oreo cats

I was raised on a farm and we almost always had cats. For the longest time it was a self-perpetuating dynasty of cats (inbreeding) with periodic infusions of fresh blood (roaming tom cats).

Frisky- The first cat I ever had was a beautiful black & white tom that looked just like the cat on the box of Friskee cat food. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and ohhhhhh how that cat loved me. He'd nuzzle my face with his own and always came running when I called. I remember the time he went out on a tom cattin' adventure and was gone for over a week. I missed him so much. One night Dad said he heard some yowling out the front door and it was and a black and white streak that bolted in the door and bounded up the stairs straight to my bed. I remember being woke up by Frisky stroking my face with his own.

Stub- The second cat I really considered my own was another black & white tom that had the most beautiful tuxedo markings, so much so that he started out life named Tux.

One night my sibs and I were home alone, Mom was at orchestra rehearsal and Dad was at a Weed Board meeting. We looked out the window and Tux was up the telephone pole standing on that garbage can shaped transformer deally-a-bopper. I went out with a yellow margarine tub with some dry cat kibble in it to shake and try and lure him down.

Apparently one paw touched the bottom wire and the tip of his tail hit the top wire and there was this hideous bezap noise and down he fell. It was such a long fall to the ground and unlike other cats that twist and writhe as they fell, he was totally still. I can still hear the thump he made when he hit the ground. Dad says it was hitting the ground that probably restarted his heart. It is one of two times in my life that I remember being genuinely hysterical.

He walked away from that one, though 3/4th of his tale was crisped. He roamed the farm for a month or so afterwards with a charred candy cane shaped stick where his beautiful furry tail had been. Eventually it fell off and he was left with a short stub of a tail. He also liked to rub his face against mine.

Neko- My third cat that I've loved is a black and white female. She has the softest tummy fur and loves when I sit at my laptop and type. She is invariably in my lap napping while I write, sometimes one handed so I can hold her better. She has a special affinity for my son and if she hears him moving about the house is instantly alert. If it sounds like he is doing something interesting (makes noises more than once) she is off to see what he's up to. She even has a special way of carrying her tail that she only uses when she's off to see what he's up to.

I love the dramatic contrast between the black & white fur markings. But more than that is to love and be loved in return.