A Horrible Thing

Last night, my daughter-in-law had invited me to a home party for spices. I should actually say we as she invited my dear husband too because she thought he would enjoy it more. She had asked me weeks ago and even though youngest had a series of basketball games, my DH and I decided I would be the one to go since I am usually pickier about those type of things. Basically, I decide a budget then stick to it and I don’t care who the party is for either. I go there with a number in mind for spending and that’s it.

My youngest son’s first game was at 5:10, so they left at about 4:00 as it takes nearly an hour to get into Vegas and the courts where they are held. I worked a little more then took my shower at 5 to leave at about 5:30. My oldest called and asked me if I was coming. I told him yes and I would even get there early. I hopped into the shower and mentally went through the order of how I would need to do things.

Promptly at 5:30 pm, I started gathering my things to leave when all hell broke out as the dog chased the cats. It was obvious they needed separate areas, so I went about the task of catching cats and closing them in various rooms around the house. It took me an extra ten or fifteen minutes to get out the door. Once I was in the car, I realized how hot it was today and zipped along my merry way sweaty and hot.

Along this route, I have to go through a place called Railroad Pass, affectionately known as the Pass to all us locals. The traffic was really bad and I got stuck behind a car pulling a trailer. It was very slow going and I was about to pull around him as the traffic had cleared when one of the most horrific things I have ever seen in my life happened.

The trailer door opened, and believe me it was finally going a speed of about 60 mph, and something was tossed out. It took me a few seconds to realize what had been tossed out was what looked to be a chocolate seal-point Siamese baby. I tried to stop and knew I had gone too far so I had to go to the first exit and back around. I was so stunned by this action I did not even get the license plate on the trailer...after all...who could do something this horrible?

At this point, my oldest calls me and wants to know where I am. I tell him I’ve forgotten something and have to go back to get it. I didn’t want to tell him about the kitten because there was always a chance that I wouldn’t get back to it in time. The whole way back around, I’m praying that the little guy has gone toward the desert and not the road. As I drive past on the other side of the road, I don’t see him and my heart sinks as I dread I’m too late.

At the Pass, I do an illegal u-turn and start driving really slow to get the kitten. Low and behold, I see him staggering toward the desert. I pull off the road quickly, put on my blinkers and try to pick him up. When I got near him, he ran for the desert and got stuck in a small bush. He appeared to be only four to six weeks old but he moved fast when he got scared. It took me a few minutes to part the piece of brush he was in and finally I have him in my hands.

I look at him and see he is definitely a male plus he’s banged up pretty good. It looks as if his eye is swollen and leaking a little with a few more bumps or scrapes on his body but otherwise he was just scared. I get into my car and know I can’t hook up the seatbelt with him still in my hand. I set him down in the seat next to me and in an instant know I’ve made a mistake as he finds a way into a space under my dash. At this point I am a little panicked because I’m not sure exactly where he went so I call my oldest and asked if there were anything which would hurt a kitten under my dash.

He’s confused so I have to explain the whole thing to him. He doesn’t think there is anything there that might hurt him but every car is different. Not knowing what to do, I decide to go on to his house where we’ll pull the dash and retrieve the kitten. I was afraid the poor little thing had crawled away to die as cats often do. So I take it nice and slow to his house where after removing screws and getting in a position I haven’t been in in years, I manage to grab the kitten and pull him out.

We immediately see his injuries but better this time and decide to take him to my son’s vet about five to ten minutes away. Again, we were lucky, or rather this kitten, that someone was there as they had closed at five. As the vet opened the door, I tell her the tale of the kitten and that neither my son nor I can keep it. She states she is actually there for an emergency case but to bring the kitten up anyway. My lumberjack of a son, who has held this little guy and calmed his fears, brings him up. He explains that all his animals come here and it was the closest place. We talk for a while with the vet who states the kitten looks good for all the trauma and they will look after the minor wounds as well as give him a dose of antibiotics.

After that, she then states they will put him up for adoption as long as my son signs him over. We all agree this is the best course of action since he has two cats and I have three already. The last words we heard her say was actually to the kitten as she pulls him up to eye level. “Well, little guy, you only have eight left.” That touch of humor did a lot to calm my soul, which was hurting with the trauma of the whole thing.

When I finally talked to the DH, I admitted it was probably more traumatic to see the even than it was to the kitten who didn’t know what was going on. It was horrible in every way and I wonder about people any more. You don’t do those things to animals. You don’t do that to anything except maybe a bug or spider.

Then I also realize what a miraculous set of events happened, so I could be at the right place at the right time. If I hadn’t let the dog know I was leaving, he wouldn’t have gone on a rampage to harass the cats because he wanted me to stay. If I hadn’t of been in such a hurry, I wouldn’t have picked the wrong lane to get in going out of the Pass. If I hadn’t been paying attention to the road in front of me, I would never have seen the kitten bounce on the pavement. In addition, if I hadn’t been willing to turn around, taking my time to go back, this little kitten would have surely been coyote food.

As it is, he will go home with some lucky family who knows the value of having a pet. Nevertheless, the best moment came when my oldest turned to me and said, ‘Mom, you did the right thing. You can always come to one of these parties but you can’t always rescue a kitten.’ That made my day!

What thing have you seen that you couldn’t understand? Did it traumatize you or make you wonder about humanity? Let me know and I’ll give you an extra entry into the monthly contest.

See you all tomorrow!

Lynn

The World’s Cutest Kitty

We had the world’s cutest kitty for twenty-one glorious years. Like in Garfield, his name was Nermal and from the moment, we saw him at the vet, he and his brother, whom we named Doom, had our hearts.

That cat had gone through thick and thin with us and when he passed, I was lost. My DH didn’t want to get just any other cat, he wanted another Nermal.

It was a sad thing but we had gotten all our animals about the same time and when Tippy the dog died, we knew it was a matter of time. Our other dog, Bomber, was nearly inconsolable when the old gal died and if it hadn’t been for Patches the cat, who loved him, it would have been nights full of howling.

The youngest cat, Sam, was my youngest son’s and adopted when my DH was overseas as the cat bonded to him immediately. She loved him and would sleep with under the covers in the kid’s bed. She was a joy as well but played with the eighty-pound dog daily and we had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Sure enough, not long after Tippy died, Sam was pounced on and we had another inconsolable dog next door as she couldn’t understand why her friend wouldn’t get back up and play. We got a new cat the same day, black as midnight, once again Sam and loving the kid just as much.

Next went Nermal. He talked to me that morning as if saying his goodbyes and followed me around. I knew he was going to go but had to go to work. My youngest found him and we all gathered to say goodbye. He and Tippy are buried together in a place where the sun always shines. This cat wouldn’t be easily replaced and I knew that.

Just three weeks later, Patches died in my DH’s arms and I thought he was going to go with her. He insisted we go and look for another cat right away. Lo and behold, we went to the same place we got Sam 2 and found another delicate calico who looked almost the same. My DH fell in love immediately and we took her home. She fell for Bomber right away and he always tolerated her cleaning and trying to take care of him.

A month went by, then another and another with no orange tabby in sight. When we weren’t looking, we found tons of little orange kitties but not this time. It took us almost three months of constantly looking then one day during a Petco event, there he was except he wasn’t a tabby with the tiger stripes. He was what they called a mackerel and looked like he had a cinnamon bun stuck on his side.

I called my husband and told him we’d found the one. We told the rescue people we would be back for him the next day and even went as far as getting the paperwork done. We just had to exchange the fee the next day. I was that sure.

We showed up at the time they told us to come back and went to the cage. No kitten. I asked what had happened to our cat. They told us someone had come in after us, paid the fee and took him. They would have more orange kittens later in the month. I could come back then. I let them know they had done me and my family a disservice as that cat was meant to be with us. They just shook their heads and apologized.

I went home with my family in tow very disheartened and angry at how callously these people acted. It took me a couple of weeks before I could go to another Petco event because during this whole time there were no orange kittens to be had anywhere. My son convinced me to go and I slowly walked into the store. The same group was there with their cages of cats and kittens.

Moreover, right in the center of all this was our cat. Our orange mackerel sitting as pretty as can be meowing. He was timid whenever someone came to the cage. When we approached, he just sat there and looked at us. I was right...this cat was meant to be ours...and nothing was going to keep me from taking him home this time.

I went to the people there and they remembered me. I asked why he was back and was told he wasn’t good with people or other animals. Frankly, they weren’t sure what they were going to do with him as he had been returned twice already. This last set of people had to be very sure they wanted him. I was sure. I whipped out my cash and laid it on the table. They already had my paperwork and pulled it out. Realizing I had been the one they treated badly before, they tried to give me the run around.

I just smiled at them and told them the cat was meant to be ours. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. The owner of the non-profit facility told me she would need to call me every week to make sure he was a good fit. She didn’t want this cat euthanized any more than I did. I told it was fine to call me but assured her I would have no such problems. To me, animals are like children, you are in it for the long haul, and I expressed this sentiment to her.

We put him in his box and took him home. He was frightened and immediately hid from everything when we let him go. The others were curious but wouldn’t go near him. For almost ten days, I didn’t see this guy except at feedings and my DH wondered if I was right. I told him to leave the cat alone and he’d see. Within a month, he was talking to us and wrapping himself around our legs to ask to be feed much to the surprise of the rescue group we got him from.

He wasn’t a social cat except with us. We had always wondered if he would grow into his paws and he has. He is huge and maybe we should have named him Garfield as he weighs in at a hefty twenty pounds. And he’s one big kitty that puts Jasper the dog on notice. He completes our family in a way that no other cat has. We named him Cinnamon because of the huge bun swirled on his side.

In my eyes, he is the world’s cutest kitty. I hope you can see why I say this. Here’s a picture of him inside an empty drinking water case. We had taken all the bottles, leaving the plastic shell with the cardboard bottom. We notice he was trying to get in it and stood in the kitchen to see what this big guy had to do to fit inside this small place. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.

What’s your favorite cat story? Let me know...I’ll look forward to hearing from you!

See you tomorrow.

Lynn