Fot today's flashback I am going back to different days. It's because of the new Mews. It got me to thinking of the previous ones. You've seen these pictures before, but it felt right to acknowledge them...
There was Kenani in my childhood.
The was also another siamese female, Hai Yu, but I can't find the picture. And there were grey tabbies between then and 1992, but I can't find pictures of them either. Ralph, Sport-Sport, Mischief, Ballou, and Tinkerbell. I know I have pics of them, but they aren't showing up today.
Skeeter was the first of The Mews when I moved here 37 years ago. He was the first cat I actually chose for myself. He wasn't what I went to a Mom&Dad pet store to find (looking for a Siamese female), but he was what I came home with. The store was being renovated, and the noise was horrible. Dust everywhere. Poor Skeeter was alone in a cage at the front, trembling. How could I not take him away from that? He was a wonderful friend for 16 years.
The next year, I went to the same place (still looking for a siamese). There were only 2 cats. One was gorgeous and friendly. But she was promised to as a gift for newlyweds. The other fought like hell to being removed from the cage. I adopted her anyway. And she was a great friend for 16 years.
I finally found a siamese breeder and asked about any unwanted one. She had Iza cheap because "she was smudgy" and not suitable for breeding. I took her. "Smudgy" was OK. I seem to have a thing for unwanted cats... When I posted her picture on the blog, The Meezers said she was a Tonkinese. I had never heard of that breed. But when I looked it up, there was her face staring right back at me! So I knew. And the breeder was embarassed... Seriously, I had papers declaring her a pedigree siamese. LOL!
And oh damn she loved me! Followed me around everywhere, great lapcat, fur like mink... But something went wrong inside her when she was 12. One morning, she had blood sll over her butt. The vet couldn't save her. I was crushed at her loss.
Ayla came from the breeder before Iza. Graceful, talkative, sweet, kind, friendly. My Princess. She lived to 16+ until Sept this year. She simply stopped eating one day and and after a week, had lost 1.5 pounds (from only 6.4 to start with). The vet tried several things, but after 2 more days she was staggerring a bit and still not eating, so we agreed to "release her".
Meanwhile, after Iza died so suddenly, I contacted the breeder about another tonkinese. She didn't know of one, but had a 1/2 siamese 1/2 tabby male she had rescued from a bad home and had been planning to call me about. She knew I was good with cats. She practically gave him to me as a "last chance". You've all read about his struggles. He left this world a couple weeks ago. He loved ME, but could never adapt to other cats and the terrors of his kittenhood.
And I finally found a tonkinese kitty. Lori (Lorelei Lee). She is adorable. Like Iza, me-oriented, friendly, and a real lapcat. I hope she has a long life here.
Which brings us to today. Loki and Binq from a County shelter. I went there interested in a different cat I saw on their site but she actually hated me. But there were 2 others that liked me. I went home with both.
Loki is very "Marleyish". Calm, quiet, easy-going.
Binq was stand-offish and hidey for a few days but is now all over me when I approach.
I've loved every cat I've had or been around all my life. This seemed like a good time to say so... I wish they had all had longer lives, but 16+ seems to be the time they leave here.
Two doors closed with Ayla and Laz. Two more opened with Loki and Binq...
So, now it is December. A new month. A new hope for the future. More food bowls to fill again, more litterbox cleaning again, more attention to be given. New associations to be made. More cat-voices to learn. More places to find cats napping.. More habits to learn... More cat-experiences...