Paw-Prints

[Aedon Durreah]

I have this cat.

He has been my companion for many years now.

And through the many years we have shared, he has gone from a tiny kitten climbing the coverlets to get into the bed at night, to a serene old cat, sitting with a cats dignity at my side on the sofa. I have never had to call him to come to me, it seems he has just always been there.

Any of you who have owned, or now own, a cat will know what I am speaking of when I say that he can think of more ways to entertain himself, and me, then can be counted with ease. And like many cats, he can be quite vocal in letting me know what it is he wants or needs.

He has quite a vocabulary, using changes in tone to convey happiness, sorrow, fear and love. And on the occasions when I have found darkness surrounding my thoughts, his steady purr as he lay calmly on my lap has been soothing, leading me back from the brink of despair.

I suppose many times I have looked the fool as I played a game of hide and seek, or catch with him through our house. He has always been better at this game then I, popping up from behind the sofa to slap at me quickly, before darting off to one of the other rooms. He always won the game, though a few times, I think he allowed me to believe I was victorious, if just for a few moments.

I have heard it said before that cats leave little paw-prints on our hearts. This makes me laugh a bit, seeing that my cat has these huge paws. So, I will say that the prints he leaves will be huge, and know in time they will lay heavy and hollow on me.

The years passed quickly, perhaps too much so for me. And I now look to my side to see a much thinner creature. His fur, which once lay silky on his back has become coarse and gray with age, his steady purr has become more a ragged thrum. The games of chase have given way to quiet evenings sitting happily on my lap atop the electric blanket, or curled up, sleeping inside his favorite kitty cube. His eyes look up at me with the same love, but there is a tiredness in them, and I see, sadly, the approaching end of our time together.

There is a rhythm to life that cannot be denied or changed. We can use pills, special foods, and other measures in an attempt to draw out, or extend our time together. But doing such things robs all dignity and purpose from a life well lived, a love freely and happily offered. It would be better still, and show far more respect and appreciation for what was given me if I instead hold him one last time, and sit with him as he passes away in gentle sleep.

I do not look forward to this day, but know full well that it draws ever closer. And when his time has passed, I know full well that I will, as when his sister passed, reach down from time to time to stroke his fur, or strain my ears to hear his gentle purr as my own time grows closer.

This is the joy and sorrow of keeping cats.

I tell myself time and again that I will not take in another, that this will be my final furred companion. But we do not always have a choice in such things, so perhaps I should instead say that with all the cats who have left their mark on my heart, there is always room for one more paw-print.

[Alyssia Kanath]

Awww Aedon that was beautiful.

And so very true.

*hugs tight* It's like that with any of our pets I think.

you know, i had this cat when I was a kid...his name was Sammy. He was the runt of a litter of kittens that was being given away at a garage sale. last one to go. he looked sickly so no one took him. My mother, one who always took in strays no matter how many we had, scooped him up and put him in my arms and told me we were taking him home.

That cat became my best friend. We'd go out hunting mice together. I grew up in rural Oregon so there were plenty of woods to tromp through. Which i did every chance i could get. he would follow behind me no matter where i went. When we'd hunt mice, he'd root them out...then we'd scare the poor little thing all to hell by oogling over it. I always let them go though, much to his dissapointment I think. *chuckles*

We'd have races...sometimes he'd even let me win. On school days he'd walk to school with me. Then every day at lunch there he'd be sitting outside our school's cafeteria waiting for me to finish and get out for recess. He'd hang around me during the whole recess, running to and fro between all the kids. Then he'd wait for me to get out of school and walk home with me.

He had a little cat bed made out of a box. It was lined with a crocheted blanket and he had a little stuffed dog in there. He'd curl up under the blanket cuddling his stuffed dog. It was...so adorable.

Sadly, one day he came home from a romp in the woods with his eye closed. It didn't open for a couple days so we thought maybe he had an infection from a wound. We put him in the carrier and headed for the vet. At one point, his head popped out of the box and he looked around all scared. I noticed his eye had opened and it was all red. Like literally red.

We got him to the vet and he was diagnosed with feline leukemia. And despite him never seeming sick, it was in the advanced stages. My mother had to make the decision to put him down. I was heart broken. I can't tell you how I cried. It was worse even when I didn't get to hold him or anything. I got to briefly say goodbye through some cage bars and he wouldn't even come to me. He was so terrified. And he just was looking at me...

To give an idea of how much that last memory hurts, I can't even say more about it. I'm suddenly crying all over again almost 30 years later. heh.

We had two other cats at the time. We rushed to get them tested and found out they also were carrying it. But they hadn't hit the sick stage. He told us that if he put every cat down in our county that had leukemia he'd wipe out 2/3rds of the population. We took them home. They never got ill and both lived to be over 20 years old. Skipper died at 24 and Dominique died at 22, both of natural causes.

After that, I got Tommi....

*laughs* That little death dealer is a story all to her own....

Edit: I actually found a picture of that li'l devil, complete with stuffed dog and gaudy blanket. *grins*

[Sage Aurora]

Tabu



Cat lovers know that we are kept by our cats, we don't keep them. Tabu was 6 months old when she choose us, we went to the SPCA to get her and of all the cats there when we entered the room, she got up and sat nobly in front of the door to her cage and preened herself as she waited for us to pick her.

She used to do many things like a human, she could open the pizza box and sit picking the olives or pineapple off with her claws and eating them. I honestly don't know how she did it but she could hold and lick a straw till she got drink to flow up for her to drink.

She layed on top of my computer tower in the winter to stay warm, or she'd nestle in between my monitor and the side of the hutch to bat at my hand on the mouse. Tabu always slept laying down my side with her little chin digging into my hip. Rob used to laugh when she'd come in and sit at my feet and start talking, and answering when I meowed back; a game we continued on the phone when I moved to the states to marry my husband.

Tabu lived for 18 years with my family till her kidney's began to fail and she got thin and tired. I remember the phone call from my mom, she was heart broken being unable to afford medicine for Bu, and I had to tell her that it was best to let her go peacefully and without suffering.

There have been others since Tabu, each unique in their own way. Each one though never to be forgotten as being gentle and caring owners. In time, I will be claimed again and will cherish the time with a new cat till its time for them to move on.

Chewy



Jacques

[Pandora de Romanus]

I love FELINES!!!! I am by far more a cat person than a dog person; no disrespect to the dog lovers.

I have 6 house cats plus 2 strays we take care of, so I know what that feels like. I am dreading my fur-babies crossing over the "rainbow bridge", but we all must at some point. Death is part of life.

Presious Marie just turned 17, bless her heart. She's been with me for soooo long... my father and I found her when she was just a few weeks old, she hadn't even been weaned yet and basically fit in the palm of my hand. She's truly my "daughter".


Tabitha Lee is 15, she's the runt of her litter, so she's very very small. She ran into my house as a stray when she was 8 months old! I was bringing up the groceries and had left the door open and she was so hungry that she made a brave little dash to the cat food (much to Presious' complaints).


Charlotte Rose (aka Charlie) is roughly 12-13... Jake and I rescued her just last year. She is the most thankful little kitty and she adores Jake. She follows him around the house like a lil puppy dog.


Sambuca is 9 years old and the only BOY in the family. He's my adoration, I spoil him rotten! He's into finding little corners of the house to curl up in, a true "nester", and loves to roll over just to get his belly rubbed. He also loves it when I brush him down.


The twins girls, Moxie and Mobie, are both 4. They are the young girls. They are sooo beautiful its stunning and they are exactly alike physically (with the exception that Mobie's coloring is far more bright), but their personalities are so distinctly different.



Our strays are Shadow and Scruffy... they pretty much stay in our big backyard and we feed them twice a day, but they won't let us pet them or hold them just yet.

That's my fur family!

[mymumwasavampire]

[Rianna Edmunds]

You guys make me cry and smile. I have 6 cats myself (and 2 dogs). My oldest cat is Snitch and will only be 5 this year. He's the first cat I've ever owned, as my mother is highly allergic to them. Snitch came to us as a scraggly little black 6-week old kitten that a woman from work gave us. He is referred to as "my lover" because he is my baby. I dare anyone to come between me and my Snitchy. I would probably kill them. He takes naps with me and will come get me to take one if he thinks I need it.

Aayla came to us 364 days later, a teeny tiny little tortoise-shelled tabby 3 weeks old. Another co-worker gave her to us. She was smaller than my pug's head and ate Gerber baby food. She is bitchy and opinionated, doesn't like to be held, and will attack you if you play music or ringtones on a cell phone (guess what I like to do to f*ck with her?). She sleeps on the shelf under my desk all day long though.


Aayla, left & Snitch, right

Lilly, aka "mama kitty" is our indoor feral rescue. There were 5 feral kittens in our Nashville neighborhood, and she was the girl. Just before we moved back to Florida, she had a litter of kittens in our basement. This was 2 weeks after the city flooded. Our neighbor had been trapping the strays and doing God knows what with them (all the shelters were full of displaced pets due to the flooding) and he caught Lilly twice. I begged him to let her go as she had 3 babies in our basement and didn't want them to die. I promised I'd take her in...
... so we wound up with her, Charlie, Sirius, and Sophia. The kittens all turned 1 year last month. We had planned on finding homes for them, but having them since they were newborns and watching them grow and overcome so much - we just couldn't let them go.


top to bottom: Sophia, Sirius, Charlie

Bolt, our big ole mutt, was found as a 6 week old puppy in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Now 2, he's finally starting to calm down a little, but is a big ole doofus. Our other dog is a pug named Morpheus. As anyone who's ever had a pug knows, he's just the shit.

Bolt (nose coloration is courtesy of a pissed off kitty)

Morpheus

Most of my current pets are young, with the exception of Morpheus who is ten and starting to show his age. He is blind and usually just sleeps all day. I've had all my furbabies since they were itty bitty and they are extensions of my family.

I've always had animals, and couldn't imagine life without them. They seem to know just when you need comforting the most, and when to make themselves scarce (usually). No one knows my mood better than my furry kids... and no one knows how to deal with me better when I get into one of them. My cats won't hesitate to call me out when I'm being overly bitchy, and when I am feeling very down, Bolt (aka Beebop) will come curl up at my side and nudge me, or sneak his way over to give me a kiss. They are truly a blessing.

[Alyssia Kanath]

Wonderful stories guys.

I'd like to thank Aedon because thanks to this thread we can ramble about our love for our pets and share pictures and stories.

So, now I'm gonna sticky THIS thread for all who are interested in sharing their fuzzy families. I'll open it up to any animal, not just cats. So if you guys have a pet or pets you'd like to share with us, please feel free!

[Aneirin]

These are my girls:


The older one, Cheyenne, could have been named "Mary Poppins", cause she's practically perfect in every way. She's 12 now, and her sight and hearing is all-but-gone, but her nose works just fine.

The black one has her brain lodged firmly in her stomach. She thinks about two things all the time, food and cuddles. She even dreams exclusively about food. We laugh every time, since her dream involves sticking her tongue out and making smacking sounds.

Once, she dreamed about running, and we were impressed until she dream-caught what she was running toward... *smack smack smack*

They are truly the four legged loves of my life.

[Alyssia Kanath]

Alright so I talked about cats of the past...

Now I'm going to talk about critters of the present!

When we moved up to Canada, I had to give up my cats. It was a very unhappy time for me. I'm one of those people who just doesn't feel whole without having animals around me. There was never a time where I was growing up that we didn't have at least 5 cats and later dogs and such (I owned two turtles through my childhood too. I love turtles!)

So finally these people who were moving away gave us this tiny little black cat. We named her Keir. Very loving little thing but always kinda wild and self sufficient. She went into heat earlier than we expected so we had to keep her inside through it until we could get her to the vet to get her fixed.

Connor was only like 4 then. And one day she was at the door howling to get out...and there was some stray male outside at the window. So Connor, in his good sense...*chuckles*, opened the door to yell at the other cat and ZOOM! Keir was gone.

She didn't come back for a couple months. We'd see her around but she went feral fast...and obviously became very pregnant. We kept food out for her but I never thought we'd get her in.

So I had to go up north to take care of my sister's kids for about 3 weeks. And during that time we were moving into a new place. Scott was able to actually wrangle her 10 minutes before he left for the last time! Anyway I got to home home to my kitty...

who popped four little black kittens 2 days after I got home. *chuckles* And ever since getting fixed after that...she has turned into this enormous rotund "log". We call her "Log" because she just sort of falls over randomly and lays there like a log. It's quite funny.

This is our log =p


So there were four kittens. We decided to keep one to keep Keir company. We chose the long haired fluffy black female and named her Keeva. Keeva was a very skittish cat. One of those cats who didn't like to be held and she'd hide in the bath tub when people came over. But she was very gentle and sweet. And if I'd sit really still she would creep up to me and crawl onto my lap and let me cuddle her for a bit. I always felt honored when she did. She never did it with anyone else.

Well one day...the same thing happened with Keeva that happened with her mother. She went into heat a full month before she was supposed to. And...yet again...Connor...while yelling at the pack of males that was stationed outside our window...accidently let her out...*sighs*

So here comes Keeva all pregnant. Alright...so we wait. Keeva had five of the MOST beautiful kittens I have EVER seen. I wish I could find the pictures we had of them. The first was a black and grey male. Second was a black, orange, and white calico. the THIRD was a gorgeous peach, grey, and cream colored calico. Not often you see that. Then there was ANOTHER beautiful black and creme calico...all speckled instead of having blotches. And finally a tiny black male. I wish I could find a pic of Keeva but sadly I can't. *frowns*

We gave the first three to good homes and decided on keeping the two youngest of the litter. We named one Ian Bran (Ian because I named him after our favorite Doomsayer) and Bran because of his color. A pure silkly black. His sister we named Seiren.

Bran turned HUGE! Like...soooo long. And tall! And he was my baby. He always wanted me to carry him around the house. I could be standing there and next thing I know he'd leap up into my arms. Or jump clear across the room and barrel into my chest knowing full well I'd catch him and never let him fall. And I never did. He also thought he was a dog and loved to play fetch. I could play fetch with him for HOURS. His favorite fetch toys were twist ties *chuckles* He never tired of it.

Here they are:

Here's my big boy!


And Seiren we call "Velcro kitty". She is nothing but a little tiny (as opposed to her brother) bundle of pure love. She's a real cuddler but the problem is she rarely settles on anyone's lap. She's too busy crawling all over them and nuzzling. If you throw her off she'll get right back on. I did it 33 times in a row once just to see what she'd do. I gave up after 33...*grins*



Sadly in our new place we couldn't let the cats wander outside. The woods are full of huge Raccoons who routinely wander in the yard. And there's a coyote pack that travels very near. Bran and his mom Keeva got out one day...

They never came back. I was heartbroken to lose them. Especially my baby boy who I adored beyond all reason. And he adored me. I miss him so much.

But...along came "Bug"....

I haven't had a dog since high school. I love dogs. We've always wanted one but Scott and I agreed it had to be a big one we could wrestle around with. I've never been much of a little dog person. But after my dad's last husky died, he realized that what he needed now was a lap dog. He's getting on in years. And needed an easier one to care for. So they got this beautiful little long haired chihuahua and named her "Little Girl". Long story short, he started breeding her every once in awhile. The pups would usually be sold to family until after 3 litters ....everyone had one but us. He decided never to breed her again...because she wasn't a puppy mill or anything. The first two times were on purpose. Last was an accident. So....I decided to get Lauren a puppy for mother's day.

She likes little dogs.

I chose the best imo. They were all wonderful but...this little red and black male (Who has a twin sister in the litter who looks almost just like him) was the one we'd take home. Faris didn't want another animal right now. They're expensive *laughs* But we talked him into it by naming the dog....

Faris! (It worked!)



Him and his floppy little baby ears! I started adoring this dog. In fact, I have never loved a dog like I love this dog. He's just so funny and adorable. One day I called him "Bugaboo" and the way his eyes widened and he cocked his head at me (He liked the sound of the word) that became his nickname. "Bugaboo" or "Bug" for short. He responds to both Faris and Bug. *chuckles* Though I admit we call him Bug more often than not.

That little floppy eared puppy turned into a near ten pound, barrel chested, love machine.



He is also known as "Mr McBug".

So those are our critters! Two sadly missing from our family but we adore those we have left.

[Rotep]

yeah none of those cat's beats my old tiger/pounce he was basically a dog (ran off to die like a hero we assume, he was originally a stray we found before my father died and ran off when i was doing a summer class, we assume he was about 15), also my black cat likes to roll around randomly on cement too not sure what it is about it but she does.

[Viktor Pendragon]

Figured I would get in on this...i present to you lovely folks my zoo.


This is Moses. He'll be 11 this year. I've had him since i was a freshman in high school. I even kept him when I was homeless. When I got him, he was the size of my fist. Now, 18 lbs later, he's a beast.

Here we have Archemedes. He's 8. He hates me, bites me when no one's looking, but acts sweet when others are around. He's also mentally challenged, he has the mental capacity of a 6mos old kitten...change scares him, his own tail chases him...its pretty sad actually.

This is Daria. She's 7. We call her Little Bitch. She hates everyone and everything.

Here we have the cat with the longest name...Benito Sanchez Armstrong So Sexy He Needs Two Last Names The Cat But His Friends Call Him Buttcat...we call him Benny, or Satancat. He's 2.

Meet Igor. he's a 5yr old Boston terrier/Jack russel mix...and a total whack job.

This is Viktor. Sweetest 10mos old pit mix on the face of the planet...and he's afraid of everything.

And last but certainly not least...Andromeda. she's 6. We refer to her as the funny looking cat that lives in the box. And for the record, she is not drinking, the cap is still on and there was a bit of yogurt on the lid.

And that is my collection of odd furry monsters. We have a couple fish, but really...they're fish...

[Va'lis]

Well... I never had a cat in my entire life. I cant stand adult cats, kittens are great. Cats... Just want something and are up to something. Plus, my family is allergic to em. Im not, but hey. What are you gonna do.

What I have had a ton of is dogs, chickens, more dogs, and rabbits.

Lets start with the dogs.

My first dog was named Tiger. This dog... I dont know what his parents breeds were, but he hated me. With a passion. I was, oh I think 6 or so when he was around.

This dog would literally keep me stuck up on my bunk bed, not letting me down. While I didnt like him, he did teach me something.

Little dogs can be vicious.

Now, my good dogs (Kind of?).

The first ones name is Meeka. My mothers absolute baby.

My fathers co-worker found her chained to the building they worked at one day and called him. She knew we had been looking for a dog. (That took alot of pleading). So when she came home, she was thin as anything, half a year old maybe? But she was quiet and playful at the same time.

She would always be up for running around outside, serving as a pillow as I watched cartoons, plate cleaner, everything. She was, and still is, one of my best friends of all time.

However...She did get my parents obsessed with Sharpeis. Meeka was half Chow, Half Sharpei.

This obsession led to the following list. In order of them coming to live with us.

Beacon (Fathers)
Jasper (Mine)
Inky (My sisters)
Tucky (Mine)
Dora (Who knows)
Pippin (No clue)
Mocha (Mothers)
Libby(Mothers)
Ranger (My sisters, but he liked me more)
Peawee

Beacon was our first Sharpei. She was the small one of the litter... That changed. She turned into 60 lbs of muscle. She looked like a fighter, but she was sooo lovable. Like Meeka, she was extremely protective of me and my sister. If we were around the house, she was always watching us. Which we were thankful for one day, for her and Meeka.

My sister and I were out in the backyard when our neighbors Pitbull broke its chain trying to get at us. (Normally there was a fence around him, Dont remember why it was down actually). Me and my sister were 11 for her, 12 for me. So small. Pitbull probably outweighed us.

Well, one moment its coming at us. The next Beacon tackles the dog and pins it down. Meeka gets between us and the fight, trying to get us away.

Now, Sharpeis and Pitbulls are built for similar purposes (Or were). Fighting. However, Sharpeis have a good amount of wrinkles on their bodies, which protected Beacon from any serious damage.

But yeah... She most likely saved either mine, or my sisters life that day.


She died a few years ago... Never forgotten though.


Jasper and Inky came next, and within a few days of each other.

Jasper was a surprise gift to me, apparently I had done something incredibly right. I dont know. All I know is I come home one day and theres this puppy asleep on my bed.

She gave my family the best puppies when she was bred. But the stress took to much out of her and she became sick. She'd get better, then relapse. Over and over. Eventually I had to make the choice to put her down. But I was never able to tell my parents it. I had spent several hours with her, telling her goodbye and that I would miss her. Even brushed her one last time. I left her for a few minutes to get a drink, came back and she was gone. Took me only a few minutes to find her. At the spot we spent so much time together at. She had gone there in her final moments. Was one of the few times I can remember crying that hard. She still remains one of my favorites.

Inky...on the other hand... Was crazy (In a good way). About the same size as Beacon, but twice as much energy. He liked my sister more than anyone else. Especially as I got older, apparently he didnt like that I started back talking. I dont know how many times he would stare me down a day.


Tucky... Ah Tucky. We drove down to Kentucky (Hence her name) to get her. This dog... Had never been indoors in her life. So when she stepped on carpet... It was hilarious. She didnt move for ten minutes, just figuring out what it was. But, she was another favorite of mine. We got her just as I came back to UO. And even inspired Tuckers name. Quietest dog ive ever known. She would only bark when she wanted out. Or when she wanted a snack.

When she left us, it was another hard day.


Pippin... was the daughter of Beacon. I named the whole litter of course. Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin and Arwen. All were sold except Pippin. Who turned out exactly like her mother. Lazy and happy.

Mocha, Dora, Libby, Peawee and Ranger... What a group. These were the trouble makers of the group. Always getting into things they shouldnt. Gardens, my stuff, sheds, my stuff, the list goes on.

Meeka, Ranger, Dora and Peawee.... The only four left with my family still today. And I can be quite certain that when I go to my parents house later today, I'll find Meeka in the same place I last saw her in. Sprawled out, on her back...taking up the couch.



Other pets... Ive had several Chickens.

Show, and just Chickens that didnt do much.

I had four favorites. Big Red, my Rhode Island Red. Fawkes, my Phoenix (Yes, its a chicken breed). And Yin and Yang, my Dark and Light Cochins.

Big Red was my go to chicken. He protected the coop and his hens. And he had ALOT of hens. When he wasnt there, he was with me. Wandering the small field or under a tree with me while I read a book. He also liked perching on my shoulder. I lost him to a raccoon a short while after he turned 2. He defended that coop from it though.

Fawkes... He was special. The phoenix chicken breed is famous for one thing. Its ability to grow tail feathers up to 20 ft in length. His didnt grow that long of course, he only got to 5 feet or so. This was my spoiled rotten chicken. Never had to walk anywhere, was cleaned if he ever got extremely dusty from being outside in the dirt the rest liked to play in. He never won me any contests, but he was still my friend.

Yin and Yang... They on the other hand, did win prizes when I showed them. Best of Breed and Best of Show. I was thrilled when I heard that. Especially since it took me over an hour to clean them both prior... They are both living with a friend of mine now. Chillin with some other Cochins.



And finally, my Dutch Rabbit. Oreo. Black and white rabbit. Yeah I know, real original name. Ill admit, his name was...lacking. But it fit him. He almost won best of breed, except apparently his left ear was a tad to short. <Insert general face palm>


Granted, even though I had so many pets, I think I still love dogs most of all. ^^

Typing this all out, was actually harder than I had thought it would be. And im sorry there isnt any pictures, It wasnt my job to take em .

[clivedauthi]

My new little Cavy, Cliff playing in his new tube.

[marejadesky]

both pictures have my tow fav dog in the world there my days but they been in the family for every the little white one is name max he 6 year old and the brown one is Molly she is 4 the little girls is my old she not that little anymore

[Aedon Durreah]

Last night I held my friend close and spoke softly to him as he slipped away into that final sleep. My heart has an empty spot that shall never again be filled, for he was so much more then a cat to me. I called him Zazu, Zuzu-bee, paintbrush tail and friend of friends.

Sitting here alone, I can hear the sound of his deep, steady purr, and smell the scent that was unique to him. As I reached down to pat his head, I saw only his empty bed, and felt again the sting of losing him.

I know in time, this as all pains will pass. But for now, and for some days ahead my heart is broken, and I am diminished in spirit by the loss of his companionship and unwavering love.