The Paws That Refreshes
Our Many Cats
(Playing ~ "Kitten On the Keys")

Pals till the end ....

Chocolate Bar and Blue Eyes ..... We had Chocolate Bar for two years
before Blue Eyes came upon the scene. Watching them was better than a drama/comedy.
Chocolate Bar immediately took over as Blue Eyes' mother, teacher, discipliner,
and companion. Never before had I seen that in the animal world.

~~~

Dogs have owners ....
Cats have Staff!

~~~

"And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark ....."

Genesis 6:19a

~~~

"Happiness is being owned by a cat."

On my page about our poodles, entitled "Animated Toys," I relayed my inexperience with animals
of any sort until we got our first pet, a poodle, in 1966. I quickly fell in love with our poodles,
but never dreamed I could live with, or develop a strong love for, a cat. How wrong I was!
Beginning in 1970, we started taking in a long succession of stray cats or, in a couple of instances,
simply a cat that we learned needed a home.

Unlike our poodles, I assumed "a cat was a cat." Wrong again! Every single cat over the years had an entirely
different personality, but we never had one that was not loving. It was quite amusing to see them develop
a hierarchy among themselves. Contrary to popular opinion, our cats and poodles got along just great and,
in their latter years, took care of each other. In 1992, only Marie, a 16-year-old poodle, and Chocolate Bar,
a 21-year-old cat, remained. They stayed close together, sleeping together, each watching out for
the deficiences that had developed at that age in the other.

After Chocolate Bar died in October, 1992, four months after her 21st birthday, we decided we could not
have any more pets because of the responsibility. That decision lasted almost three years when we finally
took in another cat and nursed her on a long road back to health. Since she looked just like Chocolate Bar,
in her honor we named this cat Hershey Bar.

Almost all of our cats have been female. We always had all of them spayed/neutered as this is something
we strongly believe in! Although I was careful to keep an eye on our cats, it is not possible when they are outside.
In 1976, a precious cat, Tar Baby, disappeared without a trace. This brought home a valuable lesson and,
after that time, it was rare indeed that we ever let any of our cats go out. Their stories could fill a book.
Every one of our cats was so precious, sweet and loving, and they were happy as long as we were with them!
It was so heartbreaking to lose each one. I am updating this page on May 20, 2008, the day we had
to have Hershey Bar put to sleep. I am heartbroken; George is also. There will be no more pets
for us ... I couldn't face the prospect of something happening to us and leaving a pet!

This page is dedicated to their memory. Their names are quite colorful. Here they are, in order of appearance:

JEAN TOM (French pronunciation, please)
Solid black, male, stray, had him only two weeks in Spring, 1970, gave him to good home as hadn't
become attached to cats yet (big mistake .. that was the beginning of my love for cats)

PRISSY
Solid white, female, stray, had her only three months in Fall, 1970, disappeared

SWEETIE PIE
Gray, female ... this page's background looks just like her ... got her from a friend,
born May 28, 1971, died September 12, 1981. Oh, how her name suited her! Precious and sweet.
(That's Daddy's watch in the glass dome on the mantle with her. Her gave the watch to me
a number of years before he died, and I re-set it to the time of day that he died. The oil painting
behind Sweetie Pie is one I did before I married when I took art from George Little,
a famous artist of Chattanooga landmarks.)

PRETTY BOY
(apparently I captured no picture of him before he disappeared)
Solid white, male, brother to Sweetie Pie, born May 28, 1971, disappeared that Fall

CHOCOLATE BAR
Tortoise shell, female, born about June 27, 1971, found her first week in August, 1971,
when she was too young to be weaned ~ died October 7, 1992 .... after her 21st birthday.
She always thought I was her mother! So sweet and loving.

GINGERBREAD
Callico, female, found her in August, 1971, when she was possibly four or five months old,
died on Christmas Day, 1985 (definitely the "Queen Bee" ~ leader of all our cats).
Contented with us and loving.

COOKIE
White with a little tan, female, given to us by a friend who could not keep her in the house
in August, 1972, at very young age, killed by a car in May, 1973

TAR BABY
Solid black, but one-half Siamese, female, born August 12, 1973, disappeared
about July 25, 1976. So loving and precious.
(Shown with my doll "Nancy," which I received the Christmas I was 5 years old)

BLUE EYES
One-half Siamese, but looked like she could be pure-bred, female, sister to Tar Baby,
born August 12, 1973, died September 15, 1988. Sweet and loving.

STRANGER
Callico, female, showed up at very young age on April 7, 1974, killed by a car on December 11, 1975.

BLACKBERRY
Solid black, male, found October, 1977, at about four months of age, died January 15, 1991 ~
a real "sweetheart," as loving as a cat could be.

BIG ORANGE
Orange Persian, male, looked pure-bred, showed up in Fall of 1977, about five months old,
disappeared the weekend after Thanksgiving, 1982 ~ constant companion to Blackberry,
sweet and loving.

HERSHEY BAR
Tortoise shell, female, named after Chocolate Bar because she looks like her, took her in
on July 24, 1995, was about one to one and 1/2 years old at the time. Sweet, loving and happy
as long as we both were with her. Died May 20, 2008.

~~~

(I'm sorry I don't know who to credit for this wonderful background.)

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