Masters Running

1

Our Kids (Read 190 times)

TomD


    This is about our 8 Kids or babies as Donna would sometimes call them. When Donna and I first met I had one cat and Donna had 5. All our cats were unwanted by others. First is my cat Friskie, Friska Lea as Donna called her. Before meeting Donna I lived on my farm about mile from a small town in southeast Nebraska. People would drop off cats and sometimes dogs near my farm. One morning there was this small and skinny kitten or 8+ weeks old. Not being good with names and working at Friskie's, well I named her Friskie. Boy was she ever friskie once she got back some strength. That was over 11 years ago. She is still smaller than our other cats, but she is not real skin, but she is not fat either. Sidney, Sidney Suzzette, our problem child. She is not good at getting along with anyone else except Sawyer. Sidney's mother wandered up to animal shelter, that Donna was a volunteer at for four years. She needed help or otherwise she would not be there for she was ferrle (wild) cat. After giving birth and nursing her kittens she got loose and jumped into an area of dogs that killed her. Donna said, she was a fearless cat. Six years later if there is trouble Sidney will be in the middle of it. Sawyer, Sawyer Sean, everybodies buddy. Sawyer is the only one that is friends with all the others. About the same time Sidney was born someone dropped a litter of six kittens (maybe four weeks old) in the ditch outside the same animal shelter that Sidney was at. The only one to survive the night was Sawyer, so they put him to nurse on Sidney's mother. So the two of them think they are brother and sister. They are together a lot still today. Rudolpho, Gabriel Noel Rudolpho, when she got him from this same shelter they called him Rudy, so Donna used Rudolpho as a third name, but he is called Rudolpho not Rudy. Rudolpho was thrown into a dumpster as a kitten. He fell onto some broken glass that went into one of his eyes. After three operations his eye was sewn shut. He has problems focusing on things like the water dish. He has to hit the water with his paw to know the depth of the water, so we often have water on the floor. He is the one that would follow Donna around all the time like a dog might do. Carly, Carlos Aristotle, he was thrown into the dumpster at the same time as Rudolpho. He had a concussion. It was a year before he was able to come live with Donna. He is 5 year old and he is a very normal cat. He is a little overweight though. He likes to be loved often, but only about 3 minutes at a time. I call him my Three minute cat. Gyspy, Gyspy Rose Lee, she was only with Donna three years. To me she had the saddest story. She had spent 9 years in a cage not ever knowing any kind of freedom or real love. Donna found out about her at this shelter she used to work at where the others came from too. They were going to put her to sleep for no one wanted her and who would. She was thought to me unfriendly, very scared, and unhealthy, what cat would be. Gyspy Rose had lost her teeth though the years and could no longer eat the hard food. Instead of pulling her teeth they would just break them off, much cheaper. There was quite an experience, but that did not matter to Donna. After several operations and finally getting rid of all the infection in her mouth she fit into our family. She was short but stocky. All the other cats stayed out of her way. She was the boss. Donna thought, that she had a home and no one was going to take it away from her. She was Donna for three years. She pass on just before Thanksgiving, 2007. Donna took it very hard. But Gyspy had been in pain and she was old before her years. The last two are Dominick, Dominick Thomas, and Toughy, Tufalvo Alexander. They are brothers from my farm. Just before they were born their mother, Tiger, was dumped off at my farm. She had a litter of five. They were born Fourth of July, 2006. The other three were fine, but these two as kittens got very sick. So Donna and I went up to the farm and bought them here. This is when they were about 6 months old. It took awhile but they both recovered fine. We were suppose to take them back to the farm, but Donna could not part with them. How could I tell her know. They already had middle names. I am probably not spelling Toughy's first name correctly. It is some Greek name Donna came up with. Well, this is our family. TomD
    wildchild


    Carolyn

      Donna was so big-hearted to rescue all these kitties that needed homes. I know if I worked at an animal shelter I'd have a house full of dogs (more than the two we already adopted). I hope your "kids" are keeping you company during this difficult time.

      I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.


      Marathon Maniac #957

        Tom, What a lovely family! We got our cat, Max, from an animal shelter. He's a wonderful cat, loving and affectionate, and extremely patient with my DD, who occasionally likes to dress him up... Big grin

        Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."


        #artbydmcbride

          Dress up a cat??!! Outrageous! Wink

           

          Runners run

            Tom - Rescue kitties - a topic after my own heart! We have five black males, 4 rescue and one a former feral, BK, who we affectionately now call a bed slut (sorry if that term offends anyone) and who does "kitty rain dancing" (kneading) when he's gettin' some lovin'. Our oldest is Fatso, and we rescued him and his brother (who is gone) from a bad life on a farm. The only pic I have with all five: (L-R) Wilson, Oscar aka Goomba, Ziggy aka Tony, Fatso, and BK on the back of the couch

            Leslie
            Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain
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            Trail Runner Nation

            Sally McCrae-Choose Strong

            Bare Performance

             

              You better take good care of those chillin' or your dear Donna will figure out a way to remind you. And you really don't want to be hit by lightening or fall out of bed or.......... Big grin Take special care of that Rudy. His heart must be broken, too. Spencer & Kate send meows to everyone, and you most of all.
              Masters 2000 miles