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- Nov 19, 2011
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so this will be as short as an old man can make it..stopping to cry a little every so often. ( ya, I know men don’t cry) anyway
The memories start way back living in Texas. On patrol one day and stopped by a boat launch to inspect it. Now I was never a (cat person). Heard this faint crying in the weeds. Pulling back the grass in humid, 100 degree weather and saw this puny little kitten. So picked him up and into patrol car. My house was close so thought to drop him off so wife and daughter could take him to a shelter. Well the house door opened, daughters hands reached out and he was gone! That was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or woofy for short. He’s been gone almost 20 years.
I retired and we moved to sw Missouri. By now the cat thing really had it’s claws in me. My wife’s brother had some old barn cats and , yes, kittens! We ended up with a feral colony of 8. All s/n which I drove up and fed every other day for 8 years! I would call “cat kids” at the top of my voice and they’d come running from everywhere. Meantime we’d acquired frisky and Oreo who came as kittens over our gate and up the 400 ft drive to our bedroom window. Those were the days of “cat love” as I had all the barn cats named, tamed and eager for brushing and treating the various sores all tnr cats get. Then dark days came with the announcement a house was to be built on the barn site and my little colony had to go. EVERY DAY for the last 7 years I can remember each of their faces as I loaded them into carriers to be given as barn cats by a local veterinarian friend to farmers. Pause The look of fear and “why” in their eyes. Raised and hand fed since birth they’d never hunted anything...just waited for my truck....
I was recovering from this and working in my garage when I looked up and dragging himself along the ground in the field next to my house was a long haired big male cat. He was able to climb the fence and right over to me. This was one I called “gentle “. A huge male, scars from many fights, and back legs barely working. Now it’s at least 1/4 mi across that field! He just came and sat next to me. Fleas and proglottids, but those eyes. Fed him the best meal he’d ever had and took him to the vet. But the news was not good. Pause Spinal damage so he was given drugs for pain steroid brought home. Gentle’s life was very short and I loaded him, in obvious pain, for that last trip to the vet.
Oreo died while I was on a wild land fire in Montana from mast cell. Frisky passed from urinary issues.
So many memories
Now I have molly, who came from the back of a UPS truck making a delivery. Gracie from the Chick-fil-A parking lot as a starving 8 oz kitten with matted eyes and Henry, a Hugh male who just “arrived” at our back door. When I complained to my vet about “didn’t need another cat” she looked me in the eye and said “but he needed you”
Oh and while this was all going on I found one source of the kittens. The farmers abandoned house just up the road. So got out the traps and s/n 15 babies and adults. But God was good as I placed 7 in great homes, left 6 of the adults as barn cats and, yep, kept morty, the bobtail, sweety a super calico and tigger, the guy nobody wanted because he was scared of his own shadow.
Wow, thanks. Feels good to write all this down. Sorry it’s so long but I needed this. You know I still cried though.
The memories start way back living in Texas. On patrol one day and stopped by a boat launch to inspect it. Now I was never a (cat person). Heard this faint crying in the weeds. Pulling back the grass in humid, 100 degree weather and saw this puny little kitten. So picked him up and into patrol car. My house was close so thought to drop him off so wife and daughter could take him to a shelter. Well the house door opened, daughters hands reached out and he was gone! That was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or woofy for short. He’s been gone almost 20 years.
I retired and we moved to sw Missouri. By now the cat thing really had it’s claws in me. My wife’s brother had some old barn cats and , yes, kittens! We ended up with a feral colony of 8. All s/n which I drove up and fed every other day for 8 years! I would call “cat kids” at the top of my voice and they’d come running from everywhere. Meantime we’d acquired frisky and Oreo who came as kittens over our gate and up the 400 ft drive to our bedroom window. Those were the days of “cat love” as I had all the barn cats named, tamed and eager for brushing and treating the various sores all tnr cats get. Then dark days came with the announcement a house was to be built on the barn site and my little colony had to go. EVERY DAY for the last 7 years I can remember each of their faces as I loaded them into carriers to be given as barn cats by a local veterinarian friend to farmers. Pause The look of fear and “why” in their eyes. Raised and hand fed since birth they’d never hunted anything...just waited for my truck....
I was recovering from this and working in my garage when I looked up and dragging himself along the ground in the field next to my house was a long haired big male cat. He was able to climb the fence and right over to me. This was one I called “gentle “. A huge male, scars from many fights, and back legs barely working. Now it’s at least 1/4 mi across that field! He just came and sat next to me. Fleas and proglottids, but those eyes. Fed him the best meal he’d ever had and took him to the vet. But the news was not good. Pause Spinal damage so he was given drugs for pain steroid brought home. Gentle’s life was very short and I loaded him, in obvious pain, for that last trip to the vet.
Oreo died while I was on a wild land fire in Montana from mast cell. Frisky passed from urinary issues.
So many memories
Now I have molly, who came from the back of a UPS truck making a delivery. Gracie from the Chick-fil-A parking lot as a starving 8 oz kitten with matted eyes and Henry, a Hugh male who just “arrived” at our back door. When I complained to my vet about “didn’t need another cat” she looked me in the eye and said “but he needed you”
Oh and while this was all going on I found one source of the kittens. The farmers abandoned house just up the road. So got out the traps and s/n 15 babies and adults. But God was good as I placed 7 in great homes, left 6 of the adults as barn cats and, yep, kept morty, the bobtail, sweety a super calico and tigger, the guy nobody wanted because he was scared of his own shadow.
Wow, thanks. Feels good to write all this down. Sorry it’s so long but I needed this. You know I still cried though.
and losing her tore me apart. 
Getting a little misty right now...
