Cats

Ah, the guys in my room. Boots on the left and Tiger on the right. The friendly looking bear was bought at the Cactus Festival for $1.00.

Tiger, my orange cat posing with my handcrocheted blanket that I made when the children were small.

Boots, the most mischievious one!

Today I thought I would write about my two live-in companions. Without them, I think I would be quite lonely.

Boots is getting on in years, he was about 3 when my son and I adopted him from York Pound in Toronto. Within a day or so, he became deathly ill with some respiratory illness. As I had no extra money to spend on a vet, I asked my doctor friend in Malaysia for advice and a cat lady friend in Saskatchewan.

With the wise advise of these two dear friends, and twenty four hour nursing care by me, Boots somehow managed to pull through. I have never seen such a sick cat in my long life.

He has lived with me now over 10 years and still remains a lively old fellow. He has a habit of

trying to dart into my room when he sees me getting ready for bed. He hides under my bed where I cannot reach him. If I forget he's there, in the middle of the night he comes up on the bed and snuggles next to my head.

It becomes quite a challenge each night to see who can win. He is generally faster than I am, so I have to search for him to toss him out!

Some nights he wins, some nights I do!

Tiger came to live with me in quite another fashion. I had agreed to babysit him for a weekend when a young friend went away to camp. When the young person returned, he continued to delay in picking him up and time passed. I had three cats (including the babysat cat) but they all got along very well.

When my beloved Hibou (a French name for owl) died in a flood here in the apartment, I told the young friend that Tiger would be living with me for good as he had not picked him up in more than a year! Tiger was no longer the fearful cat and is very happy and content here.

Speaking of Hibou, she was the most gentle little cat, looked bushy but it was mostly fur. When the poison in the airconditing hose seeped through, she licked her fur dry and she became deathly ill and had to be put to sleep so she would not suffer any more.

Hibou was adopted from the same pound as Boots was and at the same time.

Why am I thinking about the cats right now? I guess it is because I went to Pet Value on Wilson with my walker and picked up a big bag of cat food for them for $28.00.

I cannot lift it myself so will ask one of my neighbours to do it. I am so blessed with good neighbours on this floor.

What a small price to pay for such loyal and good companions!