How did you get your cat?

[catwoman]

I got Thelma & Weezie six years ago, from a pair of fellow scuba divers. The divers came to our local dive club meeting, asking if anyone wanted a kitten. It seems they had taken in a "chubby" stray, who had subsequently delivered five kittens. (Surprise!) The kittens were now old enough for adoption.

I think I was over there the very next day!

I went intending to adopt one kitten ... and came back with two! Thelma & Weezie played together so sweetly, I just couldn't resist taking them both. I'm so glad I did ... knowing they are buddies helps when I have to leave for the office!

(I am happy to report that the other three kitties were promptly adopted, and mamma cat has since been spayed.)

Catwoman

[Kitty Peon]

This is the story of how Cleocatra became my baby:

Christmas 2000

When my sister and brother-in-law were still dating and my sister was living out of town (long distance relationship) my brother-in-law got two kittens for her from a foster home as a X-mas gift - Cleocatra and her brother Mishka. My sister couldn't handle both kitties in her tiny apartment so Mishka went to live with my brother-in-law. Cleocatra came home with my sister every weekend and the entire family fell in love with her - even my mum who was petrified of all animals. Once my sister became engaged she moved back home until she got married - along with my sister came Cleocatra. When my sister finally got married my parents and I refused to part with Cleocatra. We threatned legal action if my sister should try and remove Cleo from her new home (only half joking). My sister was devastated but it all worked out for the best. When Cleo got really sick my mum was able to stay home with her all day and take care of her something that my sister would have never been able to do. This story is still a happy one because my sister now lives only a half an hour away from us and works about 10 minutes away from us - she visits Cleo on weekends and weekdays at lunch and after work until we come home.

When Cleocatra first started coming to visit us my mum had a list of rules for her to abide by - my poor mum all her rules were broken by Cleo's second visit. My mum who had never before touched a kitty (she used to put food out for strays and race back into the house before they could emerge from their hiding place) has become Cleo's favourite person. She pets, cuddles and kisses Cleo the most and when Cleo last got really sick she even started carrying her around.

Even though we are so saddened by Cleo's sickness we would never trade a second of the time we have with her - each day she makes us laugh and smile. I'm 23 and I could move out at any time but I know that my parents would disown me before they give Cleo up so I stay only to be with my baby.

Sorry I know it's long but I've edited out quite a bit. I could go on forever about Princess Cleocatra (Her Royal Highness Princess Fluff Bottom).

[sammi]

I could have kept on and on reading! That was a heart warming story. Thank you for posting it.

[Pam]

Trevor is the first cat I ever owned. He was picked out by my son's best friend to be a "new cat" for his grandmother because her cat had just died. The grandmother didn't want another cat so instead of returning him to the pet store my son decided to bring him home. He smuggled him into the house that night (complete with litter box and litter) and put him in his room. In the morning when I went into his room to wake him up for school a teeny tiny little orange fluff ball walked down the bed to meow at me. I fell in love! There was no need for my son to ask if we could keep him!

Andy was found by my mom. She lives an hour from me and was at her friend's yard sale one day. The woman across the street came to the sale with two kittens under her arms. She asked if anyone would like one of them (the other one was spoken for). My mom said "just give me time to call my daughter." She ran home and called me and begged me to ride down to see him. Of course I couldn't resist. He was a tiny one pound ball of white fluff and again I was hooked! Needless to say he rode home with us that day!

Neither one of my cats was planned but I think sometimes that's the best way!

[TheAntiPam]

I can't resist telling the stories of my sweet kitties!

Murf: my first cat ever. When I went to the animal shelter to look for a cat, he was talking up a storm as I walked by. He didn't seem to talk to anyone else who was in the room. The attendant told me that Murf was telling me that he was going home with me. Who am I to argue with a cat? He's now 13+ years old, a big orange & white tabby, my first sweet baby boy.

Then came Squee. He was a 4 week old baby left alone when his mother was killed. The other kittens were adopted quickly, but not Squee. I don't know why, because for me he was a sweet and lovable boy. He was gray with green eyes. He made a funny meow noise that got him his name. When I had surgery, he came and sat with me for weeks as I recovered. The day I got the OK from the doctor that everything was fine, Squee disappeared. I hope he went to live with someone else that needed his love and attention.

Three months after Squee was gone, I got Daisy from the pound. This was a county run shelter that has poor conditions. The day I was there, over 40 kittens and 30 adult cats were for adoption, or would be killed. Daisy was a beautiful high-energy tuxedo kitty that went to the Rainbow Bridge in November last year.

And then Winston, my little blind kitty. He was found in an old tire in a warehouse, crying for his mom. He was only 2 weeks old, and has been my baby ever since. He's got other health problems, but is a fighter! And of course, he is a snugglebug!

Thanks for letting my tell my stories. I sure have enjoyed reading how so many wonderful people have helped their kitty friends!

[sbarbagelata]

I'm new here, so I think it is a good topic to start. I hope you forgive my bad english. I am chilean, but live in Brazil, since I was a baby. I got married last year and moved to Niterói, a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

At first, me and my husband got Federico Garcia Lorca, a siamese cat, from a pet shop. But he had FIP, and went to the rainbow bridge 2 months after his arrival. :-(

We waited a for a period of quarantine, went to a park, in front of our apartment (were a large group of cats live, with help from good people), found a kitten and took her home.

That was Dana Scully. She is white, with tabby tail and tabby spots on her head and a little bit feral. She didn't really wanted to be taken to a home. She was only 4 weeks old and it took me two days to pet her. Now she is completely sweet, loves our attention
and is always aroud us.

Three weeks after that, we decided to get another cat, and thet it should be black. Then, only two days after our decision, a little black cat appeared in the parking lot of our building. We heard her meowing. She was 3 weeks old, completely black and was starving. We "captured" her from under a car with a litrtle bit of canned salon cat food. :-) My husband called her Odivan, like a brazilian football player, but when we discovered she was a girl, we changed it to Odivana.

Then, at the same park where we found Scully, we got Bill Gates. He is a mixed siamese cat, with crossed eyes, and we named him Bill Gates to give him luck, since Lorca wasnt lucky at all.

Well, sorry for the long message.

Susana, Scully, Odivana & Bill

[Laura]

Bouja was saved by a Rescue org. in LA. I adopted her when she sat up, shook herself, walked over to my fingers on the cage and licked me. She was promptly scared of everything after that. The woman running the adoption process said she hadn't looked at anyone else in the 3 months they had been bringing her to these events.
Bushes was part of a family with 2 kids, 2 dogs and 3 cats. The mom developed allergies and had to find homes for all of the animals. She worked with my sister, who knew I was looking for a friend for Bouja. The names together were just too cute to resist. She came to visit (to make sure of Bouja's reaction) for a weekend 2 years ago, and just stayed forever.
Those are my sweeties. They love me.

[thelmalu99]

LOL, Susana! I love your cats' names! Welcome to Pet Talk! My family is Brazilian and I lived in Vitoria, E.S. for almost seven years.
Please let Agent Scully, Odivana ( ) and Bill know that their buddy Charlie (my cat) from New York sends snuggles!
Tchau!

[Tebaldi]

How Tebaldi came to live with me (Cat of the day Nov 8 2000)

A friend told me of a situation she had head about at a block of flats (apartments) in the city. A couple living in the flats, who had four cats, had an ugly divorce. The husband left and then the wife moved out, taking her 3 cats with her - leaving HIS 4 year old cat behind.

Neither ever came back for Tebaldi and she hung around the flats for four years waiting for the family to return. Kind people who lived in the flats put food out for her & took her to the vet but couldn't adopt her because they had their own pets.

For four years poor Tebaldi stayed outside the flat in which she had once lived with her family, in all weathers. She became increasingly stressed & started to overgroom, licking huge patches of white fur off her body. She licked her bare skin until sores formed. The vet prescribed valium for her to reduce her stress but suggested that Tebaldi would never recover until she had her own family again. He felt the over grooming was her way of trying to look clean & tidy so that someone would adopt her.

When I heard this story, I decided that I must rescue this poor puss even though I lived then in a one bedroom flat where cats were not allowed. We took a cat cage and trapped Tebaldi: she was scared and yowling and was covered in raw skin & sores.

When I got her home she hid behind the shelves & was purring with fear. She didn't eat, drink or poo for days & I thought she would die. Eventually, very slowly, she started to come out from hiding and eat and drink & use the litter tray. She was scared of me for a long time but at night she would sleep under my bed & I could hear her purring. And as soon as she moved in, she stopped licking her fur off and I could see fine new hair growing in the bald patches!

That was five years ago. Having Tebaldi has completely changed my life. I soon got a better job & was able to buy a little house with a fenced garden so Tebaldi can sleep in the sun. She is a beautiful, intelligent cat with such a gentle nature and we are best friends. She sleeps by my head every night.
I cannot understand how people could have a pet like her for years and simply walk away and abandon her - it still makes me so angry to think of the years she suffered. But she is happy now!

Thanks for listening to Tebaldi's story.

[ July 02, 2001: Message edited by: Tebaldi ]

[Jasper's Mom]

Tebaldi,
That was a really great story about the rescue of your precious kitty. How wonderful that you both have each other now.

After many years of not having a cat, my Jasper arrived in my life as a thrown out tiny kitten, under a disabled old truck where I worked. My niece crawled under, lured him closer with food, then grabbed him. He attacked her but she held on. Taken to the vet he had his badly injured tail amputated, and was treated for an infection. She worked with him, taming him, and later he came to live with me, still a little guy. He is now almost 6 years old, the love of my life.

My Eli is still a tiny but growing kitten, today weighing in at almost 3 lbs. He was trapped on Pearl Harbor, and taken to the local humane society by two kind ladies. They learned with him so wild he would be put to sleep. They were upset and crying when I entered the office to redo a lost animal report for my Jasper. (Lost but home again after almost 3 months.) I cried with them and when their phone calls found no one to take him, I said I would. To find him a home. It felt like I would be disloyal and was giving up on my lost cat, replacing him if I kept the kitten. Well, he has a home now, right here. Wild and a spit fire when he came, he is now sweet and a precious delight in my life.

Jasper is home now recovering and Eli is working hard on winning him over. Their future is secure now here with me.

[catwoman]

Tebaldi,

I was really touched by your two-legger's story of your rescue. I am so happy you found a loving home where you feel safe and wanted. I checked out your picture ... you are so lovely! I'm so glad your pretty white fur grew back. You now have an new "admirer."

Catwoman

[AmberLee]

Thanks, Spencer! I wanted to see Tabaldi.

Tabaldi's story of rescue is beautiful. I'm trying to focus on the wonderful new home she has and not the original "dysfunctional" one.

[wolflady]

I'm a little late chiming in here, but what a great rescue story and what a beauty Tebaldi is!! I agree, I don't see how people can just abandon animals like that, but I'm sure glad that Tebaldi found a great forever home!!

[Gio]

I only just read this thread, I also don't understand how anyone could leave a pet behind. It makes me wonder if these people really do love animals.

[ July 13, 2001: Message edited by: Gio ]