Cats

Lucy- Dead Cat Walking

Remember my earlier post with a pic of Lucy?  Perhaps you're wondering why the uncomplimentary labels.  We took in this cat in early December when my mother-in-law Mary could no longer care for her properly.   

Since then she has already used up eight of her nine lives in the short time she has been with us.  Why you ask?  She lived with Mary since she was a kitten.  She was never exposed to other cats and rarely to people other than Mary.  She developed a standoffish personality, to put it nicely.  She was never friendly when we used to visit, hissing and swiping at us if we made the mistake of drifting into her personal zone.  

It has been a rough go since she came to our house.  She stood fast on the unfriendly front with me, up until about a month ago.  She has adopted the no litter box policy.  Meaning usually the hallway to the garage serves as her toilet.  She has vomited vile brown liquids at least three times on bed comforters, eliciting embarrassing rantings from me.  She dislikes the other feline members of the household and frequently hisses, swipes or screeches at them.  She resembles a walking skeleton with a fur coat.  She is the skinniest cat I have ever owned.  She has been diagnosed with the beginning stages of kidney disease.  

So today was to be her last day.  I had enough and last week made an appointment with the vet for 4:30 p.m.   She wasn't going to be coming home.

Yet, she got a reprieve.  I couldn't bring myself to take away what little life she has left.  She doesn't appear to be suffering and in fact has a voracious appetite.  She loves to chase the red laser dot on the floor and with her long ungainly legs, she some how manages to gracefully leap from one end of the kitchen to the other.  She has even taken to laying on the blanket with Jinx, the cat patriarch of the household, and I, when we are watching TV.  She has this growly purry thing she does when she is eating tasty tidbits that she especially loves.  She adores sleeping with J when he is napping.  So, despite all her negative attributes I have somehow fallen in love with this cat.

I was close to tears all day.   I've struggled since we got her.  My annoyance, anger and disgust warring with my growing fondness for her.  I've prayed for patience and enlightenment and direction on what to do with her.  Today God answered my prayers and showed me that she is still precious to him and her time isn't up.   I couldn't end her life, even though everyday J and I have to put extra time and effort into cleaning up after her.  I feel like we're the ones suffering not her.  God reminded me today, however, that love isn't necessarily easy, convenient or struggle free. Darn! 

 

So, I'm thankful to still have her and perhaps that's why I've been weepy.  Love, whether for another person, or an animal is worth struggling for and I almost gave up on it.  

Welcome home Lucy, for however long that may be.

Now to introduce the rest of the feline family.

This is Mr. Tibbs.  He is mostly an outdoor cat, except when the temps dip into the freezing range.  Then he loves to come inside in the the morning and spend the next eight hours of the day blissfully sleeping on the downstairs couch.  He is a sweet tempered puff ball.

Mr. Tibbs

Please, turn off the lights!

This is Moses.  He is a whiner and a bully.  But he loves to purr and have his belly rubbed.  He is easily upset by inconsistencies in his life.  Those include not being fed promptly, Lucy's failure to use the litter box.  Mr. Tibbs sleeping in his house on his sofa.  He likes to vocalize his displeasure loud and clear.

Moses in his Christmas kerchief.

This is Maya, better known as Sus (German for sweet according to H).  She now lives with H up at school.  She is a lover and is happiest plopped on a human lap.  Of all the cats I've owned she is the only one that has bitten me.  She can be demanding and contrary when crossed.  She used to be called Princess, and actually in retrospect it was a more fitting moniker.  She, however, loves people and would die of loneliness without human companionship.  She looks angry in this picture but I think it is just the black eyeliner she uses to accentuate the line from her eyes.

Sus, also sporting her Christmas kerchief.

Lastly there is Jinx.  He is getting on in years and has been with us since he was a kitten 14 years ago.  He is happiest also, when he is napping with J or sitting on my lap watching TV in the evenings.  He's never been fond of being held.  He loves to share my ham with me at breakfast and is there faithfully every morning.  He recently developed one white whisker, in deference to his age.

Jinx, laying on his skunk pet bed.

Oh, and this is Pinot and Grigio.  They have become frequent visitors to the bird feeder.  Just part for the entertaining menagerie that stops by.

Pinot

Grigio