I got a pair of them … and they act like a pair of ’em too.
Last night, the one who’s a Luddite — he doesn’t even have a computer, if you can believe it, and I suspect that he’s just like Bush, watching ESPN2 all day — called me up and alleged that I’d been arrested for kidnapping.
The other one — who lurks here at BT but doesn’t have the nerve to post here — sent me an e-mail that Johnny Cash has (presumably posthumously) released a new song, “A Boy Named Lisa.”
Ha, ha, ha!
They’re making fun because the cat, who I named Lisa, went to the veterinarian yesterday, and we found out a few, um, things. First, let me say that I went through a lot of hoops for this cat, arranging for the local private shelter to pay for spaying, although Darcy and I had to come up with $35 co-pay.
I’d called the vet’s office a couple times and asked how to be sure it’s been spayed, and they told me that they’d have to shave her stomach to be sure (sometimes the scar is faint and hard to see). I dropped Lisa off at the vet’s office at 7:55 a.m. So, about 11 a.m., they call with the news that Lisa is a neutered male. But, “Lisa” was neutered so young that there’s no vestige of testicles left (what one could do with a phrase like that), and that they’d had to shave “her” stomach to realize that she was a male.
Now, this is the cat — some of you will remember this story — I was trying to find when it was crying in a huge, thick hedge last November. And I leaned on a branch, fell down, and ended up with a wound and black eye from hitting a pruned branch on the way down.
After a couple more days — as I threw cat food into the hedge — she finally came out, and I began feeding her in the morning and at night. She meows at my door to let me know it’s time for food. She has never wanted to come inside — or even to go in the separate building that houses the laundry and garages. She’s clearly an outdoor cat, and my plan after she’d recovered from anesthesia was to release her back here, and I’d keep feeding her.
Then, yesterday at 11 a.m, the vet tech dropped the second bombshell. HE (it’s a he, Susanhu) had a microchip! Owners! Hooray! They told me to call the county shelter, and they gave me the owner’s names, phone number, address, and the cat’s real name, which I won’t post here for reasons only known to me.
I immediately called his owners, and left them a message. No one called last night. I brought “Leo” — yes, he’s Leo now — home, and my BT lurker neighbor helped me set up the big cage in my garage. (BT Lurker had also very kindly helped me the night before by helping me to get this 16-lb. cat into the carrier to go to the vet. BT Lurker is a VERY nice man.)
The odd thing about the owners? This morning, a Susan called. She’s Leo’s owner. They live less than two blocks from me, but have never seen Leo/Lisa since last November. (I have to wonder what else happened in that home.) And, they don’t want him back. Sh says that they adopted him from the pound last October, kept him inside, but after a month, he bolted outside and never returned. I wonder why. Anyway, they’re moving into a business they bought, and it’s on a busy street. So, that’s that for them and “Leo.” I invited her to come visit, but she’ll see about that. I told her to call anytime. I mentioned the, ahem, money, but that didn’t elicit a response.
Yet one more adult cat that hasn’t an official home. I rescue them all the time. I’m sure that a LOT OF YOU DO TOO. Why don’t people get their cats and dogs spayed and neutered? And why in the hell don’t people adopt cats and dogs from shelters, and not from breeders? We have millions of cats and dogs, like Leo/Lisa, who get euthanized every year because there simply aren’t enough homes. And they’re almost always fabulous pets. Even the most shy cats will come around in time…. I’ve taken in two shy cats who, within a year, were the most loving, affectionate, and comfortable-feeling cats. People need to give them a chance. Especially the shy ones. And most especially the adult ones that almost no one wants because kittens are “cuter.”
Uh oh. This was an OPEN THREAD … kinda long, huh. Well, go for it. And, yup, I’m sending BT Lurker this link … he’ll no doubt invite the Luddite neighbor over to see what I wrote about those two …
They don’t want him back? Very nice. They should be embarrassed to admit that.
At least at 16 lbs it looks like he has plenty to eat.
This is really embarrassing….
the vet tech also told me that he’s fat.
I have a dog that I have to walk at least 20 miles a week, or he looks like a tub of lard. And he doesn’t eat much more than my skinny dog. Go figure.
aah, that’s nothing. Growing up I had a cat named Wilbur who was over 20 lbs.
P.S. I also had a hamster named Orville.
Wilbur! What a great name…. will have to remember that one. Got any old photos of him?
maybe in a shoebox somewhere. My favorite cat was Sherlock. He killed so many animals that my mother but a bell on him. He learned to stalk without setting off the bell. It was amazing. He disappeared one day when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Never found him. My brother blamed it on a neighbor’s dobermans, but I think he took on a raccoon or something. He terrorized squirrels, killed a few of them. And one day I heard a cat fight outside and I went out and say grey fur all over the yard of my… Read more »
at least Lisa/Leo spayed/neutered…that’s a plus. 🙂 And he/she was adopted from the shelter, not from breeders. And it’s possible the behavior of the cat was due to treatment from owners farther back from the most recent; if they had the microchip installed they at least were interested in long-term companionship at one point, until Lisa/Leo ran away.
[I’m not even going to touch the obvious similarities between Lisa/Leo’s lack of testicles and the current state of the Democratic Party…]
yup. PERFECT EUNUCHS! All of ’em.
I’m laughing so hard at your post.
(ANother cool thing about Lisa/er Leo: He and the raccoons who drop by get along just fine. They kind of ignore each other. He doesnt’ stress when the coonies eat the rest of his dry food because he knows there’s more comin’ — geeeeez.)
Say! He really likes Costco’s cat food, which is SO MUCH cheaper. And the private animal shelter is willing to use Costco’s cat food. It’s obviously not top-of-the-line, but it’s alright. My two indoor cats love it too.
Actually, I think Costco’s cat and dog food is top of the line. Our vet told us it was pretty much the same as Science Diet. Costco’s a good company — they only sell high-end stuff at good prices. Not so great if you don’t want or need high-end (like furniture and linens), but great if you do.
Their people food is really good, too. And they’re good to their employees. You have nothing to feel bad about feeding your cat the Kirkland brand!
The county shelter spays/neuters all animals + they microchip them before they’re adopted.
Our county shelter, which was a scandal about 4 years ago, has really improved conditions and gotten its act together.
It was so bad, though, that that’s why the private shelter got started, and they’re still going strong too. In fact, they now help out the county shelter — if the county has too many kittens, etc., they’ll pitch in and help them out. They have a wonderful relationship these days although– about 4-5 years ago — they all hated each other.
LeoLisa is a very lucky boy to have found you! I have a very timid young girl kitty prancing on my keyboard right now, who was delivered to me by a friend. (I THOUGHT she was handing me a rat and almost fell out of my chair.) She wasn’t much more than three inches long, with umbilical stub still attached, a littlerunt abando9ned by an overworked feral catmom and left to die behind a coke machine. (the cat, not my friend.) And so it came to be I learned how to set up a feline neonatal intensive care unit, with… Read more »
Oh scribe, that is way toooooo funny…I know exactly what you are talking about…
. I was just doing my thing since September 2004 to get a grip on U.S. politics and what’s happening in Our World. wow – too much and thank you for confidence. Koufax Award Nominations Congratulations to all BooTribbers for their contributions and BooMan for making it all possible, but especially susanhu and blksista, who I both admire, for their nomination. And Jérôme a Paris @EuroTrib, naturally. I’ll NEVER wave the white flag, I prefer to dye all linnen and underwear red, just to prevent a surrender. We need to frogmarch the Bush Cabal out of the people’s mansion on… Read more »
Congratulations, Oui, well-deserved recognition!
Oui, I agree with Kidspeak. But then again, I know each of you folks here deserve lots for y our hard work towards education others. I applaud each of the nominees and wish the best of luck. I am so glad you are all with us here…hugs
HELLO to the two “L’s”..:o) Just incase you are looking in here today…. Susan, PPl are the funniest critters of all the animal kingdom… As you have go to know. I am a cat lover. Well, I do love all animals, but cats are the ones I do want in my home. Dogs can come in too, but have to be very housebroken for that to occur. I do spend much time away from the house to have an inside dog that can not hold itself for at least 12-15 hours in some cases. I think your story shows just… Read more »
I’ve told you I wished you were my neighbor! We’d have so many good laughs. My neighbors are great. Luddite helped me out because the raccoons kept turning on an outside faucet … coonies love water. And they’re smart so it was easy for them to figure out how to turn the faucet. Luddite wrapped that pipe so well that there’ no way in hell that even those crafty raccoons can tear it off. And BT Lurker even gave me a big bag of dog food and doggie treats for the coonies…. And somehow he found me a Christmas… Read more »
Oh Susan, that is great…They do sound like such treasures to have as neighbors.
BTW, Since the discussion from Katrina and the animal problem there, Every month, I gather at least 25 dollars and go buy either animal food or paper towels or pinesol to give to the humane society/animal society here. They really do appreciate that too. I know not much but every little bit helps.
HEE!!!! We have a feral cat colony at work and a trap/spay-neuter/release program. They are a healthy, happy colony. The trick is managing them. Recently someone caught a kitten, about 2-3 months. I had the onerous job of visiting her every day and holding her (as any of you who are around cats know, if you want to tame one that’s been feral, they require a lot of handling). She got tame really fast, an absolute sweetie, and is now the queen of her own condo with a loving family. I have three cats and fear I’d have a lot… Read more »
Lisa, don’t you know that the cats are making you believe you are taming them…Cats are that way, ya know. They tame the ppl not the other way around…:O)
I’m naming the (inevitable) next stray Brenda!
(Or Brando if it’s a boy.)
As you know, I named Lisa after you! I hope you’re not hurt he’s now Leo 🙂
Ohhhh .. you should post that photo of that kitten you cared for. Absolutely darling!
(And, everyone, Lisa lost two cats this past falll … it was very, very sad.)
Thanks for sharing the recent “adventures” of Leo/Lisa. It’s good to know that he has a place to call “home”, even if it isn’t in your home. My Phoenix (who’s a she), is another example of a cat who needed to be given a chance, though her circumstances were rather different. As a kitten, she’d been adopted from a shelter by my sister-in-law’s sister. Her apartment at the time was a smallish studio, and Phoenix was literally bouncing off the walls and would always squirm frantically if someone tried to hold her. After about seven months, she felt she had… Read more »
Phoenix is the luckiest cat! Wow. What a story. They do need room to roam. But, Darcy and I each have a cat who each had to survive outdoors before they came into our lives. Now, those each have very little desire to go outside. They know what living outside is like, and they want none of it. But the cats who’ve never lived outdoors are more likely to be itchin’ to get out. (That’s not always true — just our own experiences.) My other indoor cat, Althea, came from a business buildnig right by Wal-Mart. She loves NOTHING… Read more »
My Katie is a former outside cat who has no lingering interest in the outdoors. Not surprising, though, because she became an indoor cat through her own initiative. One summer evening several years ago I left the back door open with the screen door shut to let the air circulate through the house a bit. By the time I returned to close the door, there was a hole in the screen, and a pretty long-haired tuxedo cat was curled up in a recliner near the door. With five kittens. Mama Katie and a couple of the kittens stayed here, and… Read more »
OH yeah. My oldest, Murphy, was a semi-feral who found her way into my apartment by crawing in through a hole in the murphy bed in the adjacent apartment. She has NO interest in going “out there.”
Leo is a fine name for a kitty!
I had a cat named Leo when I was in undergrad. Named him after my Sociology professor. He was black and white, and the meanest cat I’ve ever known. My favorite memory of him is that he once threw up on one of my term papers — minutes before class. I wrote up the experience for an English class and got an A.
Phoenix absolutely detests the outdoors, but she loves darting out the front door of my apartment into the hallway — luckily, I’m up three flights of stairs, and there are two separate doors to get out onto the front stoop. I’d be terrified if she ever escaped outside, because I’m sure she would go into panic mode. My parents have lost a couple of “indoor” cats to the outside world, including one who got away in the suburbs and was so timid (and utterly loyal to my mother) that we doubt she ever would have willingly exposed herself from whatever… Read more »
Great story, Susan. We have a Leo, too – one of a pair (Leo and Zena) that we brought in as kittens born in the alley behind our house. We intended to name them Leo and Toby after the West Wing guys, but I figured out that Toby was a girl shortly before I caught her (the pair were quite wild). So they became Leo and Zena. Then when we got them to the vet, I learned that Leo was also a girl (vet says I’m good at “half-sexing” cats. I’m still trying to figure that one out!). But Leo… Read more »
I live in rural Alabama and feed most of the cats in my area, plus the odd opossum or raccoon family. It takes roughly 60lbs of dry food and 50 cans a week, I have roughly 2 dozen at a time. I used to name them all, but hunters (and an occasional automobile) kill the majority before they reach their 1st birthday, which is why I despise hunters so much. Almost all of them are tame but only about half of them have names now. I usually raise them indoors for the first 5 weeks until they are old enough… Read more »
I have a back yard that is fenced in, like I said above. It is about 150 feet long by 75 feet wide. I had it done that way to house and maintain the two g-Shepard’s and a mixed breed, of my son’s, so that they would not get loose and stray over the neighborhood, and/or be imprisoned in doggie jail. I have 1/4th of the back again fenced off, for their run, to keep them away for the ppl who are there for working purposes or children who are afraid of big dogs. Two springs ago, on a early… Read more »
Brenda, when I finished laughing, I had to send this to my mom. When she was a kid, she had to “tend the geese” that ate the weeds in the small cotton patch the family had. I’ve heard my mother describe some of the G stories – but none quite as dramatic and funny as yours. She will particularly appreciate it coming from where you live!
Actually, Kidspeak, one just had to be there to trully appreaciate the acutally happenings of it all. It is just that I never have much time to speak of all the trully wonderful things that go on around me in my life. I have learned to appreciate them always…:o) AT the time, it was not funny but to look back on the whole affair, I split a gut just thinking about it.
well, kidspeak, I am actually a Yankee, who has moved south for the fun of it…well, so I think…anyhow. I am from southern Il. I am a country girl, but never have I had such an experience as with this G! Good heavens. I never want one again either…:o) G’s so not get respect from me for they are terrible negotiators
Yes, I remember that you are a transplant. Doesn’t matter. My mother actually has a framed print of a little girl, all dressed up in bonnet, etc. directing a few geese ahead of her with a stick. She said to me, that of course, if the kid were actually in charge of the geese, her hat would be long gone, her dress ripped and dirty, and the birds off each in a different direction!
absolutely correct!!!!!!!!! I can atest of that personally!!!!!:o)
And like Ductape’s New Year’s feast, this would make a great children’s book.
Susan, you scared me for a second there. Somehow when I first looked at the beginning of this all I saw was your name and the words, “I got a pair of them”. I had to rub my eyes and do a double :oP take. I won’t share what my initial thought was either, but you’re pretty tough so you know….either way :o) We have a cat that we got from a woman that my wife met at her job last year. Her name (the cat) is Lilo. Sounds like Leo :o) Apparently though as a kitten she was removed… Read more »
LOL. Glad I’m not the only one who had a, uh, ssstrange, initial thought about that!
All of my past dogs (we are currently dogless) were adopted from an animal shelter. All lived to a ripe old age in relatively good health. I recommend a “pound puppy” for anyone.
Tobi, a special needs shelter cat that lived 2 years in a shelter because he was so mean no one could touch him….I took him home only to nurse him back to health (foster program/volunteer) from IBS and when I took him back, they told me if I did not adopt him he would live his live out in a cage. I had no choice. Now of course he has turned into a lover, but still bullies the two dogs!
what a cutie he is. He looks so secure in your enviroment for him. I am glad you kept him. Thanks for showing his pix to us.
Looks like an angel but he is a stubborn little boy! Always seeing what he can get away with, he had all the staff at Save-A-Pet afraid of him including me when he was at the shelter! Love works miracles.
{{{ Love works miracles. }}}
you bet it does!!!! cats are great. I think they know it too…:o) I know mine have me wrapped around their little paw all the time.
TOBI! You’re precious! Give your Mattes a big hug for saving you from being in a cage.
Maybe someday you can give tobi a pet. If I ever head up to PA, I hope we can meet and have some lunch!
Please don’t uniformly condem all dog breeders. There is a place for well-bred pure bred dogs. Because I keep livestock, I can’t risk having a random bred dog – whose temperament can be as veriable as his or her genes. Great Pyrenees/Pyrenean Mountain Dogs, like my Luna, have a 4000 year old linage as a livestock guardians. Which is why I have one, and come next heat, will be breeding mine to produce puppies for similarly inclined families. Pure bred animals are more consistent in type and temperament, and for some people that’s very important. And to my way of… Read more »
Keres, you’ve taught me something. Thank you. I hadn’t thought of the necessity of having certain breeds.
And you’re an eloquent advocate.
I’m thrilled you’re so opposed to puppy mills.
We like to get cat food from pet stores since grocery store food is of such poor quality, but we won’t buy from stores that also sell pets (well, amost never — sometimes I don’t have a choice since the closest store that doesn’t sell animals is 20 miles away. And I’m worried for them since Petco is going in right near them. )
Since this is an open thread, I want to inform others of the follow-up I did this morning with the DHS that I contacted and got the Armed Forces branch: REF: the death of female soldiers from dehydration, fear of being raped. Dianna Tabler, medical division, sent this on to an associate, Dave Morrison, to follow up on with. The Miles Foundation is doing work on this issue. I understand from what she said, that Ms. Karpenski(sp?),herself, has reported it to the correct persons and depts. to investigate into as well. Just to let you all know that I am… Read more »
Oh and btw, her attitude with me was much more serious than before when I made my initial contact. She thanked me for the follow-up and noted that it would take some time for appropriate investigation. to stay in touch with her and she would let me know of further details coming out, if I so inclined to do…I thought was might nice of her to talk with me in such a manner..not so condescending either, as in our prior conversation.
Thanks for “bird-dogging” this Brenda, much appreciated.
Thanks, Kidspeak. I do not mind one bit doing my civic duty. NOt only this, but I am very upset over this. I intend not to let this fall thru the cracks. I will follow-up till I can no longer get any answers.
And why in the hell don’t people adopt cats and dogs from shelters . . . most especially the adult ones that almost no one wants because kittens are “cuter.”
Timely advice. After Lightnin, our older cat, died of an hereditary kidney disease, I was planning to adopt a kitten from the shelter. Based on your advice, I will get an older cat. Thanks for making me think about it.
Ohhh. There’s also a practical reason. I once had a kitten who wanted to play ALL NIGHT long! And I had to sleep to go to work the next morning. If I closed my bedroom door, he’d mew and scratch at the door. Oh lordie … adult cats aren’t like that. They like to crawl in bed and fall asleep too. If you see a shy one who otherwise appeals to you, I’d recommend them. It’ll take sometimes months for them to come out of their shells but, boy, when they do, they are the most loving. They’ve usually had… Read more »