Hi,
I use the "handle" of "landnrailroader" because I am retired from CSX Transportation, and model the L&N (Louisville &
Nashville) in HO and through Microsoft Train Simulator.
Cats have been my preferred pet ever since childhood, when my mother would allow outdoor cats, but no dogs of
any type. She was eternally afraid a dog would bite another child. During my traveling days on the Southern RR
I lived in a "no pets" apartment in Washington, DC, but when my late wife and I got a house, we soon got a cat, or
rather a cat found us. "Puff", a pure white, yellow eyed kitten, somehow got in a safe place under her car one
rainy night at church in 10/77 and rode home. She had a little green collar, was about 3 months old, and obviously
a great pet, and we advertised in the papers, radio, several stores around our church etc., but no takers, so Puff
(puff of cotton) came to stay. When she was about a year old, my late wife's pet on her parent's farm in NC had
what became her last litter. By Easter of '78, there was one kitten left and Joy's mother told us to take him or the
coon dog back would. So Barney came home at 6 weeks and Puff considered him to be her kitten and they were
inseperable from then until Puff died at 11 years of age from an abdominal infection. Though I was going to lose
Barney too, but he soldiered on to almost 14 and died of kidney failure. By then Prissy & Crissy, two 8 week old
kittens had joined my family, but my wife had died in 12/86. In 7/94, Karen and I married, and with her came a
17 year old daughter and a 10 year old cat, "Miss Kitty". When the daughter was married, "Miss Kitty" went with
her, but in 9/01, while I was a volunteer at the local animal shelter, we adopted "PrettyBoy" a then 3 year old
Himalayan. He is now geriatric at nearly 16, but still with us. Prissy and Crissy died at 18 in 2009, and shortly
after, I was adopted by "PrettyGirl" a sweet calico kitten, now almost 5 years old, and then in April of this year,
after admonishing me (many times) not to bring home another cat --- my wife brought home "Sox" a 6 month old
pastel calico. So our home is complete with three kittys, but "Sox" has taken to marking her territory and also
to Peeing where PrettyGirl sleeps. She did have a slight urinary infection but Clavamox has handled that. So
we will keep her and try to figure out a solution to the territorial issue.
When friends ask me advice about getting a kitten for their child or what ever, my first advice is to remember that
"A cat is not a small dog", and "A cat adopts you and then owns you, you do not own a cat", and "The so-called
domestic cat is actually a wild animal that chooses to contract with humans -- i.e. feed me, and take care of me
and I will be your friend and companion -- otherwise ---there are other families that might be better". For the
past 36 years all of my cats have been strictly indoor kittys.
J. H. Sullivan
Jacksonville, FL
I use the "handle" of "landnrailroader" because I am retired from CSX Transportation, and model the L&N (Louisville &
Nashville) in HO and through Microsoft Train Simulator.
Cats have been my preferred pet ever since childhood, when my mother would allow outdoor cats, but no dogs of
any type. She was eternally afraid a dog would bite another child. During my traveling days on the Southern RR
I lived in a "no pets" apartment in Washington, DC, but when my late wife and I got a house, we soon got a cat, or
rather a cat found us. "Puff", a pure white, yellow eyed kitten, somehow got in a safe place under her car one
rainy night at church in 10/77 and rode home. She had a little green collar, was about 3 months old, and obviously
a great pet, and we advertised in the papers, radio, several stores around our church etc., but no takers, so Puff
(puff of cotton) came to stay. When she was about a year old, my late wife's pet on her parent's farm in NC had
what became her last litter. By Easter of '78, there was one kitten left and Joy's mother told us to take him or the
coon dog back would. So Barney came home at 6 weeks and Puff considered him to be her kitten and they were
inseperable from then until Puff died at 11 years of age from an abdominal infection. Though I was going to lose
Barney too, but he soldiered on to almost 14 and died of kidney failure. By then Prissy & Crissy, two 8 week old
kittens had joined my family, but my wife had died in 12/86. In 7/94, Karen and I married, and with her came a
17 year old daughter and a 10 year old cat, "Miss Kitty". When the daughter was married, "Miss Kitty" went with
her, but in 9/01, while I was a volunteer at the local animal shelter, we adopted "PrettyBoy" a then 3 year old
Himalayan. He is now geriatric at nearly 16, but still with us. Prissy and Crissy died at 18 in 2009, and shortly
after, I was adopted by "PrettyGirl" a sweet calico kitten, now almost 5 years old, and then in April of this year,
after admonishing me (many times) not to bring home another cat --- my wife brought home "Sox" a 6 month old
pastel calico. So our home is complete with three kittys, but "Sox" has taken to marking her territory and also
to Peeing where PrettyGirl sleeps. She did have a slight urinary infection but Clavamox has handled that. So
we will keep her and try to figure out a solution to the territorial issue.
When friends ask me advice about getting a kitten for their child or what ever, my first advice is to remember that
"A cat is not a small dog", and "A cat adopts you and then owns you, you do not own a cat", and "The so-called
domestic cat is actually a wild animal that chooses to contract with humans -- i.e. feed me, and take care of me
and I will be your friend and companion -- otherwise ---there are other families that might be better". For the
past 36 years all of my cats have been strictly indoor kittys.
J. H. Sullivan
Jacksonville, FL
