Squeaks - never outgrew his squeaky voice

People and pets enter our lives, sometimes out of sheer chance.  Some people may think of it as just a bit of dumb luck, but nothing ever happens by chance.  The decisions we make - past, present, and future, determine our pathway.    We encounter people along our well-traveled road of life.   Some will just get a passing glance, but a few will stick around - through thick and thin.    The strangest friendships have developed among the most unlikely people.  We didn't set out to have this person as a friend, but circumstances intervened.  

Some people are fair-weather friends, only around during the good times, but many are around for the long-haul - through thick and thin to lift that person up for as long as necessary.   We can be instruments of compassion - to show another person that we care, that they are not alone and that they do not have to face this or that crisis alone.   

The same thing can be said for our animal friends.   Nations such as the United States care, for the most part, for their pets as though the were a member of the family.    A dog or a cat can be a member of a family for 15 or 20 years, possibly longer.   When I was growing up on the farm we once had 26 cats and kittens - they were everywhere.   It was a veritable swarm.    when a new litter is born you want to find the kittens as soon as possible to acclimate them to human beings.  If they don't come in contact with people within the first few weeks then they are wild.  It is hard to gain the trust of a grown cat or kitten once it has become wild.  

Over the years cats have come and gone - some just pass through and others stay.  Many of the cats are throw-aways - their owners moved away and left them to fend for themselves.   They don't do well, especially if they have been inside cats.   Others are born to litters, they grow and get separated from their mother - many don't survive.  We currently have 3 outside cats - who have taken up residence with us.   We keep the garage door open just a crack so the cats have easy access to a dry place to sleep.   We keep boxes of all shapes and sizes inside the garage, with old fuzzy blankets to keep them somewhat warm.  The garage is not heated.    

Zeus is a big old tom cat - he has been fixed.  he is tame.  He does not like to be picked up, but loves to be stroked.  If you pet him to little, he will strike out at you with his claw, and if you pet him to much, he will do the same thing.  Zeus is not what you would call a pretty kitty, not even handsome, but he has decided to make his home here with us almost 7 years now. 

McArthur is relatively new - a big yellow and white tom cat.   He was wild when he came to stay.  He would crouch as low as he could, sneak into the garage after Zeus had eaten, and then eat what was left of the dry cat food.   He did this for many weeks.   Everytime we would approach him, he shot out of the garage like a bullet.   It took weeks and months before he decided it was okay to stay in the garage while we were in there feeding Zeus.    Over a course of months I would slowly inch towards him and while he was eating I would stroke him.  At first he would run, but he got used to the strokes.  Now I have to give him a couple strokes BEFORE he starts eating - he likes it so much now.   I still have to be careful approaching him outside - he still runs most of the time.   McArthur has been with us going on 3.5 years now.    

Squeaks - a skinny black kitten found his way to us about 3 years ago.  He was as wild as they come.  He attached himself to McArthur who accepted him - best buddies and they slept together at night.   It was nearly as long to get Squeaks acclimated to us.   Just like McArthur, he will allow you to pet him while he is feasting.  I named him Squeaks because when he meowed the shrillest sound came from his throat.  He never outgrew it - even as an adult, he had a shrill meow.    Zeus and McArthur are big solid cats, but Squeaks never was.  He grew into a skinny adult solid black cat with a faint white spot on his chest.   

Three days ago I noticed that he was sick - kind of listless and a stuffy nose.   I tried to get some medicine into him to clear it up.  He just looked at the food that i had mixed it into.  I have no idea if he ate it or another one of the cats did.    Just before I went to work on Monday I went to check on him.   He was having a hard time breathing.  I tried to clear the hard snot that had accumulated around his nose.   He did not look good.    We try, within our budget, to care for the cats who come to live with us, but we do not have the funds to get medicine for them when they are sick.  I was using old medicine that was for my Siamese cat Apollo who died in Dec. 08.   I tried to keep him warm.   When i returned from work Squeaks was not in his bed.    As I turned to look for him my heart sank.  He was lying in the litter box - he did not have the strength to get back up into his warm box.   I picked him up, carried him to his sleeping box and covered him up.  I tried to give some water to him in a dropper but he was just to weak to take it.   Now that he was completely down sick, now he is allowing me to pick him up, pet him, talk to him, and so forth.  My heart went out to him.    I checked on him later that night, to see how he was doing.  I managed to clear more mucus from his little nose and then covered him back up with an old warm blanket   I asked God to just let him go to sleep and never wake back up because he was suffering. so.    I knew that if he survived the night that i would find the money somewhere to put him down.   Around here, you must make an appointment to put and animal to sleep, and you do not always get in the next day, sometimes the appointment is 2 or 3 days later.  In the meantime they are suffering.  

Just before I went to work the next morning I checked on him again.  Sometime in the night Squeaks had died.   I felt so bad for the little guy, knowing I did not have the funds to get him the medicine that he needed.   You don't get any discount or help from the vets in this area.   So when i got off work tonight, I had to take him to the family pet cemetary and bury him. 

I thought it really strange that Squeaks in his final 2 days allowed me to get close to him - to pet him and help him.   He has only been gone less than a day and i miss him. 

One-eyed is of no consequence

this is a trial to see if I can insert a pic along with my text.    Hopefully kiminks instructions will do the trick. 

Pebbles

She is 150 years old in people years.  Our white cat, Pebbles, is 22 years old.   She is pure white but with black age spots on the tip of her nose.   Pebbles, as a result of her old age, is deaf, but that has not slowed her down.

She has one quirk that simply amazes the entire family.  Pebbles is, for lack of a better description, having an orgasm of pleasure.  Let me explain.  For those of you who have pets, you know that terrible groaning sound they make just before they vomit - sounds like they are dying - an agonizing sound for humans.  Well Pebbles does this on a regular basis, BUT GET THIS -- she is not getting ready to be sick.   She does this during and after she eats Friskies canned cat food.   She is happy and contented even though she is making those terrible groaning sounds. 

Siamese heaven

 Seems poetic justice that my tribute to my beloved Siamese cat Apollo now is surrounded by Siamese kittens.  I just love the new heading.   My mom is still having trouble adjusting as I am.  Just today I glanced out of the corner of my eye, and just for a micro-second thought I saw him, but alas it was just Pebbles, our white cat.  

Mr. Willie

Mr. Willie just cracks me up.  He is the special needs cat we have taken care of, with his one eye and arched back.  

Mr. Willie talks, in that he vocalizes with variations.  If you call him by name he will answer with one of his voices and just now, he was vocalizing all the way upstairs because he was carrying his favorite dog toy - a small stuffed animal that looks like a lion.   He brings it up to you and drops it at your feet as though he is saying "Here is my catch, see what I can do!"   

Yesterday he was laying on the ledge above the computer and he was dreaming.  His little face was twiching, ears and whiskers included but what was so funny was that he was moving his mouth making little sucking noises - it was like he was nursing in his sleep.   

If it wasn't for pets what would humans do - for they give us unconditional love with no strings attached.  

Apollo

If you are an animal lover like I am, pets make your world a little brighter and easier to accept.  They love you unconditionally and surprise you with all sorts of quirks to their personalities. 

My beloved Siamese cat, Apollo, died just over a week ago, upstairs in his bed, in familiar surroundings.   He was so special.  He had that deep Siamese voice that is so recognizable.  His voice could awaken you in the dead of the night out of a sound sleep, with his voice bouncing off the walls and ceiling, reverberating through the house.  

When he first came to us, he immediately snuggled right up into your hair -- he loved long hair and would be perfectly happy to lie on your chest for hours wrapped in your hair.  Mom did not have long hair so if he wanted that kind of comfort he came looking for me. 

He never used to use his voice - never hardly heard that special growl that Siamese cats have until his good buddy Magic died.  He was my daughters all black cat who lived with us.  Pod (his nickname) simply loved Magic (mag with emphasis on the j sound not the g sound was his nickhame) had lots of fur and pod was always cold and so snuggled up with him for years.   When Mag died, something snapped in Pod.  That is when he started using his voice, calling to Mag, hoping that he would come out of hiding so he could sleep with him.   It was so hard to watch Pod go through that grieving stage.   How many times have you as the owner of a cat heard that cats are just dumb.    Well, if they are, why did Pod walk around the house, calling for him? 

I am hoping that when I reach heaven that our Lord resurrects all the beloved animals I have ever owned and lets them live with me for all eternity.    Then I would have 3 Siamese cats voices  plus a gob of others to keep me entranced.

Fiona

After my mom's dog died 3 years ago, I never thought we would have another dog.  She was adamant at not wanting another.   However, my daughter fell in love with a minature Italian greyhoud several months ago.  She has been living with her up until today.   Her other two dogs, both chihuhuas, do not get along with Fiona.   So we are "trying her on for size."   She is just 8 months old, and lived her first 5 months in a cage at the pet store.   

She is a lively little thing, and our cats do not know what to make of her.  Fiona has come to our house to visit before, but never to stay.     She is practically hairless, and has the skinniest legs I have ever seen on a dog.  I gather owners have to be careful as their legs break easily.    

She is sleeping with mom tonight and I will try and see if she will sleep with me tomorrow night until she gets acclimated to the house.   Then she will be sleeping in her cage at night.  

Will keep you posted on we are doing with the dog.