knew I had just picked up some special treats "Fancy Feast - Alaskan Salmon Filets" at the Dollar Store™ yesterday!! Cases of canned Friskies™ or Whiskas™ run about $10.50-$11.00 around here, so when I can get "Fancy" for $8/case (usually $22-23), yes, our little ones do get 'spoiled'!! :nyam:MeShell (our Tortie) is the funniest...listening to her PURRR-a-purrrr while she's eating is hilarious. She only does that on "Fancy- Salmon or Shrimp" and is a total crack up. Maybe I'll see if I can get a .avi clip and post it, there's no way I can put it in print!! :crazyeyes:

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You make me miss my cuddle fuzzy. He had a basso profundo purr that you could actually feel across the floor. He was double pawed and had thumbs, so his "hands" resembled Garfield's (actually, his overall markings were close to Garfields, other than he was white where Garfield was yellow). When I had migraines, he used to curl up with his tummy against my forehead and use the heat of his tummy and the vibration of the purr to soothe the pain. Then once the pain started to fade, he would knead my temples with those enormous paws and nimble fingers. He had a gift.

Once he went deaf, he became very close to me, and moreso when he went blind in his right eye. He used to sleep with his right arm on mine, placing his head in between our arms. I think he knew he could sleep safely that way, since anything that would try to "get" him would have to go over the human to get there. I never realized how much I came to appreciate having a living teddy bear until my ex-roomate and I parted company and the cat went with him (he was the human that started with him, so I had no claim). My furry friend died a year ago, and I still dream about him. I can honestly say he was my closest non-human friend, and one of the few friends I had who would listen with interest when I signed a conversation. (Anyone who thinks a cat can't learn Sign Language, should see videos of that cat when I would sign "[PLAY] [KICK]", which was "our" term for a soccer match. He had a little kitty sized soccer ball (his favorite - he would ignore the basketball, baseball, tennis ball, and others). He would bat it between the legs of his opponent, scoring a "goal." Funnier still is later on he learned to do a "paw pump" (fist pump) in mid air after scoring a goal. If the human got one between his legs, he would flatten his ears and give a look like "darn it!" I used to love watching him run up and down the hallway dribbing his soccer ball. He had incredible coordination and could dribble for hours without missing the ball once. Incredibly amazing for one with sight in only one eye, since that will affect depth perception.

He lives in my memory now, but he will always be part of me, and loved.

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Funny story, Al! We had one we called "Tom" that adopted us. He'd purr when he ate too. (Hope K's doing well!)

I just did the morning frenzy, including our "TC" (Tom cat) a feral turned "ours"...was here when we moved in and is the most battle scarred, OMG the things that have happened to him, but he has never touched one of ours. Must be super kitty senses or something. He actually maimed and killed (had to be put down) a young, obviously offspring, 6 months after moving in here and ours saw it happen. But he has never ever even so much as swatted at any of ours. Amazing critters.

Kay says TYVM, we are off again this a.m. to docs for the "routine".

You make me miss my cuddle fuzzy. He had a basso profundo purr that you could actually feel across the floor. He was double pawed and had thumbs, so his "hands" resembled Garfield's (actually, his overall markings were close to Garfields, other than he was white where Garfield was yellow). When I had migraines, he used to curl up with his tummy against my forehead and use the heat of his tummy and the vibration of the purr to soothe the pain. Then once the pain started to fade, he would knead my temples with those enormous paws and nimble fingers. He had a gift.

Once he went deaf, he became very close to me, and moreso when he went blind in his right eye. He used to sleep with his right arm on mine, placing his head in between our arms. I think he knew he could sleep safely that way, since anything that would try to "get" him would have to go over the human to get there. I never realized how much I came to appreciate having a living teddy bear until my ex-roomate and I parted company and the cat went with him (he was the human that started with him, so I had no claim). My furry friend died a year ago, and I still dream about him. I can honestly say he was my closest non-human friend, and one of the few friends I had who would listen with interest when I signed a conversation. (Anyone who thinks a cat can't learn Sign Language, should see videos of that cat when I would sign "[PLAY] [KICK]", which was "our" term for a soccer match. He had a little kitty sized soccer ball (his favorite - he would ignore the basketball, baseball, tennis ball, and others). He would bat it between the legs of his opponent, scoring a "goal." Funnier still is later on he learned to do a "paw pump" (fist pump) in mid air after scoring a goal. If the human got one between his legs, he would flatten his ears and give a look like "darn it!" I used to love watching him run up and down the hallway dribbing his soccer ball. He had incredible coordination and could dribble for hours without missing the ball once. Incredibly amazing for one with sight in only one eye, since that will affect depth perception.

He lives in my memory now, but he will always be part of me, and loved.

Aren't they something? How fascinating about the paws, and the devotion to you. They do seem to "know" when we are not feeling well as they do try and give Kitty-Aid don't they? It's the one's like your "Teddy Bear" that seem to have lasting impressions on us for many reason. Their passing is the saddest part for any pet lover and that we have to go through that so many times in our considerably longer lives.

A "cheers" and a "Gooooooaaall!" to yours, and all the 'Teddy's" out there. I know the feeling of missing.

Blessings,

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