My baby...Emma.
Posted on 12/15/2007 9:34:11 AM PST by Congressman Billybob
We have two cats: Weasel, a grey female calico, and Orion, a male orange and white tabby. Orion is a big, lump of a cat, twenty pounds if he’s an ounce. He’s taught me a lesson for years that I finally realized today. He teaches by example.
Orion showed up at the door four years ago in the fall. He was obviously a house cat, not a feral or wild one. He had no collar. We brought him water and food. He wanted to come inside, but we didn’t let him. He was obviously someone else’s cat; we shouldn’t prevent him from going home.
Winter came. The wind chill dropped to its mean minus ten at night. Orion had apparently gone home. Then one morning in the snow, I saw little cat prints from the barn up to our door and back. We started putting out food and water, and changing the water every time it froze.
We kept watch. We saw the orange boy, much thinner, and with a cut on his cheek, from a fight with another creature. Eventually, we got Orion inside.
For more than a year, he was frightened of me, but not of females in the household. He would skitter and run when anyone attempted to hold him or pick him up. In time, we found he had a knot on one of his ribs where it had been broken, and healed badly.
So, we knew his story. He was abused where he used to live. He was kicked, probably frequently by a grown male in the house, and suffered a broken rib. We showed him nothing but kindness from then to now.
How has this sweet creature responded? He obviously has deep affection for his folks. He sleeps with us, usually on the far side of Michelle, nearest to the window. Especially on cold winter mornings, he wants to be first in line for the warming sun of dawn to wash over him, and warm his fur.
He no longer fears being touched or held. Quite the contrary, he will curl up within touching distance of one of his humans. And, when you scratch him under the chin, he will often respond by rolling over on his back, catch your hand with his paw, and encourage you to rub his belly.
Mind you, please don’t tell this to the President of the Cats’ Union. Orion will be drummed out of the Union if word about this leaks out.
The most telling thing that Orion does is a deep, rumbling purr whenever he is generally satisfied, which is most of the time. It is such a loud purr that, unlike most cats, when he is in full fettle his purr can be heard from way across the room.
It took years for Orion to reach that point of being at home and comfortable, so he will curl up close to his humans, invite rubs and scratches, and purr to beat the band. He was doing that this morning while I was reflecting on the political debates that I have watched (that have been inflicted on me recently).
I follow politics closely. As I listen to national politicians speak, I can spot about one bald-faced lie every 30 seconds. Yes, I’m being charitable. There is exactly one of the candidates for President whom I think is telling the truth all of the time. And that makes him all the more frightening, that he actually believes what he is saying. No, I won’t name him. And thanks be to Heaven he will never be elected to any nationwide office.
But this morning as I watched one more spectacular sunrise over the Blue Ridge Mountains, and over Michelle’s shoulder, and over the ears of an orange, purring cat, I thought of the difference between Orion and all those politicians. Orion is honest at all times and in all ways. And every aspect of my relationship with him is based on trust.
Can you say that of any politician you know? I can’t. So, I suggest this standard to use when you are listening to, or reading, any speech by a politician: Is this as honest as a cat’s purr? The answer to that first question will be no. So, you can follow up with mille-cats. Rating a politician at 400 mille-cat means he/she is 40% as honest as a cat.
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About the Author: John Armor practiced in the US Supreme Court for 33 years. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu He lives in the 11th District of North Carolina.
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Dogs have owners.
Cats have staff.
Now that I read down the thread, you beat me to it.
You do know that the Egyptians believed that cats were gods.
The cats agree.
sw
Max is a cutiepie.
Tucky looks like a good guy.
Thank you...He is very affectionate too....moreso than any other cat that has allowed me the honor of living with them.
My husband found this to be true - much to his surprise! He was brushing his teeth after a shower in the buff, leaning over the sink with the cat at his feet, our cat found something of interest to play with! Thankfully no claws (he came that way to us.)
I gotta say that the pet threads like these are some of the best threads I enjoy reading here. Thanks all for sharing your stories.
We’ve got cats. Lots of ‘em. Down at the lower barn we’ve got Big Orange, Little Orange, Piebald, Scairdy Black Cat(SBC)#1, #2, and #3, and Ghost. At the upper barn we’ve got Flash, Bubbles(she looks like a Goth)No Neck, Tanker, and Sweater Boy. On the back porch we’ve got Barney, Tiger Head, Felix, and Rosebud. Rosebud has moved into the house for the duration of the winter, and the upper barn cats have moved into the garage. In the house resides Oreo.
Every one of them is a dump by some jerk.
I have always believed that people who abuse animals should not only be fined and jailed, but have the exact same things they did to the animal, done to them. Pour lighter fluid on your bunny and light him, guess what a$$hole, you get the same thing.
My baby...Emma.
Almost 16 years ago we adopted a cat that was born in a neighbor’s basement (the mother got in somehow and had a litter). He sleeps with us every cool night. A few years later we got one from the SPCA. Then last year I came home from a one-day trip to find my wife and son and had gotten a Maine coon (AKA the tail with a cat attached to it) from the SPCA. Yes, these cats own us, and we love it.
Indeed. The 4th Friday of November.
Same similar story.
I found a kitten one night on my yard and it had just began to snow. At first my wife (now ex) didn’t want anything to do with him but after an hour was taking him warm milk and another hour later had brought him inside.
That cat stayed with us for about two years and then one day he disappeared. Must have been gone a month or so and then he showed back up. He stayed a couple of months then left again. This went on for a couple of years. I decided that if he roamed he needed a colar so I put one on him. After a couple of weeks he disappeared.
The next day a woman showed up at my door holding the cat and wanting to know why I had put a colar on her cat. I asked her if her cat had a habit of disappearing for weeks at a time. She admitted he did. Then it hit her: “so this is where he goes”? she asked.
At that point I explained that I had put the colar on in case the pound picked him up or that he was hurt. I also explained that I’d brought him inside when he was a kitten. She admitted that wearing the colar was a good idea and that we’d just have to share the cat.
This went on for another year. Then he never came back. I don’t know if the lady moved and took him with her or whatever. He was a good cat too.
Cats not only make you companions, but they take over your life in a loving way. =^..^=
Orion could end up winning the White House hands down. =^..^=
“cat found something of interest to play with!”
LOL!
It’s even worse with two large dogs and a small cat. Animal abuse is inevitable when nature calls.
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