Part 1
Ok. I have never skied down Mount Everest. Or given birth to twelve children at the same time or even invented a cure for selective hearing in men. I am, in simplest terms, just myself. But what, you ask in horror, does that mean? Why would anyone want to know what I think about anything? Well, the truth is, I am just like you. I have had some fun times, some sad times, and even some incredible times. And that makes me a pretty incredible person, even if I am the only one that thinks so. So read on, I may be ordinary but boy I have been having fun in this life. I think I may stick around for awhile…….
And then there was the time I lived with a couple of furry miscreants. Oh what a time it was. . . .
Whoever said cats are detached has not been introduced to my pint sized Godzillas. Meet Quinn and Ally. A brother and sister tag team disguised as tabby kittens.
A few months prior to this story, I made a decision to acquire one (notice the number – one) female kitten to share my life with. Men were in short supply. I inquired and was told I was too early. So I waited. My sister, in the meantime, inquired at her local animal hospital. She found someone that was giving away tabby kittens – five in all. I called and was told three were gone. The two left appeared to have bonded and the woman wanted to give them away together. Apparently the kittens had been abandoned and these two were inseparable. I said no, I wasn’t prepared to take on the responsibility of two kittens. We said good-bye and hung up. Couple of nights later I had a dream. When I awoke I called the woman and said I would take both. I had dreamt about two kittens and woke up singing (in my head!) “When Quinn the Eskimo gets here, everybody’s going to jump for joy”! This is too weird.
The evening of the 14th of May in the year of our lord 1998, my sister brought over my new companions. I named them Quinn (the male) and Ally (the female). Quinn was eager and affectionate. Ally was frightened and wary. They have grown in size, temperament, and inquisitiveness and I have grown to love them both.
Myth one – cats hate water
Quinn feels that it is his personal duty to inspect my bath water each night. He will scrutinize the bathtub prior to the addition of the water and then the actual water once added. He also has a habit of a more intimate perusal, which usually ends with a hearty towel rub. I’m not sure which he enjoys more, the shock of the water around his body or the towel across his buttocks. Ally too takes an interest in the water, but she just tastes it, she doesn’t try to wear it.
Myth two – cats are detached
When I come home after work, I am greeted by two balls of fur, crying to get into my lap. It is not as if I am giving them bribes, to be affectionate, this is just their way. Whatever room I am in, Quinn and Ally are close by. If I am watching TV, they are often perched on the couch at my shoulders. I have to be careful if I move because they are usually resting against me. If I go to the washroom, I have an escort. (Even if they fall asleep once they get there) as I am writing this, Quinn is checking out his paw and my bulletin board in front of me. (Excuse me; he just located the push pins.)
[‘p; [‘; p;; Ally has just discovered the key board. QAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Quinn’s turn.When I am home we are all together. I have been accepted as part of their clan. I get a wash every now and then; they play with me and cuddle. I have given them a birthday of 10 February 1998 because the vet figured that would put them at about the right age. They know their names and the word no, and they choose which to acknowledge. Excuse me, someone has requested my attention: time for a belly rub.
Quinn has discovered that I have chains hanging on a hook near my jewelry box. I had thought to keep them out of the way. One of them has a large crystal pendant that makes a very satisfy “clunk” when it hits the wall, Quinn’s discovery. My discovery is that it is enough to wake me in the middle of the night. When I scold my male baby Godzilla, he promptly jumps onto the bed and presents me with a silky tabby colored belly. Now who has trained whom?
Ally, on the other hand, prefers to play before I go to sleep at night. We have a game that we play each night. I run my hand under the blankets and she pounces. Fortunately she usually resists the temptation to sink her claws into my oh so sensitive flesh. I said usually. When she gets excited (and she does) she forgets. I bare my combat wounds bravely and with pride. (Of course I do yelp a lot).
25 august 1998
To be continued ….
You declawed your cats??? You should have informed yourself why that is a NoNo … I hope you will not make that mistake again.
I totally agree I was enjoying the story until I read that…Have you got a cat tree or cat scratcher….?
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I did have scratching post and they never used them.
If it was quite some time ago maybe people did not know that “declawing” means an amputation of the first parts of the toes. But I still cannot let such an otherwise lovely story stand like that without reminding people that declawing is outlawed in Germany for a reason.
Same here! And sorry when I approved the guest story I totally missed that part or I would have added a note to advise people against it! Which I’ll add once I get home.
The story is from quite long ago so in Defense of the guest author I don’t think there was as much info about this around to educate owners in those times. 🙁
They were declawed because of an incident that involved my face and a lot of blood. As indoor cats I was assured they would not be adversely affected.
Some negative effects of declawing
Medical drawbacks to declawing include pain in the paw, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), lameness, and back pain. Removing claws changes the way a cat’s foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There can also be a regrowth of improperly removed claws, nerve damage, and bone spurs.
For several days after surgery, shredded newspaper is typically used in the litter box to prevent litter from irritating declawed feet. This unfamiliar litter substitute, accompanied by pain when scratching in the box, may lead cats to stop using the litter box. Some cats may become biters because they no longer have their claws for defense.
So maybe, if you get a cat again, try not to get too close with your face and let them stay the way they are.
They were declawed because of an incident that involved my face and a lot of blood. As indoor cats I was assured they would not be adversely affected.
Really well written.I am looking forward to part two.
Thank you.
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Yup, sorry, but I was engaged until you said “declawed” 🙁
Ah apologies. :(. Back in those days unfortunately this would have been pretty standard advice given to cat owners by vets in the US >.< We are of course strictly against this but in Defense of our guest author many cat owners didn’t know any better as wrongly advised by professionals. :/
Perhaps you should delete this story Marc. Too many people are offended. We all had many good years together and it hurts to read some of these comments. Thank you for the opourtunuty to share.
Deleting stories is actually quite complicated from an online point of view… if I erase it without replacing the content it’ll harm the search engine visibility of my site and ranking across all networks :/
If you preferred I could remove the part that people took offence to? :/
Yes please.
amended!
..and it all started with Manfred Mann. They are adorable.
Thank you
I loved your story and can’t wait for more. I have three cats and am so completely in love with each.
Please don’t let this take away from those compliments for your story but for your next kitties, watch Jackson Galaxy’s opinion here, before you declaw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRMip0Nngp8
Thanks for sharing.
My cats are gone now and I miss them very much. I understand opinions have changed since 1998. Thank you for your comments.
Sounds like heaven. They will be safely home soon. Cheers,H
Ahhh, man, I’m so sorry the comments hurt. Again, I hope you read all the compliments for your story and share more. Your writing is great, and your cats sounded terrific and I for one, would enjoy more!
Here’s to part TWO!!
Thank you so much! I needed that. Things have changed in twenty years.
Loved reading about Ally and Quinn. Cats are such lovable and playful creatures. That they are detached and selfish is a big myth, and yes, they do need water to drink. Thank you for sharing your experience with the feline pets.
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