Thunder Paws - a life in pictures, by Frostfrog

[Frostfrog]

I was testing out mac.com today and I pulled up an old folder of cat photos and was going to introduce all of our cats to my COTD friends, but one can only place 48 pictures on a page so instead I put up a brief life history of pictures covering the nine years and three months that lapsed between the day my daughter, Lisa, made me bring him home from a gas station and his late-night funeral, after he was killed in our own backyard by a neighbor's dog. I will leave it up only briefly, but later, I might drop in picture spreads on the other cats, as well:

http://homepage.mac.com/jimslim/PhotoAlbum3.html

[Barbara]

What a sweet and funny story (although it has a sad end).

I am so glad that I finally get to meet your cats and family. Please leave it on a little longer, I want to go back

[orangemm]

Loved viewing the slide show. What a sweet cat and such a sad end. It brought tears to my eyes, that's for sure. I know you must miss Thunder terribly.

[Randi]

What a great slideshow, although sad in the end. Just look at his face in the tree! On the washbasin, they really look like they're having a discussion. Thunderpaws was a wonderful kitty - and so are the others! They couldn't have any better surroundings. Thunderpaws is resting in a beautiful spot.

Thanks for sharing - we have missed you here!

[kuhio98]

What a wonderful tribute to a great cat! Thank you for sharing his life with us. He will never be forgotten.

[kittycats_delight]

beautiful tribute to a gorgeous and lovable baby. The slideshow was just lovely and so sad to see how much Thunder will be missed. A heartbreaking scene. Thunder is now happy and healthy and waiting for his marvelous loving family to come and take him over the Rainbow Bridge so you can all be together again Furrever. Until then Thunder will play and have wonderful friends to romp with. Thunder will be your guardian kitty angel until you can hold him again and kiss his sweet little nose.

R.I.P. beautiful, free and loving Thunder Paws

[catmandu]

That is a damn shame,that people cannotcontain vicious Dogs,and I would be seeking redress,for the murder,of Thunder Paws.It wont bring him back,of course,but a lady,was awarded 45,000 Dollars,in a Civil Suit.over the same thing.Poor Thunder Paws,now A Guardian Angel,for Lisa,and all,the Cats,that need him.That is just a shame,that some people,are not mature enough,to take responsibility,and that Thunder Paws,had,to pay,the Ultimate Price.

[kimlovescats]

What a beautiful tribute to a beloved pet and friend. It was precious to also see how much each of your family members truly loved Thunder Paws. Lisa literally grew into a beautiful young lady during his lifetime. Thank you so much for loving this boy so much, and sharing him with us here!

(hugs)
Kim

[daisy]

Frostfrog,

I seldom post replies but felt compelled to drop you a note to let you know that I was deeply moved by your slide show. I'm sitting here at work and had to fight back tears as I got to the last few pictures...I wouldn't hesitate to say that this thread will be one of the most memorable I've ever read here at Pet Talk...

Blessings to you and your family.

[christa]

Beautiful tribute! Thanks for sharing!

[catmandu]

Sorry,about the rant,as I have a Fellow,up the street,that has 2 Untrained Rotweillers,and everytime,taht people,go up,the street,and they are out,they starin,at thier leashes,and bark,and growl.The Poor Older Lady,acroos,the road,had one lunge at her.No excuse,for that poor Cat,to suffer,that fate.
But that was quite,a touching tribute,to a Fine Cat,and I will have,to assemble My Michael Photos,although Michael,is really,not all,that diferent,from those first photos,to,the ones,that I have now,Maybe Scrappy 2,as she matures.

[Frostfrog]

I thank you all for the comments, and for looking at the site.

Catmandu, I am not a litigious person but I understand your feelings. The owner of that dog never controlled it at all, and it was a mean, mean, dog - a rottweiler mix. It roamed at will, and on my walks I sometimes encountered it far from home. The night that it killed Thunder Paws, I went over to the owner's house but he had gone to bed. A young lady who was staying there told me that she would tell him and I told her to be certain that he got in contact with me the next day. He didn't, and everytime I would go by that house, a short distance down the street, and see that dog and it's black lab cohort, I would seeth. The dog would come charging; growling, snarling and snapping. I actually wanted it to attack me, but when I would turn toward it, I think it knew how angry I was and it would back away.

Then one day it charged into our yard again after Royce, but Royce scampered up a tree before the dog could get him. I then went to neighbor's house and banged on his door and he claimed the girl never told him and that this was the first he had heard of it and he would keep that dog either tied up or in the house from that day forward. He kept his word for two days, and then the dog was out again. It soon attacked my next door neighbor's dog in its yard (an even bigger dog, but gentle, not a threat to any creature, and nearly blind).

We then teamed up, and again, the other fellow said he would keep the rott (and the black lab) restrained. Again, he did so for about two days. At this point, I drafted a letter, gave him a copy, and hand-delivered the other to the Borough's animal control. There had been other complaints about the dog and they gave him an ultimatum, that if there was one more complaint that dog was gone.

Again, he kept it restrained for two days, and then it was all over the neighborhood. Again, I went to his and I was seething. He took the dog away, and had it destroyed. As much as I hated that dog, I never sought that; I only wanted it to be restrained, and kept where it could do no one any harm.

He still has the black lab. He kept it restrained for about two weeks, but no longer does. It is an ill-dispositioned dog, but without the rott I do not think it is really much of a threat.

As I once mentioned on COTD thread, the three youngest of the cats who live here are all house cats, but the older two, Royce and Clyde, are set in their ways and come and go at will. They are both savvy out there - Clyde is 13, Royce is 11. Yet, no cat was more savvy than Thunder Paws. Whenever he went outside, he would step onto the porch, stand there, sniffing the air and scanning the entire horizon around him, looking for the dangers. He knew the dangers, was very aware of them, but could not be restrained; he had things he wanted to do in life. He would tear holes in screens and he was damn smart about figuring out how to open doors and would even slide closed windows open.

If he had had thumbs, there was nothing that Thunder Paws couldn't have done. He was truly a thinking cat.

I do not feel it is fair to the younger cats to restrict them to the house, but I do, anyway - although we do take Pistol on car rides, he being a good car cat - and sometimes I take Jim Slim Many Toes out briefly on a leash.

He never wants to come back in.

[Frostfrog]

I should probably add that, in every other respect that I know of, that particular neighbor is a very decent, likeable and generous person, happy to share his fresh-caught salmon with anyone, or to plow, without being asked, the snow from a neighbor's driveway.

Life is never simple.