poolebarry

4 Cats and a Dude

By 4 cats, and a dude on April 1, 2023

How an avowed dog lover became owned by Cats.

Feline 1 – Abbynormal

I love dogs. Most of my life I have lived in a household with dogs. Fritz, Jinx, some goofy husky, I forget the name, Mick, Harry, Scully, Rosie. Just always loved their loyalty.

When I got married I did become a cat owner for awhile but that didn’t last long.

Before the breakup, I moved to an apartment where no pets were allowed, that was fine, my schedule is not real conducive to dogs anyway. After 14 years there I figured it was time to take advantage of home prices and interest rates.

“Kitty” as she was called, is a feral cat that was roaming the range in Texas. My niece took her in and fostered her but she was pretty much told she had too many pets and some (or one) had to go. Where they were there was not a “no-kill” shelter, pretty rough choice. Find someone to take her or euthanasia.

On a whim, I told her, get her to Indiana and I’ll take her. Well, she got her to Indiana, and I took her.

“Kitty” was extremely shy, she probably spent her first month hiding either under the china cabinet or in a closet. She only came out to eat, drink, poop. One day she actually was in the same room with me for more than a couple of seconds, I looked at her, said, you are one weird cat. One could say she was abnormal. I named her Abbynormal, yes I know the Young Frankenstein reference.

Over time she became a little more social, sleep in the same room with me, attack my feet at night. Typical cat stuff. Then the breakthrough came, the jump on the lap! Sleeping with me on the bed every night. She finally had trained me.

She is a great companion, still a little abnormal and shy around anyone but me, but that makes her what she has become!

Her life was cruising along until someone got talked into bringing her a housemate.

That will have to wait until my next musing. You can find Abby on instagram under #abbynormalthecat.

Feline 2 – LilyVonSchtupp

One day I went to work at one of our Chicago locations, home to buses and many feral cats over the years. When I had my office there, I would watch each litter emerge from the vacant building next to me. Sometimes they would make it, sometimes not, circle of life.

As I was there a couple of the office staff mentioned this black cat that seemed to be very shy and timid, probably wouldn’t survive long around a busy bus lot. I was talked in to taking her home. Keeping her separated from Abby was easy, one in the basement, one upstairs. Slowly I introduced the two of them, that went as well as can be expected. An adult female and basically a six month old kitten. Well kitten, unknown to all, was carrying a little secret, well, two secrets.

Before I get to that, she has adjsuted well, her and Abby get along, she is much more social with me. I enjoy her daily routine of picking up a mouse toy to carry around, bat awhile, then drop at my feet. She is the only one of the two who has shown the desire to escape from the house. Both times she stayed in the yard which was good. You can find Lily on instagram under #lilyvonschtuppthecat. Oh, the name, well I had to keep with the Mel Brooks theme. It was fitting.

Well, one day in September of 2021, I hear strange noises from the basement, figure she was mousing. I go downstairs and see her carrying something in her mouth. It’s a mou——-, nope, it’s a newborn kitten. Not one, but two. Welcome to my world. 1 has become 2, 2 has become 4.

Feline 3 – Inga

Inga joined us on this day. A beautiful torty, she is the loner, adventurous one. The explorer. Her and her mother plus sister love to play together. Inga is not real big on being touched unless she wants you to but she will follow you around. She is also the most vocal. At a little over a year and a half old, she has become a stealthy companion.

Feline 4 – FrauBlucher

Blu is the mischievous one, in to everything, all the time. The purr though will get you everytime, it’s like a motorboat, in sound and volume! She is also the only one who Abby will play with, they have bonded somehow. A lovely gray color added with a nice cat smile just melts you.

Of course, when they were born everyone wanted to take one. Most wanted Inga over Blu, the coloration helped. As I saw them develop, they are bonded, either take both or none. Well, the only one who got to live by that offer was, me. I wouldn’t trade any of them for anything, it’s ncie to have them around.