Rustybird's Blog

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Six Part 35

 

 

I know what you’re thinking. If we can take care of six cats, why can’t we take care of seven cats? And do you remember we argued that seven would be too much work, and there wouldn’t be enough room on the bed at night? All that is true and should be good and sufficient reasons to resist the temptation for another cat. But there is one more important, overriding reason. Expense.

 

 

Oh, yes. Expense. I’m not talking about paying for food and kitty litter. Though that’s not cheap. We really don’t have a problem allocating a few dollars a day for kitty cat supplies. We can add in the bird food we use to attract birds to the feeder. That would come under the heading of Kittycat Entertainment. So, what does it come to? Maybe

 

fifteen dollars a week? That does add up to seven hundred and eighty dollars for the year, so it is not insignificant. But between us we can muster up the cash needed to sustain our gang of six. However, there is one other expense that pops up.

 

 

Medical Expense.

 

 

We’ve gone through medical exams with all the cats. They have had their rabies shots, Leukemia booster, and FVRCP booster shots. Don’t ask what a FVRCP booster shot is. I have no idea. But it’s listed on the vaccination certificate so it must be important. But not cheap. And a visit to a veterinarian’s office is not cheap. I realize they have to

 

get paid for their  vet education, their office space, and their office help. It all adds up.

 

 

Veterinarians insist that cats need booster shots every year. And then there is flea powder, special foods, vitamin supplements, annual examinations One vet asked if the cats had their teeth cleaned recently. I turned pale at the thought I might have to take the cats to a dentist for root canal work. The list of expenses continues.

 

 

It really hit hard when I had to take Barney, our senior citizen, to the vet’s emergency room when he was showing signs of being ill. An exam, urine specimen, blood test, injection, clavamox drops, chem screen, and two prescriptions later I was presented with a bill for

 

three hundred and fourty dollars. I’m not complaining. Barney improved almost immediately and we were very thankful for that. It was worth it to see Barney feeling and looking good again.

 

 

After that experience and expense I thought that maybe we ought to have a kitty cat HMO. We switched our medical insurance to an HMO recently [we’re over 65] and we get money back from Medicare. Well, Barney is at least fifteen years old now. That’s about 76 in human

 

years. Why can’t he qualify for a kitty cat medicare program or a kitty cat HMO? He has medical expenses too, you know. Multiply the expense of that visit to the vet by six cats and we could face an interhouse financial disaster in the event of a plague.

 

 

When it costs more to take care of the cats than it costs for our owen medical attention, we Have reached the end of taking in additional kitty cats. Six cats is a joy. Seven cats could be a disaster. And so at long last, no more kitty cats. And that is……...FINAL!

 

 

But, have we written the final episode of PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Six?

 

  

 

PT Cruiser the Cat And The Gang of Six Part 34   

“Go ahead, Cody,” Said Dr. Doolittle, “tell me all about the folks that adopted you.”  

 

“Well, most folks are nice,” began Cody. “And these folks have been especially nice. Not just to me, but to all of us. Sue the Breakfast Lady really tries to give us all a good breakfast. Tender chicken and liver one day, succulent salmon the next. I came here famished and look at me now. I’ve added some muscle and a few pounds. Fleas are gone. Scratches are gone. Thanks to the folks.”  

 

“But that’s not all. Have you seen how they treat us? A pat here, a pat there. A nice word all the time. The Putz gives me a ‘Good morning, Cody. You’re a good kitty cat.’ Now, that’s nice to hear, don’t you think? And the folks are nice to all of us. Sue has a good word and a pat for Wee Willie, and KC, and Cruiser, for all of us. Willie dotes all over her but that doesn’t stop her from spending time with the rest of us. When you get down to it, she’s pretty fair. I get just as much of a chance to do what I want as any of the other cats.”  

 

“What do you mean, Cody?” asked Dr. Doolittle. “What do you want to do?” “Oh, I can go where I want. They let me spend all the time I want on the patio. Love it out there. And I can rest where I want. Sometimes in a chair, sometimes on the bed. No problem. Well, maybe Barney doesn’t like me to get too close to the Putz. And Willie won’t let me near Sue. But that’s another story.”  

 

“What I don’t know is where the folks go all the time. One day they eat dinner here. The next day they’re gone for hours. I’m not complaining, you know. It’s nice that they trust us to behave ourselves while they are away. But they are always here for bedtime and that’s a big comfort. And best of all, when guests visit we know that the bedroom is a sanctuary where we can stay away from strange people when we want to. Dolly and I don’t mind spending a few minutes with the little people. Cruiser runs and hides at the ring of a door bell.”  

 

“And you know, they really care for us. Just the other day, Barney wasn’t feeling well. He’s an old geezer. Nobody knows his real age. And he was showing his age. Threw up a couple of times. Was laying around like he was dieing. We were all concerned. Even Willie left him alone. So Sue said we gotta take him to the doctor. And Rusty was no putz about it. He put Barney in a kitty cat carrier and took off in his car. They were gone awhile. Don’t know what happened. Barney don’t talk much. But he was better off when he came back than he was when he left.”  

 

“I was thinking about it. If you come back from a trip feeling so much better, maybe I oughta act sick and let the Putz take me on a trip. The only bad part was they made Barney take some kind of medicine in a little dropper. You could tell he didn’t like it. But I guess the folks know what they’re doing. At least we know they’re gonna take good care of us.”  

 

Smiling, Doctor Doolittle asked, “So everyone treats you good?”  

 

“You know what my philosophy is, Doc? Don’t bother me and I won’t bother you.  And that way we avoid a lot of problems.  That’s the kind of cat I am. Is that okay?”

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Six Part 33 

The famed Dr. Doolittle, who could talk to the animals, wanted to speak with Cody, our newest cat. And it wasn’t hard to persuade him to have a conversation with the good doctor. In fact, Cody was quite at ease. After Dr. Doolittle explained that he just wanted to find out how he liked his new home, Cody brightened up and became downright talkative. And that was unusual because Cody is not a talkative cat. He has a nice little mew but seldom uses that.   

“You don’t want to know the troubles I’ve had”, began Cody, “And I’m not going to bore you with that story. But I made it to a half-way house in pretty bad shape. They took good care of me there but I was surrounded by this big group of animals and didn’t know what was happening most of the time. There was this bunch of kittens that wanted to play and scratch me all the time. I felt like a public scratching post. And there were so many other cats that I usually got muscled out of the good food. Thank goodness there were a lot of left-overs or I could have starved.”  

 

“Well,” Cody continued, “One day these two people showed up, packed me up into a little cat carrier, and we drove off in a car.  When they stopped, they took me inside this house, put the carrier down, and let me get out. And what’s the first thing I saw? Five cats sitting around staring at me. What was I supposed to think? It looked like another half-way house!”  

 

“This calico cat, who is named Dolly, began sniffing after me as I began inspecting the premises. Three of them just sat there not even saying ‘Hi, how are you?’ or anything. And then there was the orange striped one, the one they had named KC. This guy did nothing but hiss and growl at me. What a welcome! Well, I’m not a fighter. So I just ignored him and continued my tour through the house. Not bad! Couple of litter boxes conveniently placed. A couple of food and water bowls. Lots of chairs and rugs for sleeping. And this nice patio with a pool of water and some grass and plants to hide in. Hey, I thought to myself, this could make a great place to call home.”  

 

“This is a nice home for any cat, Cody.” Said Dr. Doolittle. “ Did you try to fit in?”  

 

“Try?”, said Cody. “Hey, I eased in here like sneaking up on a mouse, played Mister Cool. KC Continued to growl and I just continued to ignore him. I could sense that they had been here a while and were comfortable with the whole place. There was no sense in upsetting this gang of cats. So I just let them be, found a place or two to settle down, and let them get used to my being around. They liked to sleep on the bed, so I slept on the floor. KC and Willie liked to spend time on the Breakfast Lady’s lap, so I stayed a few feet away”  

 

“Can I tell you a few things about the people in this house?”, asked Cody.  

 

Dr. Doolittle replied, “Can we save that for another part of the PT Cruiser stories?”  

 

You thought this series of stories was over? Sorry. There may be one or two more. Hang in there.

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Six Part 32 

We could probably give you several good reasons to go out and find another cat to add to our family of six. We love and enjoy all six and couldn’t part with any one of them. But there has to be a limit somewhere. We’ve drawn it at six. We rescued all six from animal shelters, three of them right here at the Humane Society of Hernando County. We’ve driven as far away as Levy County and Ocala for the others.

 

Frankly, we think we’ve done our little bit to save some wonderful pets and give them a comfortable home and loving owners for the rest of their lives. We don’t ask much of them. We just let them be themselves. You can’t change a cat’s disposition anyway, but we enjoy them for what they are. Some are lap cats, some aren’t. Each cat has found a place, in fact, several places, where it feels most comfortable. A chair here, a chair there, under a table, a spot on the bed. These favorite spots change from time  to time.  And they have found a comfort zone with each of us. They trust us.

 

We don’t know the story behind each cat. Were they abandoned for a particular reason? Did the owners grow too old, or have to move? Was the cat a nuisance? Might it have been a very difficult decision to give up the cat? And did the previous owners wish for a happy home for their pet? I’d like to assure them that their cat is well cared for now.

 

If you have had the interest to read this post, any of the previous stories, or took the time to read all of them [you’d have to be some kind of cat lover to have gone through all of them] then perhaps you already have a cat as a pet. Could you see yourself taking care of another cat? Maybe as many as three? If you don’t have a cat now but would love one as a pet, would you take the first step to find one? We hope that these stories have entertained you, and perhaps interested you in adding a cat to your family.

 

Now for the facts in this little commercial. You can go to petfinder.com on your computer where you can locate more than 200,000 pets in need of a home. From turtles to horses. But especially cats and dogs. Takes a minute to log on and see all the animals looking for adoption in your neighborhood. You’d be amazed at the number and variety of cats that need a new home. 

 

If you do visit the site and you find a cat that thrills you, as our cats have thrilled us, please drop us an email to let us know. Then start your own blog on MyFox about Fluffy or Whiskers and tell us all about your Kittycat Paradise. And take some cute pictures. We are always looking to take another picture of the cats when they make a pretty pose, or play, or do something cute together.

 

If six cats have enriched our lives, perhaps a playful kitty cat can enrich yours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Six Part 31   

We are NOT going to get another cat. Okay, I know. I said that before, but this time I really, REALLY, mean it. Let’s face it, half a dozen of these furry, feline creatures is enough. MORE than enough. And it isn’t that we don’t love each and every one of them. Each one has his or her own personality and each has found a place in our hearts. But I can give you half a dozen good reasons not to have any more. 

First of all, we’re running out of space on our bed. That’s right. There isn’t enough room on the bed to accommodate the cats and us at the same time. Willie sleeps tight to Sue, practically smothering her. Barney curls up beside me. KC takes his post at Sue’s feet. Then Cody goes right to the foot of the bed and is sometimes joined by Cruiser late at night. That’s five in bed at the same time. One morning I woke up and there was Dolly at the foot of the bed. “That’s it!”, I hollered, “some of these cats have to go or I go. There isn’t room for all of us in this bed!” 

Sue thought about that for a moment or two before assuring me that I could stay, and that we could still keep all six cats. But it was touch and go there for awhile. It was nice of the six of them to compromise on bed space and let me have enough room at night so that I could remain with the family. I think it was Barney who persuaded the others to let the putz stay. Cruiser spends most every nighttime now on Sue’s chair in the computer room. Dolly has found a favorite chair in our kitchen/nook area. Cody pops up on the bed sometime during the night. Willie, Barney, and KC are always on the bed during the night. 

It was Sue, as the famed Breakfast Lady, who felt she had reached her limit in keeping them fed. Willie and KC take turns pouncing on Sue in the morning to alert her that it is time for breakfast. The others just sit around at this point and cheer as Willie softly mews in Sue’s ear and KC hops all over her feet. Sue finally pulls herself out of bed and begins to prepare their food, and that is not an easy job. She has to keep track of which cat likes which kind of food, just how much to feed each one  

Willie, Dolly, and KC have their favorite spots to sit and wait for their dish of goodies. The others just sort of mull around not caring where she puts a dish, just so long as they like her choice of food. You can’t give them the same thing every morning. They like a change in the menu once in awhile. And they let you know when they are tired of the same tender chicken and liver, or chunky salmon and shrimp. They will sniff, and then saunter away, looking to go out to the patio. That’s when Sue gets a little discouraged and hollers at me, “Come in here and feed these cats, they don’t like my breakfast this morning!” 

 

Can you imagine what it would be like trying to feed more cats? And where could I sleep if they all took over the bed? No, we aren’t going to get another cat. And that is FINAL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Six Part 30   

We had five cats before Cody became one of the gang. Each cat fit in with the others and into our family in it’s own unique way. All of them seemed happy with their new home. All have adapted.  But none has adapted so well and so easily as Cody.  

 

Cody showed a little indifference to all the other cats. He didn’t threaten them, he didn’t steal any of their favorite toys, or sleeping spots. He just fit in with the routine without disturbing anything. Dolly was curious about this new arrival and trailed him some of the time, but never got too close. Three of the other cats were curious about Cody at first, just sat in place and watched him, but soon just seemed to accept him as another member of the gang.  

 

But not KC.  

 

KC, of all of the original five, seemed to be most at ease with each of the other cats. But not with Cody. As soon as KC saw Cody he was belligerent towards the newest arrival. KC followed him around, growling at him whenever he saw Cody. But Cody just ignored this behavior. He just turned his back and sauntered away. A real cool cat.  

 

We were extremely surprised by KC’s behavior, it seemed to be just the opposite of KC’s normal attitude. There was no fighting. KC just growled. Cody ignored the whole thing. So we decided to just wait it out and let time improve the situation. It was four or five days before we could see that KC was becoming less belligerent. And in several more days the growling was totally gone. KC finally accepted Cody, perhaps realizing that he posed no threat and was just fitting in with the routine. In fact, KC began trying to play with Cody. But Cody never responded and never showed any interest in playing with KC or any of the other cats.  

 

We didn’t understand what KC’s problem had been but we were much relieved when KC finally accepted Cody as a member of the family. And most of the credit has to go to Cody. He didn’t take anyone’s place waiting for breakfast, or sleeping on the bed, or try to take over any cat’s favorite resting place.  He comes to us when we return home from shopping. He quickly learned about using the swinging door to go to and from the patio. He discovered the joys of our Wide Screen Kittycat Reality TV and every once in awhile he climbed on the couch and watched the birds on the feeder. We believe he learned his new name within a few weeks. 

 

Actually, it is quite extroardinary for a cat to move into a new environment, one inhabited with a firmly established family of cats, and to fit in so well. They have now accepted Cody as part of the family. No one bothers Cody, he bothers none of the others. He has his appointed spot at the end of the bed at night, shares the bed during the day with KC, waits for his breakfast with the others, and appears very content with his role in the Gang of Six.

 

We don’t know what his previous life was like but he is a loving pet, a happy animal, very comfortable with his surroundings, and a welcomed addition to our cat family.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Six Part 29

No doubt about it, this computer age is fantastic. It is absolutely amazing what you can find on the internet. For example, if you were in the market for a pet, like a cute little kitty cat, you could simply type in petfinder.com and you would be able to access more than 250,000 acceptable pets. Tens of thousands of them are cats.

Don't believe me? Try it. You can do a quick pet search by type, [dog, cat, parakeet, etc.], age, size, gender, location of animal, etc. And then, as we did, you could look for a male cat, neutered, declawed, and in Florida. Many of them had pictures and lengthy descriptions of their medical condition and compatibility with people and other pets. Pretty neat.....if you are looking to adopt another cat.

While we waited for word on the Siamese cat, we browsed the petfinder.com and oohed and aahed over several attractive felines. In two days we must have whisked by as many as five hundred photos of adoptable kitty cats. Several of them got Sue's attention and we downloaded a half dozen or more photos to look at. Pretty cats, each one with it's own story, own appeal.  But they all had to wait while we determined the availability of that Siamese. Siam, by the way, is now Thailand. Yes, we even researched the ancient history of that nation, through the internet, in our quest for another cat.

We finally spoke with the person who had rescued the Siamese and listened to the story of the cat's problems, medical treatments, and current status, and quickly determined that we were not interested in adopting a problem cat and introducing that problem into our brood of five, healthy cats. That was that, and we then turned our attention to several cats we liked from petfinder on the internet.

One cat came with another feline companion, but we didn't want seven cats. Another was too far away, and another had not been friendly to other cats and might not be compatible in our household. It quickly narrowed down to just one cute cat living in a foster home in Ocala, named Cotton. This pure white cat had been waiting in the rescue shelter for about a month, hoping for some nice people to come by and adopt him. We made an appointment and we drove uo to Ocala on Route 75 to see him. We took to him immediately, just as he seemed to take to us. We became the nice people who would adopt him. We didn't care for the name of Cotton, so we named this bundle of white fur Cody. Why? I don't know, we just liked the name, it was short and seemed to fit.

Cody was just fine on the trip home, and he hopped spritely out of the carrier when we got home. He promptly performed the usual kitty cat inspection of the whole house, pranced by the incumbent five cats as they stared dumbfounded at the new intruder, and then he proceeded directly to a kitty food dish. It was as though Cody had declared his new surroundings fit for his habitation and now said, "So far so good, now let's test the vittles."

We are quite pleased with Cody. He has settled into our home more quickly and more easily than any of the others. And he has done this despite having to deal with five cats already entrenched in the home. He hasn't had any real problems with the other cats, except for KC, and we'll explain that later. In fact, he has pretty much ignored them and hasn't intruded on their territory. Cody likes to brush our legs, likes to be petted, enjoys our patio, really likes the food, and is okay with our kitty litter boxes.

Cody has never tried to take over another cat's resting spot. He has found his own favorite spaces, sleeping in a chair or on the floor at the foot of the bed. He comes to us readily, looking for a little attention and a friendly petting. He learned his name quickly.  Yes, Cody has settled in and become a lovable member of our gang of six cats. We are so glad we picked him.  Welcome, Cody, to this kitty cat paradise, your new home. 

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Five Part 28

 Decision time is upon us and we need your help. If you have been a constant readerof our  PT Cruiser stories you must love cats, have little else to do, and assume we are two crazy people who have nothing else to do but take in cats and write boring stories about them. If you have just come across these stories you may hate cats, have too much to do to waste your time reading more, and still think we are two crazy people.   

Nevertheless, we ask you to consider whether we ought to add one more cat to our home.

This is not a poll to see IF we are going to add a cat. Rather it is a plea to tell us if it is

good for us to take the big step and have our family of cats grow to a half dozen. Would

it be fair to the cats we already have to expand the group. How might it affect us and our

cats. Your comments would be greatly appreciated.  

 

Don’t be shy. You can call us absolute idiots. We won’t be offended because it could be

true. And we’re not looking for any compliments about taking in abandoned cats. We

have done it because we like these furry little creatures, they have added companionship

to our lives, they are a joy to watch and to love. They also require a lot of time, some

effort and consideration, and maybe just a little bit more than a few extra dollars to care for them.  

 

We also would like your advice on which cat to add IF we decide to take in an additional

cat. There isn’t much we can tell you about the ones we chose to consider. They all are

male, neutered, declawed, and were advertised on petfinder.com. They are all abandoned,

or will be abandoned, and need to be adopted. They are all within 100 miles of our home.

  

We have added their pictures to our photos of cats so you can see what each one looks like.

There is the Siamese which needs some shots and recuperation from neglect. Sugar lives

nearby with a sister cat. Nicky has a nice disposition. Cotton gets along with other cats and is in

a foster home in Ocala. Kat is very pretty and lives in Orlando. There were many others we

 looked at but these were the ones that most attracted us. They were in need of adoption and

seemed, by their description, to be the ones that would be most  compatible to live with us

and five other cats in our little kitty cat paradise.  

 

So there you have it. Will another cat thrive in our world? Can our cats handle another kitty

cat intruder? Can we love another cat as we have loved the ones the ones that are already

here? And which one could it be?   

 

We invite your comments, serious, humorous, or even outlandish. Our stories were meant to

entertain you. Your comments may very well entertain us as well as others. And thanks for

taking the time to read our kitty cat stories.

 

Which one would you pick? The Siamese, Sugar, Nicky, Cotton, or Kat?

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Five Part 27   

It has been a long time since we composed the last article about our menagerie of feline pets. We have, if you recall, five lovely, adorable cats. They are declawed, neutered, of various ages, and very different in personality.  Without a doubt, they are very happy in this household, which we describe as a Kittycat Paradise. We have an extensive patio area with a pool, a small garden area, and several lounges and chairs which the cats can use as they please. And for their convenience, we have added a small swinging door in our computer room which the cats can use to exit to the patio and return into the house at their will.  

 

As happy as they are with their home, we are so very happy to have five such interesting, entertaining, and loving companions. Yes, it seems a chore to feed, clean, and care for five house cats, but we feel that it is well worth all the effort. Wee Willie cuddles with Sue, Barney sleeps beside me, Dolly is the friendliest with company, Cruiser just loves to be brushed, and KC is young and playful. We couldn’t have asked for five cats with more variety and personality.  

 

We have often wondered how we ever dared to acquire as many as five cats,  but we are so pleased now that we did. And we have agreed that five is just right for us. It is enough. We wouldn’t part with any of them, but we wouldn’t want any more. Enough is enough. There is a limit to how many cats you can manage. So, we don’t want any more cats. Wouldn’t consider it. I swore that we would never get another cat. We’d be crazy to think of adding another cat.  

 

Well, we’re crazy. We have considered it. What changed our mind, you might ask. Just a series of innocent events. Penny, the nice lady who battles to save stray or abandoned animals and provided us with Wee Willie and KC, has been sending emails to a large number of people pleading for help in adopting, finding adoptive people, or asking for help in transporting these abandoned animals. We remained on the email list and often looked at the pictures of the animals. We saw pictures of some wonderful dogs and cute kitty cats. And hoped that they could all find a new and loving home.  So far so good. 

 

One day some pictures of several Siamese cats arrived in our email. They are a very interesting breed of cat. Short haired, intelligent, vocal, and loving. One of them was male, declawed, neutered, compatible with other cats, and looking for adoptive parents. It wasn’t a case of love at first sight. We were not looking for another cat as I have explained, but this cat seemed just like what we would want if we did want another cat. And the thought was born in our crazy minds…..wouldn’t this be a nice cat to adopt. We found that the cat had just been rescued by a pet rescue lady and was about to undergo some shots and would be available for adoption after evaluation and care by the pet rescue lady. Were we really interested in adding another cat to our menagerie? Sue began clicking through pet adoption sites on the internet so I knew she was hooked. If not this cat, perhaps another one.  

 

If you recall, I was not really in favor of getting a cat in the first place. The second was only grudgingly agreed to. The third was a surprise. And, I must admit, it was my fault that we considered another. And Sue tells me that it was my idea to look at a Siamese cat. Where did I go wrong?  

 

There were several cats out of the many hundreds that were pictured and described on the internet that were male, declawed, neutered, and compatable with other cats. We considered only those in nearby Florida counties. We downloaded a couple of pictures, resized and printed them, and then scrutinized each of them. Was there one that caught our fancy? Would we be able to adopt the Siamese cat? What happened next?  

 

Well, if you’re crazy enough to care, we were crazy enough to consider another cat and the answer may come in the next episode of PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Five.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Five Part 26  

 

Breakfast was always a nice event around here. I'd get up and ask for my

favorite breakfast, two eggs, over easy, a toasted English muffin with some

butter and marmalade, a cup of fresh brewed coffee, and a small glass of

orange juice. Sounds good, doesn't it? And not too difficult to make. Well,

things have a way of changing, and change was on the way. Let me tell

you about it.

 

Sue is the Breakfast Lady in our cat world, make no mistake about that.

As dawn is breaking, the cats begin to get a little restless. And when Dolly

arises they all arise, for Dolly leads the attack on the slumbering Sue. With

Wee Willie and Barney already on the bed after a good night's romp, Dolly

begins the wakeup call as she pounces on the bed. Cruiser and KC come

from their preferred sleeping spots and gather at the foot of the bed to offer

moral support to Dolly's wakening routine. Dolly hops over outstretched legs,

and saunters towards Sue's head, mewing all the time.  

 

When Sue begins to stir, a chorus of encouraging mews comes from those on the bed as well as those waiting on the floor. As the chorus swells, Dolly begins her gentle pawing around Sue's shoulder. And this ritual reaches it's peak when Sue awakes, arises, and begins her trek into the kitchen. The Breakfast Lady is up, and the kitty cat breakfast is about to happen.

 

At this time I get up and sleepily ask, "Can you make me something, you know, two eggs, over easy, and..."

 

"Yes, yes," says Sue. "Wait till I get the cats something to eat." And Sue is busy preparing kitty cat delicacies. She opens Fancy Feast Tuna and Cheese for Dolly, then Fancy Feast Salmon Delight for Barney. Cruiser is kind of finicky about what he eats so Sue prepares baby food formula beef from Gerber for him. Wee Willie gets some Fancy Feast Fish and Shrimp and last but not least, Sue prepares some Fancy Feast Turkey Delight for KC. Each cat has a separate dish and each cat has a separate place to receive their food. The Breakfast Lady is ready and about to serve breakfast. I stumble in and timidly ask if I can help her by getting two eggs out of the refrigerator.

 

"Not now!" she announces. "Can't you see I haven't finished feeding the cats yet."

 

And so she continues her chore, placing each dish in the appropriate place, shooing cats away from the wrong dish of food. There is sort of a mad tangle of cat fur in front of her as this is being done. I don't know how she can tell one cat from another this early in the morning. You may think that order will come out of this chaos, but you are sadly mistaken.

 

Barney decides he is not ready to eat breakfast after a brief sniff of his dish of food, so he goes over to the sliding doors leading to the patio. This means he wants to go outside before eating breakfast. Dolly sees the abandoned dish of food so she dashes over to taste that dish. Cruiser decides he likes whatever Dolly likes so he goes over to nudge Dolly aside. And Wee Willie is moving from dish to dish trying to sample each kind of food.

 

In the meantime, Sue is cleaning the litter box conveniently placed in the utility room. When that job is done and the litter box is cleaned and deodorized, KC interrupts his breakfast and decides it's time to christen the newly cleaned litter box. Wee Willie decides to stand by and be next to use the box. Before you know it, Cruiser and Dolly are queued up and waiting for the litter box. That's when Barney wants to come back in and look at his food dish again and Wee Willie decides it's his turn to go out.

 

Sue is opening and closing doors, moving food dishes around so the right cat gets the right dish as the cats return from their early morning trip to the litter box. Some are eating, some are doing their duty, and Dolly is sampling each abandoned dish of food. The cats are entangled in Sue's legs as she moves from dish to dish, door to door, and from cat to cat. And the chorus of grateful, or spiteful mews, has reached a crescendo.

 

At this point I dare to ask Sue if she is going to prepare my two eggs, over easy. "If you want your eggs so badly," Sue says through clenched teeth while prodding one cat away from the wrong dish, "go make it yourself!"

 

And that's how I learned to make two eggs, over easy.

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Five Part 25  

 

When Dr.Doolittle had completed his conversations with our five cats. 

we discussed them and their acclimation to their new environment. On

the whole he thought they were doing an excellent job of adjusting, and

any tiny problems they may have now would be smoothed over as time

passed by. He was quite pleased with our home and called it a true kitty

heaven. He added that we ought to understand that cats look at some

things rather differently than we do. What we find commonplace, the cats

might consider strange, even bizarre, at least from a cats point of view.   

 

For example, the cats look out at our nice pool, watch the young folks and older folks jump in and frolic about, splashing water as they go. And then we have the gall to scold the cats when they stick a paw into their drinking water. Just doesn't seem fair to the cats. Another thing, just out of curiosity, the cats will follow us occasionally into the bathroom and watch as we push a little handle and flush the toilet. Why, the cats wonder, can't they do the same? Instead, they have to scratch that gritty stuff in a litter box, getting their paws all dirty. What's fair about that? 

  

Cats still haven't figured out why folks change their skin coverings so often. The Folks get up in the morning, take a set of clothes, called pajamas, off their skin and replace them with a set of brightly colored clothes with different designs every day. The cats sit there looking at these new clothes wondering who the heck is that? Yesterday Sue had a yellow blouse. Who is that in a blue blouse today? Is it still Sue? How are these poor cats supposed to know who is who when the folks change costumes all the time. The cats know they are stuck with the same fur. They wonder how they might look with a light gray fur coat, or look in white, or with a striped outfit. And the chubby cats would love to try wearing some black fur. But all the cats admit that after seeing the folks in their bare skin, it's a darn good thing they put on some clothes.  

 

The cats think it's kind of easy to lie down and clean themselves by just licking their paws. But the folks throw their clothes into some big machine that makes a lot of noise, and then they splash soap and water all over their bodies in something called a shower. That has to be an awful thing to do every day. The cats shudder just thinking about it. Then the folks rub themselves with these big things called towels. Why can't they just shake the water off and go lie out in the sun?  

 

The cats are grateful they can look out the window and watch the birds and squirrels at the feeders. They are real and alive and that provides nice excitement. But what do the folks do? They sit in front of a big screen and look at pictures. Nothing real about that. And then they get excited when they see pictures of cars moving round and around in circles. The cats wonder why the folks don't just go to the front windows and watch cars driving down the street. And the folks did the same thing with horses last month. They watched all these horses on the screen run around a track. And the folks were jumping up and down and cheering. You wonder what they'd do if they ever had some real horses running around the living room. 

 

Seems like the folks are always eating. They walk around the kitchen with pots, pans and dishes. Then they sit down, and right in front of the cats, they eat everything on their plates. Do they offer anything to any of the cats? Not a scrap! Haven’t they heard of ‘sharing’?

 

Well, as silly as they are, the folks are kind of fun to watch. The cats are thinking of adopting some more folks so they can have more folk entertainment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Five Part 24

"Ahm charmed to meet you, Doctor Doolittle. Heard all about y'all when I was just a kitten. Been wanting to meet y'all ever since. Never thought that day would come but here I am, face to face with the most famous doctor in the whole cat kingdom."  

"Those are very kind words, Wee Willie," said the doctor. "You are a true southern gentleman, just like Dolly said."  

"So, Miss Dolly said that, did she? Well, bless her heart. She's a lady, sure ‘nuff. You can tell she has good breeding. Been most kind to me. And to Crazy KC as well. Just this morning I saw her licking KC's head as he sipped some water. Now that's real southern hospitality. Not sure KC appreciated it. He could have been more gallant and given her a sniff or something. Whenever I pass by he's just as likely to give me a hiss and wave a paw in my face. Never know what's going to rile him. But that's what's wrong with the young 'uns today. No respect. When I was a little tad I got a good swat from my momma if I didn't show proper respect. Bless her heart."  

"I'll give you an example. After KC had finished up playing with one of them toys the folks gave us, I was fixin' to have a go at it, when KC skedaddles over, throws a hiss at me and then runs away likety split. Don''t know what put him out of kilter and made him so ornery. But I showed him sure enough that I can be just as playful as him when I put my mind to it. Truth is, he don't really bother me a whole heap, I'm as snug as a bug here. Just happy as a lark laying out on that big bed with the folks. And they're good folk. Don't know why them others gotta call them the Putz and the Breakfast Lady. Rusty's been kind to me, and Sue just loves it when I climb up on her lap, and then purr. They ought to call him the Candy Man instead of the Putz, Every night he hands out some yummy treats to all of us that gather around the old bedstead.”  

I kinda stuck pretty close to that bed for a few days, but I've been venturing out little by little. Saw the bird feeder. Been on the patio. That pool isn't a piddlin' puddle, is it? But I still like to stick where it's cozy and comfy. You know who's been a real buddy? That Barney. The others talk like he's the king or something. But he's been good to me, doesn't hiss, run away, act huffy, or anything like that. They tell me he owns the Candy Man. Barney still sleeps next to him every night, but he lets me sleep nearby. That's real decent of him. Bless his heart."  

"I came here all dirty and ungroomed. But that didn't bother the folks none. They had me go to a groomer and get bathed and all gussied up. Then took me to one of those doctors, like you, only he can't speak cat language. They forced me to take some medicine and put some drops in my ears every day. Hated it, but guess it was for my own good. Sue's been living here in the south for years so I guess she knows what she's doing. And a lot of that rubs off on the Candy Man. He came from New York, that's way up yonder, but he don't act like a Nooo Yawker. I'm not talking out of turn here, am I?"  

"Well, they tell me Sue wanted a lap cat. That's me. Been a lap cat near ‘bout all my life. Figured that it was the right thing to do. Ain't gonna change now. Just love to lay in her lap and get patted by Sue the way she does it. Uses a soft brush too. Feels so good. Good as chompin' on boiled peanuts and chitlin's. I'm older than the others and I can appreciate a good home when I find one."

"Yep. This here is a good home and I think all five of us kitty cats are going to get along real well with these good southern folks. Bless their hearts."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Five Part 23

 

 KC is a young and cool cat. When he was called to talk to Dr. Doolittle he sauntered in and greeted the doctor with, "Hey Dude! How's it going? Gimme five, man. Is this going to be on television or anything? Where's the camera crew? Okay, okay. It's just you and me, one on one. You know, normally I don't do interviews. Because it's you, big guy, let's swing away. You do the pitching, I'll do the hitting. What do you want to know?"

 

 "Well, KC," began the doctor, "you've got a new home. How do you like it?"

 

 "Compared to the digs I was in the past year, this is the Taj Mahal. Know what I'm saying? Gimme a couple of weeks and I'll get to see it all. The folks here have closed off the closet and don't let me in the guest rooms across the patio. Guess they're afraid of what I might see in there. They had these guests this weekend, some big dude with a wife and a couple of kids. Geez, they sure chased me around. You'd think they'd never seen a good looking cat before. Got to play with some string and stuff. That was fun. Ya know, the folks around here are kinda neat. The old lady is pretty cool. She's got these neat little litter boxes all around the place. Lots of food dishes. A nice big bed to hide under. Ya gotta like the place."

 

"Except for the Creeps. That's what I call these other cats, the Creeps. Cruiser ought to be called Dasher. Every time the doorbell rings he dashes under the bed. Barney should be named King Arthur 'cause he thinks he's the king of the joint. And Dolly ought to be named Cleopatra, she thinks she's the Queen of the Nile. What a showoff. A big fat showoff. Ought to be a belly dancer, you should see that belly bounce around when she moves. Kind of reminds me of Miss Piggy. Then there’s Wee Willie. Wee. Hah! Ought to be called the Beast of the East."

 

 “I try to stay in shape, watch what I eat, you know, this modern nutrition stuff. Fish is good. Chicken okay. Meat is out. And it all shows. Man, when I want to jump to some high place I got it. See these muscles? You don't get 'em from lolling around all day in the chairs like some Creeps I know."

 

"Best spot in the house? The bathroom. Real cool. Got a litter box. Food dishes. And there's this leaky faucet I found for a drink of water. Until the guy they call the Putz turned it off. They left a towel on the bathroom countertop and it makes a real cozy place to take a rest. I don't mind the three or four disruptions during the night as the folks get up to use the bathroom. Wish they wouldn't turn on the lights though, that really breaks up my sleep. Anyway, can you tell the folks to lay off of that picking me up? If I want to come out and play, I'll do it when I'm good and ready. There's just some things I do only when I'm in the mood. Gimme a break!"

 

"Ya know, that whole naming process almost made me throw up. Ya see, I came down from Levy County on that rainy ride with that humungous old dude they named Wee Willie. They hit me with KC, which is a pretty cool name. But at first, they were thinking of naming us Mutt and Jeff. Can you believe it? Where did those names come from? A comic strip or something? Me? A Mutt? Like some stray old dog? Might as well have named me Fido. Or Spot. How humiliating that would have been! Know what I'm saying?"

 

"I know I'm the youngest and latest arrival but do the Creepy cats have to treat me like the plague or something? I don't have a tattoo or wear my hair in a Mohawk And I dig this Wide Screen Kittycat Reality TV scene like any other cat. So, they should just chill out. Gimme another week or two, and we'll get along. Thanks for listening to me rant on like this, Dude. Ya got time to hang out, share some catnip, a beer or a margarita or something?"

   PT Cruiser The Cat And The Gang of Five Part 22

It all began when one of our cats jumped up on the back of the living room couch and stared out the window at the large bush where occasionally a bird landed and flitted through the branches. To enhance the cat's entertainment, we decided to go to Home Depot, buy a bird feeder, and place it in the bush. That’s how we first established Wide Screen Kitty Reality TV. The cats loved it. And so did the squirrels.

I hate squirrels. There, I've said it. I mean it. They are really a rodent, and give me one thing that they are good for. Gathering nuts? Big deal. They are a big nuisance. They loved that feeder, tipped it over, spilled the bird seed, made a mess. So back to Home Depot where we got a "squirrel proof" bird feeder. You know what?  That really worked. We were happy to have beaten the squirrels. And the cats were happy.

So, it all went well for a few days. Birds visited the feeder, the squirrels and mourning doves fed on the ground where a few seeds always fell. The cats sat on the couch, wagged their tails in joy, and enjoyed the show. Until one night the squirrels brought in their heavy artillery,,,,raccoons. What a mess. They destroyed the feeder, even broke a couple of branches in the bush. Well, this was now a full fledged fight. Man against the unholy alliance of squirrels and raccoons. Brains against brawn. Kitty cat entertainment versus the forces of evil. I have declared war!

So, back to Home Depot for a pole and a new bird feeder. The sales clerk smiled and humorously asked, "Got a squirrel problem?" I answered with conviction that I was going to foil those nasty creatures. The raccoons and the squirrels would not get the better of me. He wished me lots of luck when I loudly stated that I intended to win this battle against those wild animals. The pole went up, the new feeder was placed on the pole, and we began a vigil. I stayed awake, window shades up, lights out, and waited to see what the raccoons would do next.

A crafty raccoon had jumped onto the pole, emptied the feeder, and destroyed it, while I had snoozed in the chair. The battle was over and I had slept through the whole thing. A virtual massacre. Now I was mad. Back to Home Depot for a new feeder. This was now a fight to the death. Winner take all. The sales clerk blessed me and was preparing to give me last rites when I loudly proclaimed, "I shall return! Give me liberty or give me death! Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! Remember Pearl Harbor! I only regret that I have but one life to give...." and that's when he called the manager over to assist me out of the store.

I learned a valuable lesson when I was studying military history and strategy. To win the battle, and ultimately the war, you pick the time and place of the next battle to your advantage. The old English adage applied here. "Better to run away, to return and win another day." So now I place the feeder out each morning, and bring it back in each night. No raccoons, no squirrels, no mess, no destroyed bird feeder. The cats are happy, the squirrels are gone, and the raccoons have no reason to return at night, Sue is happy that I have calmed down, the sales clerk is happy that I no longer disrupt the store. And I am happy that I have emerged triumphant and victorious over the dark forces of evil.

You've got to come for a visit and watch our Wide Screen Kitty Reality TV with the cats. I'm thinking of erecting a war memorial beneath the bird feeder.

PT Cruiser The Cat Part 21

"Well, hello Dolly, and how are you today?", began Doctor Doolittle.

Oh, no, not you too," Said Dolly. "The Putz gives me that Hello Dolly routine ever since he named me Dolly. Only he sings it. You know, the 'Hello Dolly, well hello Dolly, it's so nice to have you back where you belong ' routine. I wouldn't mind it so much only he goes off key most of the time. The Putz was going to name me Bonnie. Then I heard him do ‘My bonnie lies over the ocean, so bring back my Bonnie to me.' Puhleeeze, I thought, don't do that to me.”

“But you're here to ask me how I feel about the two new cats. Can we talk? Sweetie, I don't have any say around here. The Breakfast Lady gives me whatever she has for breakfast. Why doesn't she just stick to that beef dish. So it's baby food. So what. Just because I'm not as fussy as the others, and I eat whatever the others leave, she thinks she can get away with any old cat food. But does she listen to me? Noooo."

"And if you're thinking about making a comment about me gaining a pound or two, don't go there. A lady never discusses her age or her weight."

"Look, Sweetie," Dolly continued, "I don't want to pull rank or act like a witch or anything. But I was here before KC and Willie. Doesn't that mean anything? Like, what did I do to cause this? I don't do laps, okay? Neither does Cruiser. And Barney, who thinks he's king, sucks up to the Putz. Well, pardon me for acting like a lady. And for that we get these two shlameels? I ask you, is that fair? Am I right? In all fairness, that Silly Willie and Crazy KC didn't ask to come here. They were tossed out and had to go somewhere. I know, it happened to me. But did we really need two more cats?"

"That Silly Willie is a southern gentleman, I'll give him credit for that. He came in from what must have been a poor family. He was dirty and smelly. Pooey! I wouldn't go near him in that condition. But after his bath and grooming he was lots better. He never bothered me, just minded his own business. He knows a lady when he sees one. Guess the folks ordered that bath. Of course, I don't need one. But you knew that.

Wish they would give Crazy KC a good dunking in the water. Might take some of that mean streak out of him. Oh, yes. I said mean streak. I went up to give him a little sniff test and he went into a hissy fit. Wants to go his own way. You'd think his poo don't stink. My buddy, the Cruiser, was so upset he couldn't sleep in the same room as Crazy KC. Of course, that cat doesn't mess with me. Not anymore. I had to swat him once or twice to let him know I'm nobody's scaredy cat."

"Did Cruiser say anything about me? I think he's got a crush on me. Just a little kitty cat love. Not that he sleeps with me, you know. But he's a cutey and gives me one of those nice little nose smells every once in awhile. And from time to time he licks the back of my head, or shares his food dish with me. Nothing serious, but that does make a girl feel nice."

"I guess I've prattled on a little, Sweetie. Hope you don't mind. You know I don't like to say anything bad about any cat. That's just not me. If you can't say anything nice, don't meow about it. Are you going to write about me in your next book? Want a picture of me? The Putz takes good pictures. A couple of mine ought to go into the PlayKitty centerfold.

What's wrong with that? I saw that! You made a face. Yes you did. It's the weight, isn't it? That's it. I'm going on a diet, right after tomorrow's breakfast."