Rawr Rawr and Gypsie

Callie is, obviously, calico. She is about 2. My neighbors 2 little kids brought her to me one day and said they found her in their yard. I asked them if they could keep her and was told they were moving, so no. I think they had gotten her and when they found out they ‘had’ to move, knew they couldn’t take her with them and knew I had cats so played on my sympathy, probably knowing I couldn’t resist her.

August 16, 2019.  A week ago, Callie was in the back of my neighbors truck eating on some pork bones while my neighbor was here.  When he left, he didn’t check the back to be sure none of my cats were in there.  So Callie took a ride to his place about a mile and a half a way.  When my neighbor came back, he told me I lost one of my cats.  Jerk – no HE lost one of my cats.  My first thought was, one got hit by a car so I freaked out.  Finally heard the truth.  I was not happy. I went right up there hoping I could find her but no luck.  Went a few more time.  Still no luck.  I kept telling my neighbor he better find her.  Well, today he showed him and first thing he asked me was Do I Love Him?  I asked why?  Asked a few more times until I finally realized he had found out where Callie was.  She was at the next place south of his farm.  I went right up there.  Took a while coax her out but she finally did because she recognized my voice.  She is now home.  Happy to be home.  And will not be going outside for a few days.  Happy ending!!!!

Originally, his name was Smokey but I found I liked Mokey better. He’s all gray and a nice cat. He likes to be outside most of the time and never goes far. I got him from a friend who lived in an apartment building. Mokey originally belonged to another tenant at the apartment but she passed away, so another tenant took him in. Thant tenant had to move and couldn’t take him with her, so he became ‘homeless’ and was just wondering around the apartment building. That’s when my friend started feeding him but couldn’t take him in because he already had 2 cats, which was the limit. So he called me and now Mokey lives here. He loves to walk on my roof.

She belongs to my ex sister in law who moved to an apartment last fall. She had 3 cats but could only have two at the apartment. So……. Mama Callie came here, with the intention of her owner finding her a permanent home. I have a feeling this is now her permanent home. She’s a nice cat. She is more a tortoise color calico. Of course, good old Itty Bitty and Toby don’t like her and gives her a hard time whenever they can. But I’ve started letting her out and she loves it. Never goes far, either. Sometimes she ‘asks’ to come in but will always peek in first to she if her ‘enemies’ are close by. If so, then she won’t come in. If she doesn’t see them, then she scoots in – preferably to the computer room or back bedroom where the food and water is, and she knows she is safe.

Showed up next door as a kitten a couple summers ago. Eventually made his way here. He loves to lay on the floor in front of your feet as you are walking or lay in front of the fridge door or back door, just to give me a hard time. Very nice cat now.

Showed up here one day. Sweet cat when he gets use to you. He loves to curl up beside me to sleep. He use to get into fights with another cat and come home with huge sores on sides of face. Maddie would always ‘nurse’ his wounds by licking them. Someone in the neighborhood must have gotten him fixed because he never fights any more. And he never leaves here anymore.

Gypsy showed up here 2 winters ago. Was staying in the doghouse I had on the back porch. Would be here for a couple days, then disappear for awhile. Showed up again and this time I brought her in. But would always meow to go out. Never saw her using the litter box or any place else in the house. So I would let her out. Then be gone for a couple days each time. With it being cold out, had no idea where she was going. After a month or so, my neighbor across the street messaged me if I had seen her cat. After her describing the cat, I knew it was the same one. I did let her know she was coming over here a lot. The neighbor said she is allergic to cats so the cats she has, they were kept in the garage. Well, evidently Gypsy decided she likes it here better so this is where she stays now. Very sweet cat. Loves to cuddle and sleep with me. I named her Gypsy because of how she would disappear and show up again, like a vagabond.

Mustachio showed up in October as a stray. I’m assuming he is a boy but haven’t been able to check for sure. He was very scared at first. Started putting food and water on back porch for him. My cats weren’t too sure of him at first, of course. But they never really fought, just did a lot of hissing. Eventually, that stop. But they would just stare at each other. I leave my storm window up far enough and my main door open far enough so my cats can go in and out. Finally, I saw Mustachio in the house sleeping on the recliner. Of course, when he heard me he ran out the door. He finally started coming in more so I put food and water on the floor at the end of the couch where he preferred to stay. Finally, he let me start petting his head. I would just talk to him calmly. He finally warmed up more but still doesn’t like to be petted on his belly and tail. He has a lot of mattes in his fur but at this point there’s no way I could brush him. He has finally started eating in the kitchen where I feed the other cats. He does meow rather loudly when he wants out and the door is shut. I’m thinking of calling the Kzoo Cat Cafe in Kalamazoo to see if they would take him in. They get them vet checked, fixed if needed, shots, mattes removed, etc. Then, if he’s in good health, they try to get him adopted. Adoption fees are not cheap but that’s usually a good thing. If someone is willing to spend that kind of money, they would make a good pet parent.

January 24, 2022: I guess it wasn’t meant for Mustachio to stick around. I haven’t seen him in a week or so. Either he found his way home or something bad happened to him. Oh well, it’s not the first time when strays show up then leave and I never see them again. It was nice knowing you Mustachio.

Belonged to neighbors who use to live next door. Beautiful white long hair with just a little bit of orange on head. He started coming over here to eat with my cats and has been here since, even though those neighbors moved out.

Passed away end of 2020. Not sure why.

I got him from my neighbors barn because I thought Itty Bitty was lonely. They played good together for a while, then she got tired of him. He is gray and very nice but developed diarrhea, so he is now an outside cat. Never goes far, so that’s good.

I had to put Barney down December of 2018.  His diarrhea got out of hand and he wanted to come in because of the cold and snow.  I couldn’t continue to clean up after him nor afford to take him to the vet.

I got him also from my neighbors barn, to be a playmate for Barney since Itty Bitty got tired of Barney. He’s all black with semi long hair. He and Barney became friends. He is still inside but is a little annoying when it come to trying to pet him. It’s like as soon as I touch him, he wants to be scratched all over but won’t hold still. He has learned to be a little mean to newcomers (cats) from Itty Bitty.

A couple summers ago, Toby disappeared.

Mollie, about 2 or 3 maybe, is another rescue from my mom’s place about 2 years ago. Her and her sister, I believe, were also drop offs. They didn’t like getting close to humans but my mom would still feed them, although it was getting harder for her to do that. Well, Mollie became pregnant and had her litter in an old camper behind the barn. My sister and I rescued her and her babies. I brought them home and set up a ‘nursing station’ in my back bathroom. Mollie felt very secure there because none of my other cats could bother her, as she was still a little scared. But she warmed right up to me and I was able to find a home for all 4 of her babies once they were old enough. A classmate friend of mine told me about a place, which only served Allegan and Kent counties, to get her fixed for free. Come to think of it that is how I got Tiger Tom fixed. But because I don’t live in either county and she does, she offered to take her. At first, I said to just adopt her out. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted her back here. She has shown me how grateful she was to me for rescuing her and her babies. She is one of the sweetest cats I have. Itty Bitty and Toby didn’t like her and would ‘go after’ her often. But she realized if she stays in my computer room then she has ‘control’ and gets after them if they try to come in. She even been getting braver and comes to bed with me. The other usually don’t bother her there as long as I’m there too.

Her sister also had a litter about a week after she did but we couldn’t find them until they were old enough to start wondering out. Had to use a live trap to catch them, as they were all ‘wild’. Took 2 different times, but we got them and I took them to my neighbor’s barn. Her kittens, we discovered were mitten kittens. Last I heard, there is only one kitten – who is a mother herself now – left at that farm. And her babies are mitten kittens also.

I had Mollie put down due to she developed urinary problems.  Would pee wherever.

He is a beautiful Siamese, declawed, who belongs to my neighbors. But he became pretty much an outdoor cat at their house. In my opinion, you don’t put a declawed cat outside to fend for themselves. He soon realized I feed a couple of my cats outside, so he decided to help them eat. A couple times, my neighbor lady, brought extra food for him after she realized he was eating here too. But last fall, the colder it got, the more he wanted to come inside – which, of course, I let him. I would say he is my cat now. When he does go outside, he doesn’t even ‘go home’ anymore and lets me know when he wants back in.

He started going over to the neighbors (different neighbors) after I got Maddie.  One day, my neighbor accidently ran over him.

Yup, you guessed it, she has no tail. She is a Manx cat. Mostly white. My sister found her at the trailer park where she lives. Had been seeing her for a couple weeks, going trailer to trailer, looking for hand outs. My sister was finally able to catch her and brought her here. She is a really nice cat. My other cats don’t seem to have a problem with her. Took awhile to get use to seeing a cat without a tail.

No Tail got old and die one day.

About a month ago (August 2008), I rescued a kitten from my mom’s house. Pretty sure someone just dropped her off, as it’s too far for her to have walked from a neighbor’s house. Plus the coyotes might have gotten her. She was in the chicken coop. Judy discovered her first, then called me. So I took my cat carrier over there. We put a can of tuna fish in the carrier with the door open, hoping she would go in. Well, she did – 3 times. Each time, she got scared when we tried to close the door and she scooted out. Finally was quick enough to shut the door with her in it. We thought at first she was wild but she was just scared. I brought her home and she is the nicest, friendliest little thing. Of course, she is a typical kitten getting into mischief and trying to play with the other animals who want nothing to do with her.

I still have Itty Bitty. Hard to believe she is almost 5. She’s not so itty bitty anymore. Very big now. Of course, she thinks she is the ‘queen of the house’.

Itty Bitty is now 10 years old and doing good.

Itty Bitty is now 13 year old and still doing good.

Itty Bitty passed away on August 27, 2021.  Not sure what was wrong but she knew to find me in her last hours.  I put her in a box and wrapped her in a towel.  I continued to pet her and talk to her until her final moment.  I know she knew I was there.  She was very calm and went peacefully.  She is buried in my flower garden under my lilac bushes.  I have ordered a marker with her name and picture on it.  She was my favorite.  She will be missed.  R.I.P. Itty Bitty.

William is a black short hair male cat. He is a very nice cat but doesn’t have very good ‘house’ manners. He seems to think he is too good for the litter box. My neighbor decided she didn’t want him after leaving him with me for what was suppose to be just the weekend while she went out of town. He stays outside but comes in for short periods of time. He and Tiger Tom don’t get along but they have learned to pretty much stay out of each other’s way.

Long haired yellow cat – 7 years old. He got his named because of a kink at the end of his tail. He is a very nice cat. Reminds me of Boy Kitty in some ways.

On Sunday May 25, 2008, I let Crooked Tail out and he was fine. That afternoon, I found him laying on the kitchen floor meowing as if in pain and discovered his hind legs were paralyzed. There was nothing I could do for him. Knowing the vet would say to put him down, I decided all I could do was to stay by his side and comfort him. He passed away Monday May 26, 2008 around 9pm. It was really hard to watch him go but at the same time, took comfort in knowing he knew I was right there with him. I wrapped him in a towel and found a box. The following Thursday, I buried him in my little woods – hopefully deep enough. He was with me for 9 good years. I’m thinking maybe it was a stroke. Looking back, he seemed to be staying closer than normal to me his last few days. He had the same symptoms as his sister Maggie when she died last year.

Maggie died today – 12/05/06. Don’t know why. She seemed fine yesterday. She started making this awful sound and wasn’t breathing right. She basically died in my arms.

Sister to Crooked Tail & Tommy. Small, dark tiger in color.

Stray cat but very, very friendly. Stays outside but tries to sneak in whenever possible.

June 24, 2013. Last fall, Tiger Tom disappeared. He was fine last time I saw him. I had gotten him fixed at one point. He loved to have his belly and ‘arm pits’ scratched. Don’t know what happened to him but I have my ideas. He was fine and heathy, then one day I didn’t see him all day – which wasn’t like him. Looked for him all weekend. Never found a trace of him. I was sad.

Showed up in September 2005. Tiger with white chest and legs and a small white tip on the end of his tail. Very lovable cat. Loves to go outside.

Nemo (named after the character of the movie because he’s a lost cat from somewhere) has been missing for 3 months now. Tiger Tom, the outdoor stray, may have scared him away. I can only hope he found another family to take him in.

December 2006, I had the old trailer torn down. The guys doing the job informed me they found the remains of 3 cats and one raccoon. I’m thinking one of the cats was Nemo, as they said one looked as if it hadn’t been there for very long.

Judy’s cat that I have taken in. She is a black and white short hair. Doesn’t like Maggie. But loves the boys. And she loves to shred toilet paper. I have to make sure I put the roll on so it unravels rather than shreds.

JJ went back to live with my sister.  Eventually, she was put down due to health problems.

I was recently reminded (thanks Derek) of Priscilla. I can’t believe I forgot this story – probably one of the more tragic and, some may think, morbid stories of all my animals. Priscilla was a sister to Tommy, Crooked Tail and Maggie, and was the runt of the litter.

About 4 (?) years ago, she came up missing. I remembered she acted like she wasn’t feeling good. She never went outside, so I “turned” my place upside down looking for her. Couldn’t find her anywhere, so I figured she must have gotten out somehow. And if she had died in the house, I figured I would smell her in a couple of days!

I have been in the process of ripping up all the carpeting in my house and putting down new flooring. The spring of 2005, I decided to (with the help of my kids) clean out and tear up the carpet in the back bedroom, plus have a yard sale. Well, there was a love seat couch in that room and when we lifted up the couch to take it out, there was Priscilla – or what was left of her. Just a pile of hair and bones. She must have crawled up into the springs of that couch and died. I can’t believe I never smelled her!! Needless to say, Kirsten and Derek decided to go home soon after this discovery, which I can’t blame them. So I was left to “take care of” the situation myself. It really is pretty gruesome, isn’t it? But that is life with animos!!!! (AKA animals)

I can’t believe I forgot about her. Probably because she lived at Marv’s house (ex-boyfriend) but I still considered her mine. I found her under a pile of wood at his house. She was so young, she hardly had her eyes open yet. So I had to bottle feed her. As she grew up, I swear she thought I was her mom. She would nestle in and chew on my hair. She was a Maine Coon and very sweet except when someone came over, then she would act like a dog by snarling and growling at them. Or if she was on a chair and they walked by, she would latch out at them. She never did it to me though. Then when she was about 4 years old, she developed a lump on her back. The vet “claimed” it was caused from a bad strain of the feline leukemia vaccine. I could not afford to have her operated on and there was only a slim chance she would make it anyways. So I made her as comfortable as possible. She passed away November 1999, about 5 days after my dog Jazmine died.