Chloe, our 22+ year old Maine Coon Cat, disappeared while Kathryn was in hospital. I thought she had wandered off to some quiet corner of the farm to let loose the mortal coil as old animals are wont to do. I had sadly written her off as deceased. An ex kitty. Pushing up the daisies. Drawn the curtain and joined the choir invisible.
She showed up this morning. Mad as hell, looking like she’d been run through a meat grinder and hungry. Now she’s well fed, curled up on my feet and slightly less pissed off than usual. Slightly being the key indicator of her current mood. The very large Canine-Americans of German heritage are once again in a state of terror and trepidation.
Glad she’s back, chef. What sort of world would it be without cats? We’ve got 3 at the moment, down from a max of 7 a few years ago. Had dozens over the years, all rescue cats or just turned up on our doorstep and stayed, obviously impressed with the hospitality. I could never envisage having no cats around the place!
Of course she was mad as hell, when the big red truck came and kidnapped her pet Kathryn she was compelled to rescue her since you weren’t doing it. Good cat. Bet it was a grand reunion and a great relief when Chloe returned.
Cat patio. I don’t let them out. They wouldn’t last a day with asshats speeding down my road. And the police are the worst offenders like a blur passing by at 80+ MPH. That is Abraham DeLacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O’Malley. Tommy for short. The other pain in the ass his sister Kit not pictured because she shy.
I have a tabby named Queen Victoria. I rescued her as a tiny alley-cat kitten. I’ve had cats all my life, but never one that loved me and was as devoted to me as Vicky. If I call her name she comes running to me and launches herself into my chest. She is 14ish now, and I dread losing her.
That’s good. I had a similar situation occur. I had one of my cats disappear for about a month, but came back. My cat was obviously trapped somewhere as it was covered in a mess and lost a good amount of weight. I don’t let my cats out anymore. I lost too many to the outdoor elements.
My first cat Archie ( or to use his Sunday name, Archibald) lived at the house where he was given to me as a tiny kitten for 8 years. In that time I met my missus and we decided to move to a house 3 miles away. Archie was not happy. After about a year he disappeared. We were crazed with worrry and after the usual avenues to find him had been exhausted we went to his old house as more of an act of desperation than anything else, having gained the occupier’s permission to look in the back garden. To our utter amazement he was there. How the hell did he find his way back, thru very heavy traffic etc from a place 3 miles away after the passage of a year?? He came back with us and seemed ok but after a couple of weeks his restlessness was obvious. It got to a routine where every two weeks or so he’d disappear. We stopped worrying, just gave him a few days to spend time at the place he loved, before going to collect him. This went on for years until on one occasion he wasn’t there. We eventually found him on a nearby railway line, dead. No injuries. I cried for days, really cried like a baby and was totally unconsolable. What a truly horrendous feeling… for a cat. Cats have come and gone over the years and every time one passes away that awful feeling comes back like a tidal wave. It fades but Archie was different - a true character, my sole companion for years as well as my first pet. Let’s face it - cats rock! (Bobbo is asleep on my lap as I write this)!
I am happy to see the cat lovers in this thread. By the way, @fj1988, I totally get the “horrendous feeling” you mentioned. I lost a kitty (Abbey) who was completely devoted to me just a couple of months ago and I think of her often and tears come to my eyes. Damnedest thing. I had another cat (Mickey) who died about 10 years ago who honestly was one of the most remarkable and unique creatures I have ever met, including humans-And I am a former world traveler in some pretty remote countries mostly in Asia. My wife and I still mourn his loss. I have never met a character like him before or since.
I love both dogs and cats but prefer cats for several reasons that would be obvious and not worth mentioning to cat lovers here.
On many occasions while smoking a pipe in cigar and tobacco shops I have heard some guys getting down on cats saying that they are lazy and cold and selfish and other ignorant things that in my mind amount to a kind of racism toward the animal world. The guys who say this are obviously ignorantly stereotyping some truly wonderful and remarkable creatures (cats).
Knowing that most of these guys are mostly impressed by the potential for violence, I simply ask these guys that if you had a hundred pounds of dog and a hundred pounds of cat (aka mountain lion) squaring off for a fight, who would you put your money on?
They almost always are forced to admit that the cat is the more dangerous. Those few who say that they would put their money on the dog, typically soon shut up when they realize (with a bit of illustration provided by others in the room) that cats are faster, more agile, and far more weaponized.
Having put all that foolishness aside, both dogs and cats are amazingly affectionate creatures who make us richer for having had contact with them. I have learned much from them and am grateful.
Interesting thoughts @fredh It’s not a frequently drawn parallel to suggest “a kind of racism towards the animal world”, although I admit I am guilty of such. I’m not one for pets of any description, and though individual animals have their own unique characteristics just like humans, I have more tolerance and compassion for some species over others. In my densely populated urban setting, I do however bear more malice for the local cat owners than the cats themselves (though it is argued that you never really own a cat, they just condescend to live with you). The cats that crap in my garden rendering crops unusable, knock over my potted trees, leave bird remnants, and make an ungodly racket at unsociable hours, are just following nature’s code. I don’t blame them for the damage, I blame those who are supposedly responsible for them. It gauls me that the responsibility to outlay in terms of time and money to protect against and repair damage, is mine and not the cat owner. With any other form of “domesticated” creature, the owner would have a duty of care to others. If people choose to keep them as house pets, that is entirely their choice - but I do resent greatly having responsibilities pushed onto me for someone else’s roaming pet, which gives me no pleasure or reward. I haven’t personally found the feline kind to be consistently affectionate either, and any show of affection can be interrupted or interspersed with apparently unwarranted lightening fast tooth and claw action, which feeble human mind fails to rationalise or find in any way endearing. If that make me a “species-ist”, then so be it. This is in no way intended to undermine the relationship other people have with their pets, or the loss and anguish from losing them. Even though they are not my thing, I fully understand that for many others they are family members and life companions, and I am glad that Chef got Chloe back.
Many years ago, stood at the back door having a smoke, this cat came running up the side of the house at high speed with an alsation hot on it’s heels. They both disappeared into the undergrowth and brush at the bottom of my garden - all I could hear was yowls and yelps and screams. Helpless, I feared for the cat but maybe half a minute later the alsation shot out with this mean looking cat chasing it back the way they came. Go kitty, thought I !
@50ft_trad thanks for sharing your thoughts. I see what you are saying. In my experience cats are much like humans in that they don’t show affection without a good reason. And we often don’t give them one.
@Psicko I am indeed the fredh that used to be on smoker’s forum until they threw me out of the “commonsewers” section for being honest and telling a true (completely true) eBay pipe story that was too upsetting for "the gutless, nicey nicey, let’s play “patty cake” mamby pamby, pollyanna type characters who run it. That was several years ago and I have had no more interest to go back there ever since. The place is a travesty, imho. Very sad, really.
And with regard to pipes, I am the same guy that wrote the book, The Perfect Smoke: Gourmet Pipe Smoking for Relaxation and Reflection, still available on Kindle. It is putting pipe smokers to sleep all across America and
