We didn't plan to have that many, but it has just turned out that way. We have come to refer to them as "our children".
The oldest Cat is Precious, our black and white cat. Also referred to at times as Miss Pris. She came to us when for a time we ran a pet store.
At that time we had become used to the attention of 4 (in and outside) cats that we had on the lot where we worked and lived. When we moved our business into the center of town we missed them and so we obtained 2 kittens. Precious and Mouser.
After a couple of years we found it just wasn't paying off to have our business in town and we moved everything back to the lot bringing Precious and Mouser with us.
About this time there was pack of wild dogs that roamed the area as well as coyotes. Within 3 months we had lost 3 of the cats we had already had at the lot. So when we brought Precious and Mouser home we decided to keep them as just inside cats. We still however had one in and out cat, Patches that did not take kindly to the 2 new additions. Precious had like feelings for Patches and Mouser, ever the friendly one, thought this new found sister was interesting and followed her around like an unwanted younger brother. We tried blocking off the exit that Patches had been used to using to access the outside, but she would keep opening it. Unfortunately early one morning when she had been successful at making her escape, Mouser followed. Later when I got up and went looking I could tell the story by the footprints in the sand. Patches dainty little ones, Mouser's bigger ones and a dog's large ones. In the back of the lot, with no sign of a struggle I found Mouser's body. Patches had escaped over the fence. It was a senseless killing and all the more reason to try to keep Precious inside.
Patches was not about to become an inside cat. One day she disapear
ed and we never saw her again. It was a sad spring for us, but at least we still had Precious.
If she were a little girl she would be the one who was always playing with her dolls, insisting on wearing dresses with ruffles, and trying out my make-up.
As a cat she is the first to welcome anyone coming into the house. Coyly mewing her way into their attention and welcoming any tummy rub. When I'm writing at my computer in the evenings, (like now), she is often sprawled across my arms.
She is about 9 years old now.
The next cat to join our family was Missy. She was an anniversary present to my husband. Just a kitten when we acquired her, she soon became Precious baby. Since all our cats are fixed as soon as possible Precious had never had kittens, but after a couple of days of having her peace disrupted by this new entity in her life, she decided to take on the responsibility. She was a patient but demanding parent and as Missy grew they became constant companions.
Missy, however is not the tea and ruffles cat. Were she a little girl she would be baking the cookies for the tea, wearing blue jeans, and cleaning house.
As a cat she is the one who curls up "under" the covers, plays fetch with tiny foil balls, chases her tail and chatters at the birds outside the window. Her favorite napping place is the shelf above my computer.
Missy in now about 7 years old.
Just as they felt settled in their routine, in came Snoopy.
Snoopy is a sable point Siamese. When he arrived as a kitten he was a light camel color with the dark sable color on his ears, face, paws and tail and sky blue eyes. Over time his color darkened and he now only has the lighter color like a vest across his shoulders and chest.
When introduced to him, Missy seemed to feel he was interesting. Precious on the other hand felt we had all lost our minds and made sure we knew it by growling and hissing. When she saw that Missy was not to be put off shunned both of them for several days. Missy in the meantime took over the mothering of this new kitten. After a time Precious became like the old maid Aunt, making sure that Snoopy learned how to keep his place. Soon he learned he could cuddle and play with Missy and best avoid being seen or heard by Precious.
Were he a little boy he would be constantly peeking under blades of grass and other plants to find the latest remarkable bug, or climbing trees to marvel at the squirrels. The most friendly and carefree of the cats is Snoopy.
As a cat he is in almost constant motion literally snooping out the house. His latest craze is to get
attention by climbing up or jumping onto my shoulder. But unfortunately long legged klutz that he is it is also with his little pin needle claws out to maintain his hold. And never when you know he's coming. And yet we endure this current trait of his as he is so innocently endearing.
His favorite place to nap is on top the TV-satellite controls where it's warm.
Snoopy is just about 3 years old.
One afternoon only a few months after Snoopy's arrival, a pleasant late afternoon dinner was disrupted by the loud conversation of between two cats. Now this was no normal conversation and we quickly discovered that only one of the cats was ours. Missy was violently protesting the intrusion at the front door by a slightly larger male cat almost identical to her in color and markings. He on the other hand was quite politely trying to discuss his situation.
Shooing Missy aside (she retreated to the nearby window where she could continue to assess the situation), I soon became the subject of the new cat's entreaty. Not unlike a Brush salesman who would visit our home when I was a child, he seemed intent on pleading his case and selling me on the idea of at least hearing him out.
Upon opening the door and stepping out onto the porch, where I thoroughly expected him to scurry away in fright, he instead held his ground and allowed me to pet him. I returned to the kitchen where under the watchful eye of Precious and Missy I obtained a bowl of kibble and a
bowl of water. Then returning to him I proceeded down the stairs and around to the other side of the house, the new cat following me all the way. There I set down my bowls and waited to see what would happen. He daintily stepped over to the bowl of food and took a bite. Then he came over to me and rubbed against me as if to say, "oh, thank you". This he continued to do with each bite until it was all gone.
OK, I thought, so he will be a yard and shop cat for Jim. So over the next few weeks Jim fed him in his shop across from our trailer and he basically followed Jim everywhere. His devotion more like that of a dog. His only vice was suddenly grabbing at your ankles with all 4 clawed feet and teeth. Or while being held in your lap, suddenly grabbing your wrist with claws and teeth. What was confusing about this intolerable behavior was his reaction to our reacting distressed by this. When we would say "NO!", etc. he would look at you with a quizzical look that seemed to say "I thought you liked that?"
He was no kitten, and was definitely familiar with people, being inside, litter-boxes, etc. All we could surmise was that his previous owners had either mistreated him or teased him to act like that. Now we had to untrain him. Fortunately over time he came to understand we didn't appreciate such actions and stopped.
In the meantime Missy's feelings concerning his presence on the lot had not changed. Our chest freezer sits outside, under the kitchen window. The same window that Missy likes to sit on the chest inside and sun herself and chatter at the birds. Roam Meow, as the new cat was now being called, also found the freezer a good place to lay. This would infuriate Missy, and she would rant and rave, shredding the cover on her cushion. He in the meantime would either politely try to discuss the matter with her or totally ignore her and go to sleep.
We thought having Roam Meow fixed might settle her down, but no. So one afternoon, Jim tried bringing him into the house. He set him by his desk and we waited to see what would happen. Precious looked on from a distance, Missy skirted him, emitting low growls and Snoopy decided to view the situation from the loftier stance of Jim's desk chair.
Roam Meow stood his ground, while bristling a bit, seemed to be trying desperately to keep his cool, maintain his dignity as if he alone understood the full measure of the test. After a few minutes Jim took him back outside. We did this a couple of more times and then Roam Meow became a constant family member with the exception that he alone goes outside occasionally.
Missy at first would keep close tabs on him, still being visibly upset if he spoiled her view from her kitchen window. While over time she has eased up on this she is still constantly aware of his coming and going. Often if he hesitates for a moment when first going out the door, she will come up behind and give him a not so gentle nudge, and when he comes back in he will cast a wary eye for her knowing full well that if she is within range he will get at least one good boxing from her.
Once inside however they are more accepting of each other, with only a few cross words from time to time.
The one who really came to appreciate Roam Meows entry into our family was Snoopy. By this time Precious had really begun to lord it over Snoopy, banishing him to behind the TV shelves whenever he came into the living room and giving him a quick smack whenever she could. The first time she did that after Roam Meow had come into the house, Roam Meow took her to task. After that he was Snoopy's hero. Like the brothers they had become, they would ruff and tumble, and soon Roam Meow took over Snoopy's upbringing.
Missy, who had begun to tire of teaching Snoopy the finer points of childhood, gratefully retreated to warm places to relax and contemplate the day.
Were Roam Meow a real boy, he would be the ever helpful neighbor hood boy, whose head was most likely stuck under the hood of a car, discovering the finer points of a mechanic.
As a cat, as I said earlier, he often seems more dog. He has that docile, affectionate, obedient, temperament. He loves to be carried and will jump up into your arms or onto your shoulder and ride along without a care, yet unlike Snoopy, he is careful to not use his claws.
While Jim loves his company, he will often bring him back into the house so he can get his work done as Roam Meow insists on being in the middle of things.
And so for about 2 years our family seemed complete. Then one day while holding Precious on my lap the quiet of the afternoon was broken with the mews of a kitten who when traipsing past our front porch in search of her momma.
Although I tried to get close to her she evaded my attempts and disappeared under a pile of tires in the yard. We soon found that she and her mother had their home there and began leaving out a plate of food and some water to entice them to come to us. While they happily enjoyed our food, they continued to keep a wary eye on us and retreat whenever we came near.
There is also a feral Tom that comes around from time to time, picking fights with Roam Meow and we soon discovered, the momma cat. So we set a trap and were able to catch both the mother and kitten. We took the momma to the vet. to be fixed and then set her free inside Jim's shop to recuperate. The kitten we tried keeping in a cage for about a week to get used to us and then when we felt she might be sufficiently accepting and the other cats seemed used to her, we let her loose. Her name was quite appropriately, Skitter, short for skittish. We kept her for about 3 months, but she not only didn't become more friendly, she began to wet our bed, quite deliberately. With winter coming one we knew we couldn't put her outside and so we took her to a shelter.
Meantime Momma cat, unlike her daughter, had taken over the shop and Jim's heart. Nuzzling up to him, jumping in his lap and enjoying the routine of having her meals served up regularly. As winter was approaching and it looked like we might have an unseasonably cold one, Jim decided to bring her inside as well.
Precious again tried to put her foot down. Missy has accepted her. Snoopy, ever the diplomat has befriended her. Roam Meow basically ignores her. She basically rotates between staying in the bathroom, close to the litter boxes either on a towel (placed especially for her) on the counter or a rug behind the door or an open cupboard in the living room, with a quick stop at the food dish going and coming. Although her paws, which are much bigger than the other cats, attest to the fact that she should be a bigger cat, her lack of activity and easy access to food has turned her from the thin little momma she was to one big fat fluffy MOMMA. So named, Momma Cat.
About a week ago I purchased a harness and I'm trying to train her to it so I can take her out for walks. She is slowly getting the idea. Hopefully the walks will have the effect of trimming us both down a bit.
If Momma were a real little girl, she would be the quiet child, curled up with a good book on a window seat, or drawing beautiful pictures.
As a cat she is mellow, very cuddly, docile and affectionate. While she has yet learned to "walk" with the harness, she is totally accepting of having it put on her.
And so now, hopefully our family is complete. Sometimes it seems a bit crazy around here with the antics of 5 cats. Overall they create a cozy, warm home for us to live in with them. We often comment we couldn't imagine our lives without them.
When we arrived at our customer's home, Jim set out to work on his satellite reception, and I continued to take pictures.
THese reminded me of the windmills that are sprouting up around the California hills as an energy source. These particular plants will grow to produce.....
These lovely white flowers
