My Cats – The Current Family
. . . Always Funny, Always Entertaining . . .
I was quite fortunate to be raised by parents who instilled in me a sense of respect, compassion, and appreciation for all of God’s creatures. During my childhood, I had a wide variety of pets . . . most of whom had come into my life in need of a helping hand. It is with certainty that I tell you – they gave more to me than I gave to them.
In addition to all of the normal pet experiences, I got to raise a family of baby opossums. At the time, my Dad was working at Fort Knox, and was a member of a carpool. He came upon a tragic scene: a mother opossum had been run over and killed by a car, but her babies were still clinging to her and to life. My father rounded up those babies and brought them home to me. I had to dropper-feed them several times a day, and I was amazed and delighted to discover that the creature so many people disdainfully refer to as a “big rat” is actually a personable, comic little being.
By the time those little opossums grew to adulthood, I was firmly attached to them, and had spent many happy moments watching them play (often hanging from my pinky finger), grow, and experience new found interests. I was forlorn to have to release them into the wild, but I somehow managed to get through that day and devoted myself to the creatures who came along thereafter.
Most of those creatures were cats, and I can tell you honestly that they have enriched my life and taught me many lessons about selfless love. I always find myself getting annoyed when “dog people” (come on, now . . .I love dogs, too) sniff and say cats are “aloof”. That is a complete fallacy. Cats are an excellent mirror of the treatment they receive. IF you are good to them, there is no pet more devoted, loving, or forgiving.
At any rate, I can honestly say that my life would have been bereft without the ones I have known, loved, and shared my life with. I thank my parents, wholeheartedly, for giving this precious gift to me.
The pictures in this gallery are of my pets, and it is with a sense of wonder that I reflect upon each one of their unique personalities and idiosyncrasies. Each one brings something special into my daily life, and I salute them
My playful little “Hannah” (shown below) came to me through my job. On a bitter cold night, she was found huddled in one of the large postal rigs parked outside the loading dock. I tried to be strong and not take her home with me, but everyone else at work seemed to be completely unconcerned about her welfare and that left me to help her out. I haven’t regretted my decision one bit – she is a joy to me and to her kitty siblings. Also, as I had lost my sweet little “Annie” a while back, I thought that Annie would have liked for another kitty to have a home as a tribute to the years we spent together. Hannah and I share lots of energetic games, as well as companionable quiet times. In the picture on the right, it looks as if Hannah had been into the catnip, and that might well be the case. She is a curious little girl!!
The beautiful cat shown below is “La Luna’, and she is also one of the few things from my much hated workplace that has been a joy in my life. Luna was out in the smoker’s area, one bitter cold winters night, and as soon as I found out, I bundled her up in my coat in my car, fed her a corn dog from the vending machine and took her home at the end of my shift. I believe she is half Siamese, and as such, she tends to be a bit temperamental. She is not a bit shy about smacking me soundly if I annoy her, although I am happy to report that she generally enjoys my company. Luna considers herself in charge of things, and she generally gets her way.
The lovely gal shown below is “Shadow”, who came to me from my younger sister. When Shadow lived with her, she didn’t have any kitty siblings, so she considers this a much better set-up. Shadow is really laid back – the only time she gets demanding is when she thinks I’ve taken too long to roll out the chow. Shadow is a dedicated foodie.
I have had Liam (shown below) for many years – every since he was a kitten. I laugh when I look at the picture of him on the computer, because he is generally a laid-back “good time Charlie” sort of cat. He was a bit annoyed with me the day I took that picture, however, because I wanted him to get off of the computer monitor. What was I thinking? I know I’m not allowed to boss him around!
The pretty girl in the picture below has the unfortunate moniker “Squirt”. I had planned to change her name immediately upon her joining my household, but she was already used to it, and not knowing what an odd name it is, she actually seems to like it. So, despite my better judgement, I have decided to live with it. Squirt is a real cuddle-bug, and loves to plop down against my side during t.v. time. She is also quite interested in sampling every possible morsel of “human food” she can talk me out of. This funny little character actually likes watermelon!
One thing is for sure . . . life is never boring when you share it with feline companions! There are always lots of laughs, mysterious crashing noises, and fun.
Last modified on: July 14th 2013.