This is a picture of Baby. I took this when I was in junior high school... so many years ago, needless to say. ;) This is my 2nd cat post this week... but... when I remembered that I had this in a group I belong to, I couldn't help but post it. And.. I was talking to a friend of mine today about losing your beloved pets and it reminded me of him.
Baby could be considered my first real cat. One of my brothers brought him home when I was 5 or 6 yrs old. He was a teeny little kitten. My bro says he brought him for my mom, but, needless to say, he instantly became mine! I can remember chasing him around the house and how he'd hide under everything to get away from me.
When I think about Baby, it brings tears to my eyes. He was 18 when I had to have him put to sleep - because of kidney failure. It was the most difficult thing in the world. At that time, I was young and couldn't stay in the room w/ him (I just couldn't bare to watch it), but looking back, I soooo wish I had. It's one thing that I really regret to this day. I loved him so much. After he died, I cried for weeks and mourned his death for months. I still think about him. I even sometimes still cry over him. He was my beloved pet and I'll never forget him.
Baby was always there for me. He never questioned anything and supported me no matter what. He didn't judge me and loved me unconditionally. He slept w/ me every night. I can remember going to grade school and he'd walk to the bus stop w/ me and wait there until the bus came. Once he got stuck in a tree in the dead of winter in Indiana and when I finally found him, he had frozen ice all over him. He got lost several times by straying into someone's parked car - only for them to drive off w/ him while he slept in the back. He always found his way home though, and once I remember going to the pound w/ my mom to pick him up. How he got there, I don't remember. This was the most traumatic for him and me... it took a while for him to get over that one.... and I worried for days that it wasn't Baby... but it was.
He loved to kill things. I can't tell ya how many birds he killed or brought into the house only to let go. I can remember chasing down birds in the house so often as a girl. Once he killed a bunny rabbit. Now... that was the worst sound I've ever heard and would never want to hear that sound again. The way that rabbit sounded when he was killing it. I screamed and cried for him to let it go, but he wouldn't. Finally, my aunt took the rabbit and later lied to me and said that it had survived. I knew better. He killed many a snake and was bitten by many spiders. He was also a fierce tom cat and would beat up any cats that ventured into his territory.
Baby is the cat that was lost when I was a little girl only to be returned by the lady that later took me w/out telling my mom. Don't know how many of you read my blog about that one months ago... but it was a terrible experience and I was just a little girl.
I'll never forget this cat. He forever lives in my mind and heart. Sitting here, I think about something George Carlin once said about pets... he said that they're little tragedies waiting to happen. How true is that!!! My sister's cat just passed away. His name was Rocklyn. She had him for years and found him outside on the table. She called me crying the other day and it broke my heart. For I know the pain of losing a pet. She's better now... and has even gotten herself a new little kitty.... he's completely gray and full of spunk.
Anyway... I was thinking about Baby and just wanted to share.
9 comments:
Was Baby a Himalayan?
They have the most strikingly pointed faces.
Oh I can't believe he killed a rabbit! The scream from an anguished bunny is enough to make anyone's hairs stand up, but I am sure that's not all you heard.
One time, my mean clever rabbit Lulu hated my chubby nervous one Dapple, and she used to run after her and bite her. The first time she did it, Daps let out a scream of horror. We never let them near each other again.
Tooners,
That is so touching. It reminds me of all the cats we owned in my life time. I can't even count them all.
At one time we had 11 cats. (In Tunisia we don't usually fix our cats :)
Each one of them had a unique character. One in particular waited until we went in the garden to jump into the trees and collect dried fruit and put them under my bed :)
Leilouta - be glad it was only dried fruit he put under there!
Siamese cats are great! It's true that no breed is ornerier, but no breed is more affectionate, either.
I used to have a Siamese cat whose favorite game was fetch with a little ball of wadded up aluminum foil. He'd chase it, pick it up, bring it back, drop it at your feet, and get ready in a springing position for your next throw. He knew what drawer the foil was kept in, and if the ball he had got too old he'd bat it under the refrigerator and sit patiently in front of that drawer hoping for a new one.
We did get him "fixed", but it didn't stop him from spraying inside the house, so my mom got rid of him. A pity....I really liked that cat.
That is very a touching story. And the way cat was following you, is very sweet. I never had any pets. I think people who have pets are softer than the ones who don’t. I afraid from almost all of the animals.
Sorry for ur Siamese cat and good health to all ur other pets.
Take Care,
Puppy.
It's so hard to lose a pet. I had a cat (from kittenhood) when I was in high school. He was precious. He was killed on the road and I never had the heart to replace him... I called him "Moze", short for Moses, a character I loved in a movie I'd seen called Paper Moon.
The guy was a bible-selling crook. But lovable...
I have been reading your blog for some time now...lurking if you will...but this particular entry made me want to respond. Your story struck a nerve in me, because it reminded me of a female cat I got for my fifth birthday--very similar to your's in that she was always there for me, slept with me every night, went wandering out in the cold Maine snow, was feisty, and I loved her dearly. She also lived until she was eighteen. She even shows up in my dreams every once in a while.
olivia, sorry for not posting for a while... and not responding - I've been so very busy as of late. But no, baby was a Siamese. He was so intelligent and so very talkative. Yes, he killed a rabbit. It was a terrible thing to listen to and see.
leilouta, wow, 11 cats! Now, I have a whole new respect for you!! :) Don't you love how kitties give you presents?! Baby, this cat, used to give me dead birds as presents! He'd put them down right outside the door.. I've heard that this is the truest form of love from a cat.
moody, yes, Siamese are soooo affectionate. More so than any other that we've had. Now, I will say that our Persian is very sweet and the way he looks at me w/ his eyes melts my heart, but he's different than Baby. You know, we have a kitty that loves to fetch but she doesn't bring them back to us. We did have a little black kitty that would do that, but he got killed... it was the hubby's first experience w/ losing a pet. We got Cedrik after that.
puppy, I hope one day that you have the opportunity to see how loving a pet can be. I think you'd do great w/ a little kitten! No kidding. That way, she could be all yours and you'd see the love that they can bring to your life!
one wink, Replacing animals can be so difficult. My sis got a new kitty immediately and feels joy again.. but sometimes it takes me months to be able to do that. Just like George Carlin said, "they're little tragedies waiting to happen". Each time, it's a terrible heartache!
tee, Hi!! Thanks for leaving a post. I hope to see you around! I'm glad you liked the post. My kitty baby shows up in my dreams too! I hope to one day see him again!
wow, I can not say a lot since my eyes are full of tears. Tears for our beloved "Baby" and tears of my own "Rocklyn". He and Baby lived wonderful lives and we should be proud to be pet owners. I could say more but I am still in mourning.....
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