From commentor Luci:
I have always had cats that have come to me in some fashion or another. Either I found them on the street, I’ve gotten them from someone who has found them, or they are cats I’ve gotten from my family farm. Willi, the black/orange/butterscotch furball came to me one day as I was driving back home from doing a flea market with my sister. She and her husband had headed home in another direction than I, and I’d tried several times to call her on her cell phone, but with no answer I was getting worried, as we’d both been on the road some hours. I was getting fairly close to home, when a black kitten crossed the highway ahead of me and sat down to die on the stripes in the middle of the road. I’m not exactly sure how I knew that was what the kitten was doing, but I did, and I also “knew” that that was MY cat. So, I pulled over as fast as I could, got out of the car to go grab her if possible, and when the kitten took off across the road, I chased her across three more lanes of traffic and caught her in the ditch in the other side. By this time several vehicles had pulled over to see if I needed help, but when I held up the kitten in triumph, they left, and I put her in my car. She crawled into a large manila envelope that was on the passenger side floor down by the heater and stayed there, and I drove right to the vet’s. (My sister called shortly after this incident, and so not only had I succeeded in catching my kitten, but all was well with my sister too. :)
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The kitten turned out to be a little coal black female with a few orange hairs here and there, and my vet told me she was both freezing and starving to death, so she’d not have lasted much longer out there. We brought her back to health, and as she grew, the orange hairs turned into lovely patches of color, and she is what you see in the picture. She does have irritable bowel and has had to have some treatment for that, but she’s about 10 years old now and she IS “my” cat. She is seldom far from me when I’m home, and she misses me when I’m gone. She is named for Willie Nelson because of his “On the Road Again” song.
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The little striped cat with one eye is named Kitten, and I took her from the farm because she had a serious eye infection and needed medical help. She did lose the eye, and the socket is sewn shut, but she got used to life that way and does fine with it. At first she didn’t see things coming on her left side, but now she compensates, and it’s really not noticeable. The neighbor kid calls her The One Eyed Wonder. :)
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I have three other cats, but these are the most memorable I think. I cannot imagine life without cats, and I will always believe that the ones you rescue are the greatest pets, as they never seem to forget what you did for them. Plus, one gets to feel so virtuous. :)
(I think Willi and Kitten have the right idea — whatever the injuries inflicted upon you, living well is the best revenge!)
asiangrrlMN
Luci, I love the story of how you rescued Willi, and she is a beautiful girl, indeed. Kitten is really cute, too. I would love to see pics of the rest of the crew and hear their stories as well.
I love these rescue stories. Thanks, Anne Laurie.
Restrung
wow, tortie! She’s a hottie.
I always say that. back to bed.
stuckinred
Meow!!!!
stuckinred
Gee whiz, Mornin Joe is considering whether or not it’s time to ask Bachman, Palin, Beck, Angle et al to think about tempering their language. This was after hammering those who politicized the shootings. Wonders never cease.
The Dangerman
Most excellent rescue story and love the Willi name (my rescue was emaciated, too, and liked to bat me about the head with her paws, so she was named “Thin Lizzy Borden”).
Willi and “Winky”. Excellent.
Luci
Oh, I’m so happy you guys like my kitties! Thanks for saying nice things about my babies! :) @asiangrrlMN thank you for the suggestion. The others are nice too, and I will have to see about getting some pictures and submitting them also. They are rescues too, and like you, I love the rescue stories.
I like the whole tone of BJ really. It’s such a good mix of a whole lot of news, ideas, and conversations, and so many people have such thoughtful takes on things.
Thanks for publishing my stuff Anne Laurie! I appreciate it!
The Dangerman
@stuckinred:
Of course, if it comes from the Left, it is politicizing; if it comes from the Right (say, after the 9/11 nightmare), it’s good governing. Silly rabbit, tricks are for Dems.
stuckinred
Being a dog person is it appropriate to advise you to scratch them?? :)
The Dangerman
As a Guy, it’s always appropriate to scratch them (although not in public, unless you are a baseball player).
stuckinred
@The Dangerman: I was coaching a kids soccer team years ago. One day I overheard a group of team mom’s agonizing about how their kids were spitting all the time during soccer. I realized that, because of years in the coaches box in softball, it was me that was modeling the behavior!
stuckinred
Pretty heavy snow down heah this monin! Georgia is in trouble!
stuckinred
Jon Meacham is pretty good, “trying to separate these events is as difficult as trying to connect them”.
Triassic Sands
Luci, my what a beautiful tortoise shell Willi is. And Kitten, just another “plain” ol’ tabby, but I have a tabby and of all cat coat patterns, tabbies are (in my opinion) the most interesting. It makes sense that the tabby pattern would be common — it looks very much like the coat of an African wildcat, from which the house cat is descended.
Who is that peeking in on Willi?
TheMightyTrowel
Some more good news (because good news is always welcome):
A group in London have developed a sound filter that filters out the noise of a dentist’s drill. They expect it to be in production soon!
Josie
What sweet kitties. I love these rescue stories. They make me smile first thing in the morning. My tortie, Patches, says hello to Willi. Calicos and torties are my favorite colors.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
Good for you and your one-eyed kitteh!
And life w/o cats isn’t life.
Luci
@Triassic Sands You have a good eye. I did not even see little Ernie sitting there watching Willi. She has a brother, Bert of course, and then there is Goldie, who is quite glorious in his own way. He brings me a ratty toy mouse every single day and puts it on my clothes, all the while howling like a maniac. I guess that’s to tell me what a great hunter he is. hee! Also, you are right about the tabby markings! they ARE lovely and they are all different.
@Josie Well, “hi” back to Patches! I was SO shocked when Willi turned out to be a tortie. She was just a skinny black thing when I found her.
@comrade scott’s agenda of rage My one eyed kitteh and I agree… There is no life without them.
I gotta go to to work soon, but than you all for your nice comments. The pet rescue threat IS the best!!!
Poopyman
Torties and tabbies! Great way to start the morning. Thanks Luci & Annie!
@stuckinred: Depends on the cat, but most all like to be scritched somewhere. You just have to let them show you where.
Kristine
Lovely story, and lovely kitties. Great way to start the work week–thanks!
harlana
I have to agree with Poopyman, torties and tabbies! Just exactly what I needed this morning.
schrodinger's cat
Kittehs has a cute!
Scuffletuffle
Beeyooteefull kitties! Does your one-eyed cat go outside? Mine did, went around daily to visit with each of the neighbors and cadge snacks from their outdoor meals, until I lost him to a speeding school bus. He was a wonderful cat with an incredible will to live. I actually got him from some folks trying to turn him in to the local shelter. He had one eye dangling from a thread of tissue, so naturally the shelter said they would only take him to euthanize him. I stepped up and said I would pay to have the eye taken care of, but the couple still didn’t want him. Best stupid decision I’ve ever made. Pekoe was a cat with the heart of a lion and is still very much missed almost ten years after his death.
Cain
@Scuffletuffle:
I”m sorry to hear about your loss. I lost mine sometime back and it doesn’t seem to get any easier. My wife and I still about him and it seems the loss is still very much fresh. We don’t know exactly what happened only that he disappeared and has never returned. It’s the risk we take when we let them out to wander.
cain
Scuffletuffle
@Cain: Lost one that way myself, just two years ago. Went out for a walk and never came back. My condolences to you as well. May they walk in sunshine for eternity.