Cat Chat

Writen by Kenneth C. Hoffman

Through the years we have raised lots of cats. Their main value is

the fact that they accept your love without giving up their own

personality. Many a sour mood has been transformed into a happier

one in the presence of a cat.

Once we had three cats at one time. Sassy was the loner, a one

person cat, and that person was my 11 year old daughter, Yvonne. It

didn't matter that we were the ones who fed her, let her in at

night, and petted her. Sassy always made a bee line for Yvonne,

slept on her bed all night and took any and all kinds of abuse

(friendly) to be with her. Yvonne had a habit of flinging herself to

the other side when sleeping. It was a funny sight to see Sassy

flying through the air, claws gripping the blanket as Yvonne flipped

over.

Mocha boasted of being half Siamese. She was on the small side and

would stay in my lap forever, keeping me company all evening. She

was not too smart, but clean to fault. except for a case of bad

breath. I was often teased that she picked me to like.

Gypsy, a tricolor 'lucky' cat was the good-matured slob. She ate too

much, liked to spend her days in the street, never cleaned herself,

and purred so loudly we had to throw her out of our bedroom so we

could sleep. One day Gypsy was eating (she always had to be first),

when Mocha sauntered by, suddenly veering toward Gypsy's rear end. A

good sniff with opened mouth and a facial sneer confirmed what we

already knew, that Gypsy didn't smell too good. Before Mocha left in

disgust, she gave Gypsy a healthy swat on the behind, getting an

angry hiss in return. Our efforts a giving Gypsy a bath had to be

done quickly without giving her a clue as to what would happen. Even

so, many a hall wallpaper was sprayed in the race to the bathtub.

One year, a four foot snowstorm covered the house and patio from

roof to ground with fifteen foot drifts. We were extremely worried

when after three days, none of our beloved cats came home. The food

we set out was untouched and not a meow answered our calls. On the

fifth day, while gazing at the unbroken expanse of white, a black

paw emerged from a drift near the house. All three cats were safe

although slightly emaciated.

After these gems passed away, we acquired a big-eyed tiger named

Shatzie (Little treasure in German). She was the smartest cat of

all, very independent, but loving all the same. She so abhorred

walking on a leash that my efforts at walking her resulted in a

sideways cat sliding on the grass. She always wanted to be with us

in the room and hated to be by herself. If we ever tried to close

the door to keep her out, she would simply jump up, turn the knob,

and let herself in. She could perform this feat even if the door

opened in!

Now we have SassyII, a wonderful cat who attached herself to my

wife, Marianne. Sassy follows her around all day, helping with the

laundry, cleaning, etc. When Marianne is sleeping, Sassy is by the

side of her second choice with one ear bent toward the computer

keys. The only bad habit she has is biting. These are love bites

while playing, but they can hurt! Someday I'm gonna bite her back.

Retired in New Jersey with our cat, Sassy.