correspondence 10/28/05

Hi Dakota Sioux,
 
    I didn't do a "reply" because it is getting real long so I just
printed up a copy and will answer your reply from my printed
copy. That way it won' take up so much mail box room.
    I'm sure that if your Mom really loved Sage she can feel his
spirit. Yes, Missy was a female Cougar about 15 years old and
she had to take the walk across the Bridge because her kidneys
and liver started to fail and the hard thing for me with her was
I had to help the Vet help her take the walk. I really loved her too.
Even though she was pretty big she would lay in my lap, as best
she could, she hung over on both sides though, and purr real loud.
    Missy like to come vist at night and when she jumps up on the
be you can hear the be creak and see her and when she leaves you
can see her foot prints in the bed covers.
    I was never able to tame Momma Kitty's kittens enough to be
able to find them homes. I could handle them but if anybody but
me was around they would run away and even I couldn't touch
them then. The human that was going to hurt Momma Kitty I think
killed one of her kittens and the other one moved to a farm that
had some ferrals living in it's barn I heard. I almsot got in trouble
because I told him if he harmed Momma or her other kitten (he
Kittens by that time were almost twice as big as her - they were
full grown) I would harm him as much as he harmed them.
    No, I don't have many other companions because Momma Kitty
is a lot like Velvet or maybe like Sage was. If any other domestics
come in the house she gets real territorial real quick. The only other
companion I have is a 5 year old Cougar named Hook and she is a
big girl (170 pounds) but she doesn't live in the house. Momma
doesn't go around her either because Momma grew up under the
buildings at a zoo that had lots of Big Cats, Lions, Tigers, Cougars
and all so she knows not to go around them. If I had bird snacks in
the house she would probably eat them all. Myself I take care of
mainly Big Cats at a sanctuary.
    You do have a right to brag with being a TICA Quadruple Grand
Champion and all. The vet says Momma Kitty is a Russian Blue with
a little Tabby thrown in maybe. Shhhhhhhh.....I call her the landlord
but don't tell her I said that, and tell people she owns the house and
makes me pay rent like food and treats lol. Since I brought her home
to live with me she has become a real spoiled lap Cat but I love it.
But then all my Cats are spoiled even the Big ones. I can even go in
and feed the big male Lion meat right out of my hand and he is very
gentle. He isn't very big though he is only between 500 and 600
pounds. I can hand feed the Liger too and he is 1100 pounds easy.
The Tigers get a bit pushy about their food so I don't hand feed them.
    Goin back to the Cat spirits that visit my house there are only three
that actually become visible and show themselves to people sometimes.
They are Boo and Missy and then there is Sylvester. Sylvester was a
black and white Maine Coon with a Charlie Chaplin mustache and she
belonged to a very close friend of mine. I know, her name is a guys
name. But when she came to live with my friend she was a stray and
they didn't know what she was and just gave her a name. She started
living on their porch and they felt sorry for her so they gave her a
home but because she was spayed and her hair was so long and she
(being spayed) never came into heat they just thought she was a guy.
The vet finally told them that she was a girl but she had had that name
for so long my friend just left her name like that because she came
right away when she was called by that name. She got cancer and
crossed the Bridge at about age 14.
    When I first met her she jumped right up in my lap and put a paw
on each of my shoulders and got her nose real close to mine and just
talked and talked and talked for a long time. I guess you could say
that we bonded almost immediately. She comes to my house to visit
more than Boo or Missy does. I know she sure scared my Mother
when she showed herself to my Mom when my Mom was here. I was
in a different room in the house and my Mom was yelling at me about
why did I bring another Cat in the house and when I explained to her
that that was Sylvester and she had crossed the Bridge a few years
before my Mom got real nervous and I laughed a lot.
    Your idea about an e-mail news letter sounds kind of interesting
but that would be almost like being a newspaper correspondent. You
would need reporters and an editor and a publisher. It would be quite
a bit of work to keep it going on a regular basis. I think the diaries are
good for now and even if you save up a few days adventures that you
guys have and do a nice long entry every now and then. That way
people won't get too used to them but will kind of be looking forward
to the next posting - then - surprise - here is the next one.
(Catmanwho)
 

Hi Catmanwho,

I am glad to hear that one of Mama Kitty's kittens survived. I know
that it is not always possible to tame ferals. I'm happy that you did
not let that mean human do more harm. This individual does not
sound like a very nice person. I'm also happy to hear that you escaped
getting in trouble because of this. I wish all humans liked animals.

Missy sure sounds nice. Is Hook as nice as Missy? I can see why Mama
Kitty would not want to be friends with Hook. She sounds like one
humongus girl. I bet she's really pretty, though.

You're Mom sounds funny. I've noticed that humans sometimes
laugh when they are nervous. Does she still come visit you even after
seeing Sylvester? Does she like Big Cats? My Mom's Mom and Dad
have both crossed the Rainbow Bridge. They passed away while
still young, both in their early 50s. Mom was with her Mom when
she crossed. Mom was also holding Sage when he crossed. Mom
has been with most of the fur family when they crossed. It's sad but
Mom wants to be there.

Dad's parents are still both alive and think Mom is weird with all the
fur family. They don't like to come to the house because Lightening
likes to stick his long nose in visitor's ears. He jumps on people, too.
Dad was brought up with NO pets. When he and Mom got together
he was a confirmed bachelor, never going to get married, have kids
or pets. Ooops, famous last words. Mom came along with 2 young
Cubs, 2 Dogs, 2 tanks of Fish, an Iguana, some Anoles and Geckos,
and a bunch of houseplants. Yikes! The Cubs are on their own but
now there is a bigger fur family :)

It was sooo funny when Dad got Mom Phoebe and Nimbus, because
his family didn't believe it was Dad's own idea. Somehow they
thought that it was all Mom. Dad's Sister told their folks that it was
Dad. When Thomas (the oldest Cub) got married in September, Dad's
parents came to the house to meet me, Nimbus, Velvet and Phoebe.
I don't like people I don't know. Mom made me meet them and I ran
downstairs and hid for the rest of the day.

I like your job. It sounds like a lot of hard but fun work. Have you
worked with Big Cats for a long time? There used to be a Liger living
in Salt Lake named Shasta. She crossed over the Bridge and her body
is stuffed and in Hogle Zoo. Tim, off of our list, told Mom that female
Ligers are rare. We have a friend who used to live by Shasta when she
was owned by a private owner. The state took her away. Our friend,
Ralph, said that he loved visiting with Shasta when she was his
neighbor. Mom visited Shasta at Hogle Zoo when she was still
alive, a long time ago.

I think that you're right about a newletter being too big of a job.
I keep Mom pretty busy typing as it is. Maybe sometimes I'll just find
something interesting to put in my diary. I also like your idea about
"surprise" posts. I think that they could be more of a treat that way.
I can also have extra ones on my blog if folks want to check every now
and again.

I have been having lots of fun corresponding with you and hearing
about your friends:) I look forward to future chats. Maybe if you come
to Utah sometime, you can come visit. Mom's going to try and make it
to the Phoenix meeting. Dad says it's okay if there is the extra money,
so she's crossing her fingers.

from your friend,
Dakota, Pixie-Bob