You can tell a lot about individuals as well as societies by how they treat animals — and how their animals seem to feel about them. Since cats are such perspicacious judges of character, TC, that says rather a lot of nice things about you.
It's so sweet the way the kitties sprawl over each other. And the way the humans--you, and apparently many of your readers--have these close relationships with kittuz! I think it's good for humans to love animals, and to be loved by them in turn. I have Natalie, my border collie, who is my running partner, and who often comes into my bed somewhere in the middle of the night to cuddle, or sometimes not until the early morning. I am so fortunate to have her--a present from one of my best friends, who has a sheep farm in Maryland. She actually drove Natalie up to my house outside of Boston, from her farm, on her way to Buffalo NY (my house was way out of the way) because Natalie was unhappy on the sheep farm--she was the runt of the border collies, and wasn't getting enough personal attention (my friend is also an immunologist at NIH).
What a treat today! Your column is such a gift, such a variety of topics and always with such rich commentary, woven through with facts and history galore! The cats in these photos are wonderful, each and every one. Bless them and bless you! Joyce Vance has her glorious chickens, Heather Cox Richardson her beautiful seascapes, Rob Hubbell his enlightening astronomy, and Dan Rather his music videos to make you smile. I have to say today’s column here caught me off guard, but happily so. Thank you, TC!
Lost "Little Boy Cat" in October, the kitty I was never going to keep, from diabetes at 15 years old. He reigned over the deck in his last glorious summer and fall, with neighbor cats taking turns to sit by his sick beds. I made 3 beds for him, one under the picnic table, one in the sun, one safe from rain. He dined on bluegill and bass from neighbor fishermen, and venison (and even elk!) from local hunters. And one morning he was gone.
That is so true Tom. I know people who refuse to get another pet after losing one because they can’t take the grief. I say it’s not about our grief, that is one of life’s processes we go through. It’s about our ability to take care of, and develop bonds with these amazing animals. And there is always another one that comes along to rescue us.
Thanks. He and his twin sister (Yes, Little Girl Cat) were born on my couch on Mother's day to the stray who'd been injured (we later learned she had been hit by a car) and limped. My daughter and I had nursed (I am an RN, too) her back to health, thinking we had succeeded in "fattening her up." (And, yes, I worked OB, so I should have known). About a year later, momma cat and LGC disappeared. Two weeks later only LGC returned, well groomed, arrogant, and with no interest in my dry food. She lasted a week and left again (I later saw her 2 miles away with the new owner she had adopted). I was never going to keep her brother, but, we both had a wonderful life together. Thanks.
Cookie reminds me very much of my Felicia, who became mine right after graduation from college. She left me just before my first child was born, 16 years later. Solid black, silky coat, sweetheart personality.
My current darling is Delilah, a 17yo brown tabby. Her age is showing. She’s blind, but navigates well by scent. I’ve deduced this from the fact that she complains to me loudly that she can’t find her water bowl(s) — she has two, a fancy fountain in the kitchen and a plain old bowl in the bathtub — if the chlorine has dissipated, but she knows exactly where the litter box is, and hasn’t missed it, ever. This is the first time I’ve been a one-cat household in nearly 30 years. She’s my ride or die until her time comes. In comparative years, she’s older than I am.
Thank you for sharing your friends. They’re a lovely bunch.
Heard somebody ask a friend the other day what she thought her last words might be when the time came. She said “feed my cats.” Can’t think of anything more important.
Amen! I have spoken to my eldest niece, who told me that any cats still dependent on me, when my time comes, she will happily take home to care for, as my children all have dogs.
What a relief for you. I hope to see my remaining two through to the end, although that is difficult to contemplate. My sister, who died in Feb, had two beloved cats who are now at the mercy of a well-meaning but ill neighbor.
If you're judged by the company you keep, you're the cat's meow, Tom. It's a sweet looking kitty clan you have there, and they seem to like one another. All good.
We adopted our (probably) last two kittens May 27, 2020. Artemis (dilute calico torbie) and Apollo ( prototypical orange boy) are the best cats ever! (At least in our house).
Amen. I miss my boy I rescued in the middle of a hurricane watch in Sept of 2003. Loved him fiercely for 14 years and cried buckets when he had to leave us. Oh, the mark they leave on our hearts—at least most of us …
These are wonderful. I have an especially soft spot in my heart for Tuxedo cats having inherited my daughter's Tux named Siona. Siona became my studio cat and lived to the ripe old age of twenty. I miss her still. What beautiful kitties you have and thanks for brightening up Friday for all of us!
Thank you Tom, they are so beautiful. It’s funny that it’s National Pet Week and Be Kind to Animals Week because I have 2 more cats that have shown up at my place this week. One looks a lot like Corky and the other looks like Cookie. 🩷
They are ALL beautiful, Tom. Reminds me of my son's bunch! Matt, yellow & white longhair weighs 26 lbs (we think Maine Coon?) his brother Max grey & white Siamesey looking, Chewy, Orange tiger lovey boy, & Luci, small black longhair. And they are a bunch!
I'm sticking to one cat at a time - Axel is unhappy enough about her - more would blow his mind.
I think it's a Maine Coon mark to have extra front toes. And, yeah, my impression is that they are often big. Matt weighs almost as much as my Border Collie.
Truly, we never figured out exactly how a Maine Coon cat would have ended up in the horse barn in the first place! Its become more of a joke really. Hes just so huge! Actually he may have extra toes! The barn cats apparently got a bit out of control, population wise a few years ago, so they trapped the kittens & as many of the mothers as they could - took the mothers to be spayed & brought the kittens into the house till they were old enough to be spayed or neutered - found homes for most but my son was too attached to the foursome.
Somehow I'm not surprised to hear the Maine Coon Cat found his way to the barn. I could be wrong about this, but that sounds like normal behavior for them. And I think farms of different sorts often have resident cats. My friend's sheep farm has 'em.
I'm pretty sure people drop cats off - frankly, that really frosts me. Happened one time years ago when my kids were young - someone stopped pushed a dog out & drove away - we lived on a side road near a highway. My kids went & got him & needless to say, we had him for a while - but already had 2 dogs at the time, so got in touch with a shelter & they found someone to adopt him. Actually, one of the dogs we already had sort of appeared out of the blue one day - we kept him, tho.
I live out in the country. And I have seen people drop cats off from their cars. I’m sure the 16 cats I take care of are a direct result of that. I also adopted a dog some years ago that had been dropped off and hit by a car. One of his hind legs was so badly injured he lost the use of it. We named him Ray as in Ray of sunshine, and he truly was, and one of the best friends I’ve ever had. That said, the dropped off dogs and cats are not always so lucky and the people that do it are heartless scum.
You can tell a lot about individuals as well as societies by how they treat animals — and how their animals seem to feel about them. Since cats are such perspicacious judges of character, TC, that says rather a lot of nice things about you.
For sure! Just ask Tom's kitties.
It's so sweet the way the kitties sprawl over each other. And the way the humans--you, and apparently many of your readers--have these close relationships with kittuz! I think it's good for humans to love animals, and to be loved by them in turn. I have Natalie, my border collie, who is my running partner, and who often comes into my bed somewhere in the middle of the night to cuddle, or sometimes not until the early morning. I am so fortunate to have her--a present from one of my best friends, who has a sheep farm in Maryland. She actually drove Natalie up to my house outside of Boston, from her farm, on her way to Buffalo NY (my house was way out of the way) because Natalie was unhappy on the sheep farm--she was the runt of the border collies, and wasn't getting enough personal attention (my friend is also an immunologist at NIH).
Anyway, life is much better with Natalie.
What a treat today! Your column is such a gift, such a variety of topics and always with such rich commentary, woven through with facts and history galore! The cats in these photos are wonderful, each and every one. Bless them and bless you! Joyce Vance has her glorious chickens, Heather Cox Richardson her beautiful seascapes, Rob Hubbell his enlightening astronomy, and Dan Rather his music videos to make you smile. I have to say today’s column here caught me off guard, but happily so. Thank you, TC!
Yeah, Joyce Vance's chickens are something else!
Glad I gave up eating them…
Lost "Little Boy Cat" in October, the kitty I was never going to keep, from diabetes at 15 years old. He reigned over the deck in his last glorious summer and fall, with neighbor cats taking turns to sit by his sick beds. I made 3 beds for him, one under the picnic table, one in the sun, one safe from rain. He dined on bluegill and bass from neighbor fishermen, and venison (and even elk!) from local hunters. And one morning he was gone.
Sad to hear. They teach us to value each moment, since their lives are so short compared to ours.
That is so true Tom. I know people who refuse to get another pet after losing one because they can’t take the grief. I say it’s not about our grief, that is one of life’s processes we go through. It’s about our ability to take care of, and develop bonds with these amazing animals. And there is always another one that comes along to rescue us.
Yes. Each moment. So glad you have your cats.
I’m so sorry about “Little Boy Cat”. It sounds like you provided a wonderful life for him MaryPat.
Thanks. He and his twin sister (Yes, Little Girl Cat) were born on my couch on Mother's day to the stray who'd been injured (we later learned she had been hit by a car) and limped. My daughter and I had nursed (I am an RN, too) her back to health, thinking we had succeeded in "fattening her up." (And, yes, I worked OB, so I should have known). About a year later, momma cat and LGC disappeared. Two weeks later only LGC returned, well groomed, arrogant, and with no interest in my dry food. She lasted a week and left again (I later saw her 2 miles away with the new owner she had adopted). I was never going to keep her brother, but, we both had a wonderful life together. Thanks.
Sometimes the traveler doesn’t know where the journey will go.
That's a sad ending but, it sounds like he had a great life.
Gorgeous! You done good Tom! 😻😻😻😻😻
A wonderful crew Tom. All
very beautiful and handsome.
I have been taken over by the
Mountain cats and especially
1 old female called Socks.
Black cat with a white bib
and 4 white feet. She guards
my porch and keeps the
others in line. No matter
where I roll or what I'm doing
outside, there is always a cat
following me. Since I lost
Sadie, it's nice to know I'm
not totally alone.
God bless all creatures, great
and small.
They are all beautiful. Especially Cookie.
Yeah, cookie is very special.
Cookie reminds me very much of my Felicia, who became mine right after graduation from college. She left me just before my first child was born, 16 years later. Solid black, silky coat, sweetheart personality.
My current darling is Delilah, a 17yo brown tabby. Her age is showing. She’s blind, but navigates well by scent. I’ve deduced this from the fact that she complains to me loudly that she can’t find her water bowl(s) — she has two, a fancy fountain in the kitchen and a plain old bowl in the bathtub — if the chlorine has dissipated, but she knows exactly where the litter box is, and hasn’t missed it, ever. This is the first time I’ve been a one-cat household in nearly 30 years. She’s my ride or die until her time comes. In comparative years, she’s older than I am.
Thank you for sharing your friends. They’re a lovely bunch.
Heard somebody ask a friend the other day what she thought her last words might be when the time came. She said “feed my cats.” Can’t think of anything more important.
Fortunately, I think I will be able to stick around to see all of them scamper across the bridge.
Double-edged sword
Amen! I have spoken to my eldest niece, who told me that any cats still dependent on me, when my time comes, she will happily take home to care for, as my children all have dogs.
What a relief for you. I hope to see my remaining two through to the end, although that is difficult to contemplate. My sister, who died in Feb, had two beloved cats who are now at the mercy of a well-meaning but ill neighbor.
😔
This house has a special appreciation for critters with pink noses.
If you're judged by the company you keep, you're the cat's meow, Tom. It's a sweet looking kitty clan you have there, and they seem to like one another. All good.
We adopted our (probably) last two kittens May 27, 2020. Artemis (dilute calico torbie) and Apollo ( prototypical orange boy) are the best cats ever! (At least in our house).
All kitties are the best kitties ever.
Amen. I miss my boy I rescued in the middle of a hurricane watch in Sept of 2003. Loved him fiercely for 14 years and cried buckets when he had to leave us. Oh, the mark they leave on our hearts—at least most of us …
Agreed. I miss my heart cat, Wonka.
Love his name. I’m sure he brought great joy to you 🩷
I'll go along with that, even though I thought mine were the best....
all of them are the best.
Yes, I know. I was just being the one that thinks their kitties are the best, but always, they all love me and I love them.
They are all so lovable. Thank you for the lovely change from you know what.
These are wonderful. I have an especially soft spot in my heart for Tuxedo cats having inherited my daughter's Tux named Siona. Siona became my studio cat and lived to the ripe old age of twenty. I miss her still. What beautiful kitties you have and thanks for brightening up Friday for all of us!
Cats who hug are a blessing.
They are.
I had a big Maine Coon who was a hugger. And so beautiful and sweet.
So much better than a story about a certain puppy killer. Le Chateau du Chat is fabulous!
Thank you Tom, they are so beautiful. It’s funny that it’s National Pet Week and Be Kind to Animals Week because I have 2 more cats that have shown up at my place this week. One looks a lot like Corky and the other looks like Cookie. 🩷
Invite them in!
I’m working on it. Cookie look alike is warming up. But Corky look alike is quite wary. But we will get there.
They are ALL beautiful, Tom. Reminds me of my son's bunch! Matt, yellow & white longhair weighs 26 lbs (we think Maine Coon?) his brother Max grey & white Siamesey looking, Chewy, Orange tiger lovey boy, & Luci, small black longhair. And they are a bunch!
I'm sticking to one cat at a time - Axel is unhappy enough about her - more would blow his mind.
Cannot imagine life without my animals.
I think it's a Maine Coon mark to have extra front toes. And, yeah, my impression is that they are often big. Matt weighs almost as much as my Border Collie.
Truly, we never figured out exactly how a Maine Coon cat would have ended up in the horse barn in the first place! Its become more of a joke really. Hes just so huge! Actually he may have extra toes! The barn cats apparently got a bit out of control, population wise a few years ago, so they trapped the kittens & as many of the mothers as they could - took the mothers to be spayed & brought the kittens into the house till they were old enough to be spayed or neutered - found homes for most but my son was too attached to the foursome.
Somehow I'm not surprised to hear the Maine Coon Cat found his way to the barn. I could be wrong about this, but that sounds like normal behavior for them. And I think farms of different sorts often have resident cats. My friend's sheep farm has 'em.
I'm pretty sure people drop cats off - frankly, that really frosts me. Happened one time years ago when my kids were young - someone stopped pushed a dog out & drove away - we lived on a side road near a highway. My kids went & got him & needless to say, we had him for a while - but already had 2 dogs at the time, so got in touch with a shelter & they found someone to adopt him. Actually, one of the dogs we already had sort of appeared out of the blue one day - we kept him, tho.
awful when they do that. A lot of rescue dogs probably had that happen to them before they were rescued.
I live out in the country. And I have seen people drop cats off from their cars. I’m sure the 16 cats I take care of are a direct result of that. I also adopted a dog some years ago that had been dropped off and hit by a car. One of his hind legs was so badly injured he lost the use of it. We named him Ray as in Ray of sunshine, and he truly was, and one of the best friends I’ve ever had. That said, the dropped off dogs and cats are not always so lucky and the people that do it are heartless scum.
I was remote vet to Le Chateau du Chat!
And a valuable one you were, Andy!