BOOKS AND CATS

I don't know how old I was. There was a cat in the family. A short hair. Dark gray tabby named Oscar. A little later there was a black and white. Kitten hid behind the freezer for three days. Don't remember her name. Or his name. Eigth grade a lttle white kitten smack dab in the middle of the pantry screaming her heart out. Named her Sugar. Unfortunately she was a she back before we learned about spaying. Three kiettens. Two white and one we assumed was black until his stripes appeared. He stayed Blackie. We kept him. He moved with us when we moved back to Springfield. Sat in my lap all the way. Got out. Promptly thre up and headed for the Blackberry bushes. 

Cats came and went. Because of dad's problems with his legs and knees They were innie/outies. Between the traffic and a couple getting ahold of mice or whatever ate the Decon bait and didn't digest it all the way we lost two. 

I still miss dad but after he passed things settled down. Over the next couple of decades there were only five. Two died of old age and one little one had a severe upper respirtory infection that the meds didn't

help. For all I know most of the pack met mom at the bridge. Hopefully they left one or two to wait for me.

This is Midge aged about two. The one and only time I tried putting a collar on her. She looks elegant here. Black tuxedo. And the markings are symettrical. I believe this is 

Me: you look really elegant with that read collar.

Midge: Yeah right. 

Collar lasted three days on her. Couldn't find it. Three or four days later she pranced into the kitchen. dropped it on the floor and just looked at us. That collar was in no condition to be put back on the little smart ass. She did the cat version of a shrug and a snicker and headed for the nearest cat free sunbeam. Never tried it again. 

Her eye color is unusual. Not exactly green. And at certain angles they glow bright yellow.  I mean lemon yellow. Closest I've come to a color is peridot. Cut the stone just right and it has yellow highlight. And yes. All our cats in the last thirty years have had their outlook on life changed. And all but one were rescues.