"Cat people are different, to the extent that they generally are not conformists. How could they be, with a cat running their lives?" ~ Dr. Louis J. Camuti, First American "cats only" vet
This section of Pawprints and Purrs, Inc. is dedicated to all the compassion-filled, concerned and cat loving people - people who go out of their way to make a difference for the sake of cats. These are the people who take the time and make the effort to better the lives of cats and kittens. Not just the ones who share their homes, but every unfortunate cat and kitten they meet.
The following stories have been submitted by beautiful people who truly love cats and have proved they can and do make a difference in the lives of cats. Each story is copyright - please respect the copyright of each of these people. DO NOT download without their written permission.
The most current story is located here.
Submitted August 23, 1997:
I have never seen such caring and giving on the internet to this date. I very much enjoy your up-dates I receive via e-mail. I have signed every petition, and just today, finished reading all your pages. (I still have many links to follow...)
I have been a cat lover since I was a young child. I was about eight when I found a bucket in my neighbor's garage that was filled with water, and had a plunger holding down a small pouch that had bubbles rising from it. To my horror when I looked in the bag, I found five kittens. I grabbed a towel and began to try drying the kittens (not realizing they were dead, or most of them). One kitten bubbled from it's nose and mouth and began to mew. I snatched it up and the dead kittens also. I buried the dead after trying to revive them.
I nursed my kitten with a small doll bottle I had at my house. I kept the kitten clean with a warm washcloth as it went potty, and washed it's eyes and tummy cord. I kept this kitten in a dresser drawer in my bedroom for three days before my mother discovered it while putting clothes into my dresser. She was amazed at how well the kitten was doing and suggested I put it with her toy poodle that had just given birth to two pups.
I did so and the dog took care of the kitten as one of her own. The dog either didn't know the difference, or didn't care; either way, Fluffy lived with me for sixteen long, beautiful years before dying at home one day of old age in "her" dresser drawer.
Since then I've always taken in strays or dumped kittens. I've cared for many kittens and cats in my past thirty-eight years and intend to do so as long as possible into my old age.
I just wanted to thank you for helping to care for so many lives. I recently lost my cat, Boojie, of nine years when a careless person hit her and left her in the road in front of my home. It is a pleasure to know she is remembered at "Rainbow Bridge" as I know she will always be remembered in our hearts also.
Many, many thanks! Mary Apathy - Mary's Web Place
Submitted August 26, 1997:
Susie,
I really respect your dedication to our wonderful friends, the cats. I was thinking about this last night and decided I just had to tell you about my parents (particularly my dad) as I thought you might enjoy this.
We always had dogs until I was a teenager. My dad quietly one day mentioned that he always wanted to have a cat. Strange for most men to admit, I know, and my mom and I were both just flabbergasted. My mom had never owned a cat and never even thought about getting one.
Interestingly enough, the next day at school, a teacher of mine mentioned that she had a cat that she had to find a home for. Her child was allergic and the doctor had insisted. She did not want to take the cat to the shelter but saw no way around it if she did not find a home for her. I blurted out, "We will take her!"
So my first cat, Tami, came into our lives. A long coated Maine Coon cat, she was wonderful. We got her when she was three and my parents had her until she died in her late teens. Thus began my parents' crusade to help cats.
Once we had Tami, there was no stopping my dad. Since that time, cats just seem to know they can come to him for whatever they need. Neighbor cats would come to him when not feeling well and he would take them to the vet, get them doctored and they hung around until they were well.
If they were strays and Daddy could not find anyone to claim ownership, he would have them fixed. If he knew the owners he would get permission to have them fixed. (Nobody ever declined.) Wild cats are drawn to my dad like a magnet. Totally untouchable cats can be found sitting in his lap in his workshop.
Eight years ago my parents moved into a new home. I was helping them move in (the ever life-long of lining the shelves with shelf paper seems to be my job in life for my mom).
I looked out on the front porch and there was a very precious tabby kitten. I, without thinking, ran out, scooped her up and saw "Momma" and five other kittens heading off at a dead run. Well now, here it is eight years later and "Boat" (my then 2 year old named her) is a permanent part of our home. Overweight (but vet swears she is very healthy) and cranky, she never quite lost her wildness but she is ours and we love her.
The only person she shows affection to is our son. If he is ill, we can not get to him because she is in the way. If we have to spank him, she must be sent from the room or she will attack. If she does not attack at that time, she
WILL get you later. Her favorite form of revenge is to throw a body block to the back of your knees to make your legs buckle. She only does this when you are holding a large tray of food or something very delicate and breakable.
Meanwhile back at my parents' home, they soon discovered that the shed out back was filled with many wild cats. Reproducing like crazy, underfed and not healthy. My mom and dad set a Have-a-Heart trap and caught one for the shelter to pick up. After the shelter came, my mom called me in total tears for the poor cat. They went back to get the cat but, of course, being totally wild the shelter put him down immediately. My mother was horrified and swore that she would never have that happen again.
So what did they do? They began to cart the trapped cats to the vet's to be sedated, fixed, given shots and then released back to the backyard. Obviously cats need annual shots so they go through this annual trapping thing so everyone can get their shots. There are only a few left from the original hoard of cats eight years later. But my parents knew each one by name, and now everyone just steps in the trap in the spring to go to the vet's. They are well fed and cared for if a little wild.
Through the years three cats have become house cats. All it takes to be a house cat is walk through the doggy door and demand to be fed. Two cats (a calico, and a long coat Siamese marked) walked through the doggy door as young kittens and are quite content to live most of their lives watching TV on the bed. A long hair black cat (Blackie, duh!) walked in as an older tom. He started off just creeping in at night and sleeping with them on the bed. Now he insists on pets and rubs and is such a sweetie.
So many unwanted babies out there not being taken care of. I don't know what the answer is and it has been argued that it may have been best if the wild cats had just been put down. But they are fat and sassy and healthy. And it so strange that if one gets sick, they know to come to my dad for help. With all the
spaying/neutering, their numbers do not grow and they live out their lives well fed and happy.
Don't know why I felt I had to bore you with all of this. It is just that I thought you might appreciate that there are people out there doing their little part to help and you are not alone in your crusade.
Keep it up.
Vonnie Matheny
