How did you pick your cat/cats?

[thelmalu99]

You can see Elvis' crooked paw here: I have moved my pics to photogra, so this should work now.

[NoahsMommy]

Thelmalu,

That is so sweet! I am sure Danny and Elvis are lucky to have you! Many people wouldn't want Elvis with his paw crooked. (meanies!) I am so glad you got to take him home and he is happy as can be!

[libracats]

I have been allergic to cats all my life and never thought I could have one. I had been told that bathing a cat may help with allergies so......about 4 years ago a co-worker asked me if I wanted a kitten. He told me she was about 10 months old, black and was the last one left of a litter that had been born in a nursery from a feral mom. She had the litter in a flower pot. I called my husband and we decided to take her. The next day he brought her to work in a cardboard carrier. I opened it up and she looked up at me with the biggest lime green eyes that I'd ever seen. I thought she was the most beautiful kitty. We named her Vienna(a Libra city),even though she is a Tauras. She was a little feral when we got her but now you'd never know it.

Pippi,My Abyssinian I found while doing some work in Long Beach,CA at someones home. I was outside and looked up and saw,on the other side of the iron fence to the next property, a spunky kitten prancing around. She saw me and stopped, so I ran into the house for some cat food. I tryed to give her some, she didnt want it. She looked so skinny so I decided to pick her up to look at her. Well, she was covered with fleas, had bald spots all over her fur and her eye was half closed. I decided to take her home. I found out after rescuing her that she was unfixed, about 5 months old and had Giardia and Tape worms. She, too, took some time before she truely comfortable. She is 4 now and very bonded with my husband.

All 6 of my other cats, Bandit, Deja, Chat, London,Paris and Chloe came from my work in cat rescue. I fostered them along with several others for adoption. I just fell in love with them.
Bandit was from a litter of 4(the first litter I ever fostered), Deja and Chat I got when they were 1 week old and bottle fed them, London and Paris were from a litter of 4(I kept 2 this time)
and Chloe my husband brought home. She was a ball of fire from day one. She wasn't going anywhere

I don't foster anymore

I love all these stories

[shais_mom]

LibraCats how are your allergies?

One of my best friends and coworker at the time had taken a brother and sister from her mom's cat.
Kylie is long haired and white and Max was a tiger short haired.
She aquired a boyfriend who doesn't like cats and really didn't like Kylie due to being white and long haired.
Well, one night when Kylie was trying to crawl over his head he threw her across the room.

It came about that while he was there Kylie hid under the bed except to use the litter box and eat. She was miserable b/c he moved in from almost day one.
I was thinking about getting a kitten as a playmate for Shaianne. But my friend talked me into taking Kylie. It was a hard adjustment ofr her at first, but she is doing great now. She loves me and I love her.
She has become a different kitty.
Unfortunately I wish there could be a more happy ending but Max mysteriously disappeared one night while "he" was home alone.
I first took Kylie as a temporary basis, b/c she was going to break up with him, but that never happened and now she has another job and they are engaged. I knew after having Kylie for about a month that she was mine to keep, and after Shaianne died there was no way in God's green earth I was giving her up. period. She was a great support thru that time, she is a sweet cat.
I never thought I would have a cat, now I can't imagine life w/o one.

[Gio]

Well you asked for it...

I won't bore you with the stories of ones that unfortunately are at the bridge right now ( ) , I will only say that 2 of them were rescues and 1 was given to me by a fried of someone I went to school with.

Maya came to stay with me in August 1987. In June that year my cat Titti died (she was 17) and my other cat Gigio, who was then 15) acted very depressed. Someone told me that in a feral colony there wer a few kittens they wanted to try to place since some were found savaged in the field. They did show me some pictures of the two survivors and told me to chose one (there was someone else interested in taking one). Maya is known as the cat that was chosen out of a catalogue . Roughly a year later, my sister who was staying with me at the time (with her two cats) adopted a kitten that was taken in the shelter she volunteers at. She was kit by a car when only 40 days old and left unattended for days. She was in a bad state (I won't get into it, her medical records are much longer than mine), they saved her but she lost part of a front leg (her paw is attached to her elbow joing as her own body expelled part of the bone - I wouldn't have believed that something like this would happen by my sister witnessed it). Prema arrived on Christmas Eve 1998 and by Christmas day my sister lost all "rights" on her. Prema and I have this really strong bond (Don't feel sad for my sister, she adopted her third car, another amputee, shortly after she moved to her own apartment ). And Finally there is Foxy who turned 6 months old today. As I have written in previous post my parents had to come to live with me due to their ill health and a fews month ago my dad went through a really bad time. Gigio also died around the same time, and my dad took it very badly, so we decided to take a kitten in as Pet Therapy (the cats were the only things my father reacted reacted to). We went to the shelter and got Foxy. His mother is a feral who was having terrible difficulties giving birth so she was taken to the shelter to get some help (everyone, including the mother have found new homes ) ). Personally I would have taken in an elderly or a handicapped cat but since the new addition was supposed to lift my father's spirits we opted for a kitten. Believe me, Foxy worked wonders!

[Cynthia]

OK, here goes. I never thought I was a "cat" person, although a co-worker kept trying to convince me that I was. Meanwhile, I had begun a relationship with a terrific man who had a wonderful Manx cat. He moved to an apartment and couldn't keep the cat...well, by then the kitty (Stump) and I had bonded and you can guess the rest. Incidentally, that was seven years ago, and both cat and guy are still the lights of my life And the co-worker still reminds me that I had to be convinced about having a cat!

Emmett was found in a woodpile when he was just a few weeks old by a woman who had six cats of her own and oftened fostered strays. She had occasionally done some pet-sitting for Stump and asked me if he wanted a playmate. I had been feeling guilty about leaving Stump at home all day, so I said ok. That was three years ago, and as I indicated in another post, Emmett is now beginning to calm down and not be so skittish. He is a really sweet cat who loves having a home.

[NoahsMommy]

Cynthia,

I too, did not like cats until I met my hubby. Now I'm OBSESSED!!!

[TheAntiPam]

Originally posted by shais_mom
One of my best friends ...
aquired a boyfriend who doesn't like cats and really didn't like Kylie due to being white and long haired.
Well, one night when Kylie was trying to crawl over his head he threw her across the room...

I know we talked about Kylie and the wacko boyfriend when you were first considering adopting her, but...

I sure wish that anyone reading this would take to heart the following message: : If someone abuses an animal, it is very likely they will abuse a human. No matter what, neither deserves abuse. Love is never NEVER abuse.

I am so grateful to know the people here at PetTalk are always trying to defeat ignorance and abuse for animals - and their owners!

(thanks for letting me get off-topic and on my soap box)

[yorkster]

Originally posted by thelmalu99
You can see Elvis' crooked paw here: (hopefully, this will work because my pics are still in Webshots.)

Awwww Thelma.......I could not see Elvis's picture. For some reason about 50% of pics on the internet won't show up for me. Can I see it at webshots?

[lbaker]

I won't even get into my stories of my dear babies at the bridge but my sons kittens (right after he moved back in) will do... He had to leave his home and his cats (wife too but so what) and really missed cats, having always lived with them.. and then we heard through my wonderful vet...WONDERFUL guy...that the horse ranch lady had found a box of kittens in her driveway, no mom...just 3 week old kittens alone well, she after hand feeding them there were only two left but now little Slick and Baby are with us... typing away on the board and thinking they are littermates with our dogs.

[thelmalu99]

Originally posted by yorkster



Awwww Thelma.......I could not see Elvis's picture. For some reason about 50% of pics on the internet won't show up for me. Can I see it at webshots?

Yorkster, I have moved my kitty pics to photogra, so if you go back to my original post, you should be able to see the pic now.

[yorkster]

Okay.....now I can see the pic of Elvis!

I think the crocked paw gives him character!
That is so cool that you adopted him, being an older kitty.

Elvis still has 'that look' of coolness going-on. He seems to enjoy the camara too..........

[thelmalu99]

LOL, thanks, Yorkster! I think he's pretty cool myself.

[lynnestankard]

Aw all these stories - most have had me in tears. Aren't all the furbabies sooooo lucky to have ended with THEIR families?

We had lost our beloved Siamese - Kisi, who is still waiting at Rainbow Bridge. I was missing her so much it hurt.

Then a friend, Alison (another cat person - she has five furkids) was aware I needed to feel needed told me of a co-workers sister (are you all still with me?) had two kittens she wanted to re-home. No reason given.

So we went to see these furbabies and the full story came out - Zoe had had four cats - two lots of brother and sister, when the sister of Dan had been killed on the road - and she'd witnessed it - she was so upset, it was awful. She wanted to keep Dan, thinking he was young enough to become a house cat. The other set of brother and sister hadn't even been named - she wanted them to go to somewhere safe.

We fell in love and two days later Zoe brought them to live with us. They became our beloved Bagel and Ketchum and settled down like they'd always been here.

One month later I received a phone call from Zoe she was crying and so distressed, Since the removal of the littlies - Dan had gone into a decline, now he'd stopped eating and was losing weight. Could I help her?

Of course I could - she brought him straight round to us - such a thin scrawny looking boy I was in tears - last time I'd seen him he was such a healthy cat.

Zoe left in tears and Dan stayed - to become a big brother to Bagel and Ketchum , and regain all his good looks!!!!

Even when they go into the cattery for their holidays - they go into the same house (cage sounds awful).

Every Christmas they send Zoe a card and let her know of all their adventures

I'm sure I was meant to have my three furbabies.

Lynne.

[purrley]

Spencer (Chocolate Point Siamese) bought him after I saw him at a Cat Show - fell in love with him.

Frisco - (Blue Point Siamese) - bought him from the same lady I bought Spencer from after I lost Kirbee (another Siamese I bought from the same lady).

Panda was a feral stray that I finally got close too, after she was pregnant. She delivered 3 babies a year ago Feb. 24th. Decided to keep her.

Braydee - is one of Panda's babies that I decided to keep. He's gorgeous, looks just like Logan's Butter baby.