Message Boards

Years ago, 19 in fact, 17 cats were "dumped" at our farm during the spring - old, young, some injured, some pregnant. I managed to tame, catch and take all to a vet to be spayed, neutered, given shots and found new homes for them. Last one on the list was a little black and white female Tuxedo - boy, was she feisty - but I left her for the last since it was a bit expensive finding the money to do this every month and she was the least mature.

On May 14, 1993, she was spayed (still have the receipt to prove it) and on July 12th, she gave birth to four kittens in our old cellar house - it had a really heavy wood door with less than an inch opening - she could squeeze in but not the other cats. I had seen her getting more "plump" but thought that it was because the "boys" were leaving her alone after her "procedure" - UNTIL I saw her skinnier than ever that night and it was obvious than she had given birth.

Went into the cellar house and scooped her up (box and all) - just a half-wild scared little kitten (now a Momma Cat), took her and the contents to a back closet in the farmhouse and couldn't believe what I saw. Four kittens - 3 females/1 male) laying on and in-between old glass jars filled with vegetables which inspired their names.

Sauergraut was the boy - black & white tuxedo just like his Mom; Beans was a pewter gray "old soul" who loved to sit on my chest, wrapping her front legs around my neck and staring deeply into my eyes; Pickles was the special one - so tiny I didn't think she would live through the night but I told her, that IF you do live, you are a keeper. And last was Beets - a yellow/grey/white dilute calico who turned out to be the toughest of all.

Lost Sauergraut to a cat/automobile accident back when we still thought we were doing him a favor by letting him go outside as long as one of us were there to watch him. Word to the wise, no one can run fast enough to stop a car accident even when you see it coming. I never blamed the driver; I blamed us for letting him out.

Inside-only cats from that time on: Beans was so special - truly an old soul with eyes to match and it broke our hearts when she succumbed to a very unique cancer of the spleen after surgery that, initially, seemed to have been successful; no words to describe Pickles who was a unique tortoiseshell who loved to dance - yes, she'd put her front paws up in the air and dance on her back feet for as love as you would! She was a joyous spirit who lived to age 17 and passed from kidney failure surrounded by those who loved her leaving only Beets.

And, yes, I called the vet and he said it was IMPOSSIBLE for a spayed cat to give birth. I agreed and wondered just what had happened until he shaved the mother cat's belly and acknowledged that the incision scar was HIS - only answer was that he had been in the middle of the surgery and called out for an emergency, came back and THOUGHT he had done it. No matter how it happened, I just feel blessed to have had them in my life.

And, now, only Beets is left and I know it will soon be time to say goodbye to her as well - I am counting the days in order to cherish every one of them - she is counting the days to make sure she is getting a can of canned cat food each day! She is really good about sharing and the other cats always let her get her fill before they join in - they ALL loved her birthday cake - 6 cans of canned cat food all on one plate....

Hope some of you will take the time to send Happy Birthday wishes to Beets - she deserves them - thanks for reading a long drawn-out story about how some very fortunate people and cats come to find each other in the busy world we live in today!

Happy, happy birthday to Beets! What a tough little girl! She deserves a special treat. Best wishes for a great day from O H I O!

Happy Birthday to Beets! Enjoy your special day.

Angie

Wow!! how does that happen. Happy birthday to Beets! 19 years old is impressive.

Happy B-Day Beets!

Happy Birthday Beets!

I have to tell my story--how I was adopted by 5 cats. The first one to show up was Grey, a black and white kitten. Don't know where he came from. I think somebody dropped him off. Anyway, I was feeding him at the edge of some woods next to my house, one day I came home and he was lying in one of the planters at the front of the house. He's been with me ever since. He's about 5 years old, I think. Before I could get him neutered, he had made friends with the cat across the street. She had 3 kittens--at my house. She knew she'd be safe at my house. The kid across the street treated her pretty badly. One of them-the little girl-that I named Cissey climbed over the carport wall one day-that's the first I knew of the kittens. The kid across the street would come over and "play" with them, she'd take them across the street. Just as soon as she'd put them down, they'd run back over to my house. I was afraid they'd get hit by a car, so I asked her to stop taking them over there. She didn't listen. So after a while, I got tired of her coming over there and getting them. She would come over when I wasn't home and play with them. So, to stop that, I took them inside. Grey stayed inside too, till the yellow one, Lynx, got big enough to think he was the boss. Grey was afraid of him I think. Anyway, he started staying outside more and more. Then Ben showed up. He was the nephew of the 3 inside kittens. I fooled around, and didn't get him neutered, and he disappeared one day, and never came home. Then Cheetah came, about 3 months ago. I thought he belonged to one of the neighbors, so I would run him off. But then I found out he was an orphan. So I started feeding him, and he stayed around. He would stick pretty close to the house. He and Grey got along just fine. Every once in a while he could take off, and come home a couple days later. Then he got hurt. He could barely walk.I took him to the vet. Just as soon as the nurse got him out of the carrier, he jumped off the table and took off down the hallway. They had to give him a shot to calm him down so the dr. could examine him. He had been bitten really bad. The vet neutered him at the same time. He is my sweet boy. I think he's a Tabby. His tail is crooked, and it feels as if it's been broken and didn't heal correctly. But, he'll eat part of Grey's food till I get his in his dish, then he'll eat his in almost one gulp, and stand there and look at Grey as if he's saying "Are you going to eat that?" Grey will usually leave and Cheetah jumps into the bowl and finishes it. I'm surprised that Grey doesn't swat him across the carport. But he never does. He just looks at Cheetah in disgust and walks away. Or sometimes they swap plates. I guess you can tell I love all these cats very much. I don't know what to do about Dulcey, he's afraid of Lynx, and he won't come in the kitchen to eat. Lynx jumps him every time he sees him. So I've been taking his food to him in the bedroom where he sleeps. He's my favorite, but every little thing scares him. He's got so he runs from me. I scare him sometimes, not meaning to, but it hurts having him run every time he sees me. What can I do about that?

Thanks everyone for the greetings for Beets - as of tonight, she is still laying here next to me and purring up a storm! Haystack told her, "wow, you are ALMOST are popular as me" at which time I told Haystack to knock it off - she pretended confusion and ran off - typical Haystack but Beets still loves her!

Irish Kid, Love your story - please start a new thread with it! Think a lot of others would love to read it...

Please give Beets an extra little hug from me. I hope you become surprised at how much long you have her.

Thanks, metwo! I hope so too...