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[Laura's Babies]

We all have our once in a lifetime furry sweetheart that touched our lives so much more than all the others. How about a story about them? One you have now, one that is at Rainbow Bridge or one that just changed your life.

My very special boy was a blackie named Sambo. I picked him the day he was born, well.....actually before he was born I had a friend who cat was going to have kittens and I told her if there was a black one, I wanted it...boy or girl, it was MINE!

I saw him the day he was born and visited him often, couldn't wait until the day I could take him home. I raised him on my shoulder and he was the most affectionate cat I ever had. Always there by me, never leaving my side. We communicated somehow in a way that I had never experienced before with any animal. He was one of those once in a lifetime cats. When he would get mad at me for scolding him, he would sit close by me but with his back to me and no matter what I would say or do, he gave me that cold shoulder. I finally figured out that 2 could play that game and I started ignoring him when he would do that.. All I had to do was pretend he was not there and he would forget how mad he was at me and start making up to me. He slept with me every night, was there in my arms for my naps, NEVER far away from me. He wanted to be right there, always with me and at times was very demanding of attention and loving. Every now and then, when he was being especially demanding of my time, I would bring him a kitten so I could have some space. He raised many kittens, taking on the role of of Mamma cat, cleaning them, letting the suck and would shower them with all his love and attention.....

Gosh, he died back in the 70's and I still miss him and can't wait till we are together again. Our souls were really connected like I have not been with any other... I love my babies that I have now dearly, but Sambo and I were "special"!

[smokey the elder]

The years 1999 and 2000 were piling disaster after disaster on me. Finally, I lost the job I had for 11 years in July and was really down in the dumps. I was working outside feeling sorry for myself when I heard a cat meowing. A black cat was about 5 feet away. I said, here, kitty and she ran away. I went in to get some food and water and left them for her. She wouldn't let me pet her yet.

I was digging my garden and the black cat started rubbing against me! She was purring and wouldn't let me work. "It's not time to garden; it's time to pet the cat now!" She cried to come in. I noticed she was getting round and feared she was pregnant. I installed her on my enclosed porch and on September 22 she presented me with four kittens. I got her spayed and kept her and one of the kittens.

I found out that this cat had been around for about 3 years, would eat food at the Dairy Mart but wouldn't let anyone within 20 feet of her. The fact that this fraidy cat picked ME was very special and made me feel useful again.

This was how I got Diamond (or she got me.)

Three days after the kittens were born I started a new job. The three kittens I place for adoption were through the group I now volunteer with for the last 3+ years.

[QueenScoopalot]

GEEE Where to start?? So many special kitties that have been in my life, and many that still are! One of my most special ones that I always will miss was Linus. I was in my late teens at the time, and was living on a small island nearby that's connected to the city I'm in now, by a causeway. Linus had been roaming around the local variety store/small eatery for several months. I was so taken with his looks..he was a black tiger (the best description I can come up with ) who from a distance appeared to be black, but when he walked his fur would ripple exposing a white undercoat! He had huge gorgeous green eyes, and a white bib, and white double-paws. I figured out after a while that no one owned him, so he became mine. I got him neutered etc. Linus totally adored me, and I him. I was young and stupid at the time, and he was an indoor/out cat. I would walk the dogs to the vacant lot up the street when I moved to Lynn, and Linus would follow me gazing up the whole time. He'd go through deep puddles just to be beside me. One day I came home from grocery shopping, and Linus was laying on one of the steps on the first floor (we were on the 3rd). After carrying bags up and down for several trips, I found it strange that Linus didn't get up to greet me. I stopped to pat him, and noticed a lot of flies hanging around and landing on him. I picked him up, and then noticed he had multiple puncture wounds all through his belly area. No blood anywhere in sight. I dropped everything and raced to the vets with him, and found out he had badly damaged intestines etc. requiring emergency surgery. I gave the OK to do whatever they needed to to save my boy. They removed a large portion of his intestines, and started him on massive doses of antibiotics as he was badly infected from intestinal bacteria. Back then pain meds were unheard of, and I went to visit dear Linus a few days after the operation, and he was in unbearable pain. He didn't make it out of there alive. I think the terrible pain killed him. My only guess is that he was jumping over a chain link fence, and got caught up on it. It must have happened while I was shopping as he was fine when I had left not long before. I miss that cat so much.

[cubby31682]

I found this cat, that someone dumped behind our old house. She had a litter or kittens, and so we were feeding her. One day she was inside the house eating and I was working with her to tame her. My mom yelled at me because she was a stray and could tear me up. Well I sat down right next to her and started talking baby talk to her. I reached out to pet her and she backed away a little bit. So I left her alone for a few minutes but kept talking to her. I reached out again and she didn't back away. I got to pet her I was so happy. She ate all the food I had set out for her, so I got up to get her more. She walked away to hide, but once she smelled the food she couldn't stay away.

I would work with her almost every day. Finally one day she came in rubbed up against my leg, so I reached down and picked her up. I found out that she didn't have claws. So of course I figured I was old enough to make an "adult" decision, and I was going to keep her as my cat. Her kittens were old enough and found other homes.

I started working so I could save up to get her fixed. I made the appointment, and went to get her in the car and she took off across the street. I tried to chase her but that only made her run faster. So I left her alone but left the back door open so she could get to her food. I called and canceled her appointment.

A few months go by and we find out that shes pregnant again. So she had her second litter of kittens. They were the cutest little things I have ever seen. After they got old enough they went to good homes. Most of which I still see on a regular basis.

Then she had her last and final litter of kittens. She had 5 of them on this litter. She was such a wonderful mother with them. After 2 days of being inside without using a litter box or anything. She left the kittens and went outside for 15 or 20 minutes. The next day I got home from work, and I went down to my room to check on her and the babies, and there was blood every where. She seemed to be chocking on something, so I tried everything. I tried some mineral oil, to losen what ever she was choking on, I tried the hymlic (sp?) manover on her. Nothing. So I ran upstairs to call my dad at work. I couldn't get a hold of him at all. I ran back down stairs and wated there with her for him to get home. I started crying. Then I heard my dad pull into the drive way. I ran upstairs screaming, when he walked in I had 'Momma' in my arms and I was ready to take her to the vet. I got in the car, and we went to the vets.

After we got her checked in, 15 minutes later they came out and told us they had to talk to us in another room. So I walk in to the room ready and waiting to see my beautiful girl. They told me they lost her. I turned and looked at my dad and then back at the vet. Then with alot of anger in my voice. I said "Well I guess you need to start looking for her, you job is to fix my cat and not lose her. My dad had to explain to me that she died. All I could say was no she didn't they lost her. I was thinking she was lose some where in the vets office. They told us that she got into rat poison. And that it takes about 3 to 4 days to show the signs, and then another day to take the animals life.

We needed to get advice on how to take care of 5 three day old kittens. They told us what to look for, and how to bottle feed the. We ended up losing 3 of the kittens. The last one we lost, we lost him when he was 5 weeks old. He was the smallest and the hardest one to get to eat. He died purring on my mothers chest.

Sterling and Hobart we both alive and well. Both had some sever nerve damage from the poision.

When I thought I had lost everything when I lost my sweet 'Momma' God sent me her son, that was the sweetest, the cutest, and most alive cat you could ever see. I remember being peed in the face by him. I remember holding him so close to me because he was scared and shaking. I remember when on of the others cats scared him so bad, he peed and pooped on him self. I remember having to clean him of that. I remember how he would walk. He always walked like he was stepping over something. His back legs were longer than his front. His ears were to big for his body. He couldn't jump higher than a foot or so. We would pick him up and put him on the kitchen table because he saw all the other cats do it. I remember one of the old cats teaching him how to use the litter box, teaching him how to be a cat. I remember waking up every 2 hours to feed him and bathe him. Most of all I remember how much love he gave to us, and how much we loved him. And how many people told us we need to put him to sleep because he was suffering. He wasn't he was happy, content, and the most precious thing you would ever see. He would cry if he didn't get his nightly bottle, even after he was 2 years old, he still needed his botter before bed time or he wouldn't be able to sleep.

He taught me so much. He taught me not to judge others that are less forinate than me. He taught me that people with disabilities, shouldn't be looked at different, and they can still do most things. He taught me that when there is a will there is a way. He was our litter fighter, he taught me more about life than any person could ever teach me.

Those two cats, taught me how to love.

[catmandu]

When I found Mr Scarppy,he was stuck,in a newspaer vending machine,in front,of my old apartment,meeeowing,and mmmmmmmmeeeeeeeooowing! I put a quarter in,and let him out,and then picked him ,up,and took him home.Thank God,I had some McDonalds take out,and he was hungry.Pounder Did Not LIKE him,and for two weeks,picked on him,and yowled,at him.Then I thought,it would be better,if he was rehomed,and had him,in a carrier,ready,to take him,to the shelter.He was crying,and I was crying,and Pouncer,went to the carrier,and meeeowed at Scrappy.I let him ,out and Pouncer,for thev first time started bathing him,and from that day on,for ( years,until Pouncers untimely passing,they were the best Of Friends.

[DJFyrewolf36]

Before I got Remus, I never had a cat of my own. My parents had cats when I was younger, but I never was really "attached" to them. A few summers ago, I worked at a pet store that adopted out kitties from the local shelters. One of my primary jobs was to take care of the cats. I really developed a liking for them, and got atached to some of the "old timers" (One cat had been there since the store opened, she was about 12 yrs old and no one wanted to adopt her. Just after I left, someone finaly gave her a furrever home). Those cats got me into some sirious trouble though! One night, my boss told me to let them all run around and she would cage them up the next morning. I scooped the boxes and fed them all and locked up for the night. The next day I got written up for cat food and litter being all over the floor no one thought to ask the cats!!

I wanted to adopt one but my parents wouldnt let me. My MIL adopted a grey maine coon, Isabo, from there. (soon Isabo will be coming to live at my house!)

After I moved out, I still wanted a kitty but was unsure of even how to care for a cat! PT was really helpful (thanks guys!) and still is! While I was thinking about visiting the local shelter, I had a dream about going there and finding a kitten named Remus. The next day, I went to the shelter to look around. I was about to leave and think about the kitties I saw (Trying to figure out who would work out best in my home) and I saw my little dork butt trying to get to the front of the cage and he tripped over his brother and landed face first in the water dish! I knew he was the right kitty for me! I asked the shelter people when he would be available, they told me to come back the next day to fill out the papers to get him fixed and such and I would pick him up on monday (I was going in on saturday) after he was fixed. Turns out the shelter needed the space and sent me home with him on saturday . I had no carrier with me, no litterbox or food or anything! I drove home with him laying on the dash of my car and put him on the bed and told my just waking up husband that he neede to watch the cat for about 20 min while I did some shopping!
I love my Remus bum! I do believe he was the one that found me, I didn't find him.

[Laura's Babies]

I have really enjoyed all of ya'lls stories! I love the story part of how we come to get the ones we have and how life was/is with them.

I am lewaving in the wee hours in the morning so anymore posted after this, I will have to see in 28 days!! BYE Friends and thanks for the stories!!

[Fox-Gal]

There was a short time in my life that I didn't have any pets, sense my husband at the time didn't want any. I had always had pets sense the age of 1 day, so it was hard for me. A home without a pet is just a house.

Well one day I went outside our apartment door and there was this kitten. I talked my husband into letting us keep him for a few weeks, on the promise that I'd find him a home. I even talked the landloard in to letting him stay, sense it was a no pet apartment.

The next few weeks we discovered that Tigger (yes I named him) was not your average cat. He was huge for a kitten, with a tude that went along with his size. The cat use to jump on the top of open doors and wait till you walked by and bounce on you.

Being a man, my husband thought this was one cool cat and he never pushed me into finding him a home. So to the vet we went, for shots etc. The Vet belived that Tigger was half bobcat, he says it happens some times and really belived that Tigger was one of those times. Like I said the cat was huge and mean, but I loved him.

Well $2000 later after surgey Tigger was ours for 19 years. Husband loved him and because of that one day of finding a kitten on the door step, I got to have more pets in my life. Another cat, a dog and then 2 more dogs, etc.

Tigger gave me a home again and taught my husband about the wonderful gifts of having pets in your life. We where all happy now.