B
BamaRider
Guest
Because we discuss alot of sad, troublesome topics, I’d thought I would lighten things up with this story about our “new” cat.
But first a little background. My wife and I were empty nesters at a early age (eary 40s), and I retired a few years ago at the age of 49 after doing my 26 years in the fire department. My wife is still working (I told her I’d let her quit when I’m done buying “toys.)” We have a 28 year old son (an only not by choice, but God’s) who left home 10 years ago for college and then a career.
When my son was 4 years old somebody gave us a cat. I really didn’t want it, not that I didn’t like cats, I do, (dogs too) but I just didn’t want to endure the associated stuff that goes with them. But he really wanted it so I relented.
She was a mixed, long hair female that he named “smoke” cause of her gray color. She lived 21 years. She was the only pet he ever knew. I’ll never forget the day I had to call him at his office the morning we found her expired in her box. He had been home just a week earlier and saw her one last time. We knew she didn’t have long then, she wasn’t in pain, but she was unable to do much. She seemed to like seeing my son. She had slept at the end of his bed from the time he was 4 years old till he left for college at age 18.
When he called home the first thing he would ask was, “how’s Smoke doin?” “Mean as ever.” And she was too.
After Smoke died, Debbie and I decided we were done with pets. We gave away her litter box and others toys to a young lady in Debbie’s office. Having a cat means lots of vacuming, and because we are on the go so much, sometimes weeks at a time, we really didn’t have time for a cat or a dog, but that didn’t stop people from trying to give us one or the other.
Fast forward to a couple years ago. My son is living in a bottom floor of apartment complex, when he notices a stray cat hanging around outside his patio door. He’s a youong bachelor, and was reluctant to feed it, knowing it might cause her to hang around. It was cold, and she would often get out of the wind by making a bed near the dumpster.
Like clock work, when he came home from work, turned some lights on or made some noise, she would scurry out of her warm spot and peer in his door.
He didn’t want to feed her because he knew she’d never leave, and he really didn’t want to be tied down with a pet either.
But the cat is persistent, and keeps looking in his glass door. Finally he gave in ad slipped her some leftovers. Next night she’s back in the same spot. He said he went out to her, and despite her owners leaving her, she was the most people friendly cat he’d ever seen, she was nothing like Smoke! He noticed she had been declawed which probably means she’s been spayed too. She’s a older, mature female, and her loose tummy skin says she’s had few litters in her day.
My son determined somebody just moved off and left her. Maybe they couldn’t find her when it was time to go, and had to leave her? Maybe they just left her because she was too much trouble to take with them? He didn’t know, but eventually he let her in the apartment and after that she had a home.
He took to her the vet for shots, and had her checked out. The vet said she was probably 6-8 years old, maybe more. But other then being a little skinny, she was in good health.
He named her Roxy. And the next few months they became fast friends. The girl he was dating didn’t like cat dander, but they worked it out.
A few months later, he moved to a house to rent a room from a friend. He brought Roxy with him. He only lived 30 minutes away, so we would often go by to see him. Roxy followed him everywhere. If he stepped out of the room she followed. She slept foot of his bed, and sat at his feet in the den if he was watching tv. I never saw anything like it.
A few months later he took a job 4 hours away, he packed his stuff including Roxy, and moved away.
He didn’t come home much, but when he did, he brought Roxy with him. She really liked it here, because she has lots of windows to look out of. He said, when he got the carrier out for the trip home, she just walked on in, because she was going to someplace fun, but getting her in the carrier to go back was another story. If she saw you get it out she’d run get under the bed.
A year later my son was home, at a crossroads in his life. He’d lost his well paying professional job, and was at a loss on what to do. Dejected he came home with just the clothes on his back, and Roxy.
We went back 2 weeks later for his few sticks of furniture and the rest of his clothes. We got his stuff home, and stored it.
He was always a good Catholic, so we put the whole situation in God’s hands, and was confident He would work it out, we just didn’t know when. With that settled we sat back and decided to use the time as a way to be together. We went to daily Mass a few days a week, ran., watched movies, cut grass at the home and the church and gave his mother a hard time. All the while Roxy in the middle of things.
We bought Roxy one of those cat condo things and put it facing the den window. She sitll followed Chris from room to room, and if wasn’t home she followed me. If no one was home she sat in the front window waiting for us. I never knew a cat that liked people so much.
My son quipped, “I think she follows us like this cause she’s afraid we’re gonna leave her.” “Yeah, probably why she sits up in the window, when we leave too, she gets nervous.”
My son was home over 2 months. It was like getting to know him all over again. My favortie time was the afternoons. We’d go run and Debbie would have supper ready on our return. It was like he was a little boy again when we came home after football practice.
We eat in front of the TV most nights, so Roxy would find a place in the mdidle of the floor, that way she could see everyone all at once. She was at looked so peaceful with her legs curled under her the way cats do
We had a good time those 10 weeks. We didn’t even worry much about the job situation. We prayed about it everyday, and that freed us of the burden of worry, we knew it would be ok.
We were out running oneday, “yanno this all God’s plan, you got phased outta that job down there because he wanted you to com home for awhile, I don’t know why, but there it is.”
“I know why. I’d lost my direction down there, I was doing stuff wrong and living too fast a life. I was at my desk 60 hours a week. I had lost focus on what was important, but being home I’m seeing again how it is suppose to be.”
He broke up with a long time girlfriend. It was a good move.
We knew the good times were gonna end oneday. And after what we knew was a good interview, he got a phone call one morning from a big company to come to work and live in Alabama’s most prestigous place for such stuff.
It was in his work field, but a much bigger company. It was better in every way then the job he was phased out of. And to top it off he only lived 1 hour aways as opposed to 4. God is good!
We moved his few belongings and furniture out of storage, into a nice 1 bedroom apartment.
The next couple of weeks he settled into his new job and life, and that left just me and Roxy here much of the day. With Chris gone she didn’t know where to sleep, so she walked the hall talking out loud. But after a few days, she annointed me as her number one.
Now she sits and stares at me while I’m on the computer, she likes to get up on the desk so she can be eye level. She watches TV with me at the end of my feet. I spend a lot of time in my study and she has several places in here to sit or lay down.
And when its time for bed she falls in right behind me. She sleeps at the foot of the bed, like she use to with Chris. It kinda annoys Debbie, but she’s learned to live with it.
The last few months I made really good friends with the people loving Roxy. She lets anybody pet her, just don’t pick her up. I think all those litters makes it hard for her to be stressed in that manner.
My son was home this weekend, with the intent of gathering Roxy and taking her to her new home. But a few hours before leaving he said.
“look if ya want Roxy that’s ok, she seems bonded with you now, and I really don’t want to mover her again.”
" You’re prolly right, and I use to haivng her around."
“What ya reckon momma is goin to say?”
" I dunno, but I’ll get her past it."
So now we have a new family member. She stis atop my desk as I type. She is waiting for me to finsish this so she can go to bed. I find out when she came in she likes being the last one asleep. That way she knows everyone is accomadated for."
I dunno how many years this kind ole cat has left. She’s not gonna hurt a flea. Whatever years she has left, we’ll see she has plenty to eat, and lots of windows to look out of.
But first a little background. My wife and I were empty nesters at a early age (eary 40s), and I retired a few years ago at the age of 49 after doing my 26 years in the fire department. My wife is still working (I told her I’d let her quit when I’m done buying “toys.)” We have a 28 year old son (an only not by choice, but God’s) who left home 10 years ago for college and then a career.
When my son was 4 years old somebody gave us a cat. I really didn’t want it, not that I didn’t like cats, I do, (dogs too) but I just didn’t want to endure the associated stuff that goes with them. But he really wanted it so I relented.
She was a mixed, long hair female that he named “smoke” cause of her gray color. She lived 21 years. She was the only pet he ever knew. I’ll never forget the day I had to call him at his office the morning we found her expired in her box. He had been home just a week earlier and saw her one last time. We knew she didn’t have long then, she wasn’t in pain, but she was unable to do much. She seemed to like seeing my son. She had slept at the end of his bed from the time he was 4 years old till he left for college at age 18.
When he called home the first thing he would ask was, “how’s Smoke doin?” “Mean as ever.” And she was too.
After Smoke died, Debbie and I decided we were done with pets. We gave away her litter box and others toys to a young lady in Debbie’s office. Having a cat means lots of vacuming, and because we are on the go so much, sometimes weeks at a time, we really didn’t have time for a cat or a dog, but that didn’t stop people from trying to give us one or the other.
Fast forward to a couple years ago. My son is living in a bottom floor of apartment complex, when he notices a stray cat hanging around outside his patio door. He’s a youong bachelor, and was reluctant to feed it, knowing it might cause her to hang around. It was cold, and she would often get out of the wind by making a bed near the dumpster.
Like clock work, when he came home from work, turned some lights on or made some noise, she would scurry out of her warm spot and peer in his door.
He didn’t want to feed her because he knew she’d never leave, and he really didn’t want to be tied down with a pet either.
But the cat is persistent, and keeps looking in his glass door. Finally he gave in ad slipped her some leftovers. Next night she’s back in the same spot. He said he went out to her, and despite her owners leaving her, she was the most people friendly cat he’d ever seen, she was nothing like Smoke! He noticed she had been declawed which probably means she’s been spayed too. She’s a older, mature female, and her loose tummy skin says she’s had few litters in her day.
My son determined somebody just moved off and left her. Maybe they couldn’t find her when it was time to go, and had to leave her? Maybe they just left her because she was too much trouble to take with them? He didn’t know, but eventually he let her in the apartment and after that she had a home.
He took to her the vet for shots, and had her checked out. The vet said she was probably 6-8 years old, maybe more. But other then being a little skinny, she was in good health.
He named her Roxy. And the next few months they became fast friends. The girl he was dating didn’t like cat dander, but they worked it out.
A few months later, he moved to a house to rent a room from a friend. He brought Roxy with him. He only lived 30 minutes away, so we would often go by to see him. Roxy followed him everywhere. If he stepped out of the room she followed. She slept foot of his bed, and sat at his feet in the den if he was watching tv. I never saw anything like it.
A few months later he took a job 4 hours away, he packed his stuff including Roxy, and moved away.
He didn’t come home much, but when he did, he brought Roxy with him. She really liked it here, because she has lots of windows to look out of. He said, when he got the carrier out for the trip home, she just walked on in, because she was going to someplace fun, but getting her in the carrier to go back was another story. If she saw you get it out she’d run get under the bed.
A year later my son was home, at a crossroads in his life. He’d lost his well paying professional job, and was at a loss on what to do. Dejected he came home with just the clothes on his back, and Roxy.
We went back 2 weeks later for his few sticks of furniture and the rest of his clothes. We got his stuff home, and stored it.
He was always a good Catholic, so we put the whole situation in God’s hands, and was confident He would work it out, we just didn’t know when. With that settled we sat back and decided to use the time as a way to be together. We went to daily Mass a few days a week, ran., watched movies, cut grass at the home and the church and gave his mother a hard time. All the while Roxy in the middle of things.
We bought Roxy one of those cat condo things and put it facing the den window. She sitll followed Chris from room to room, and if wasn’t home she followed me. If no one was home she sat in the front window waiting for us. I never knew a cat that liked people so much.
My son quipped, “I think she follows us like this cause she’s afraid we’re gonna leave her.” “Yeah, probably why she sits up in the window, when we leave too, she gets nervous.”
My son was home over 2 months. It was like getting to know him all over again. My favortie time was the afternoons. We’d go run and Debbie would have supper ready on our return. It was like he was a little boy again when we came home after football practice.
We eat in front of the TV most nights, so Roxy would find a place in the mdidle of the floor, that way she could see everyone all at once. She was at looked so peaceful with her legs curled under her the way cats do
We had a good time those 10 weeks. We didn’t even worry much about the job situation. We prayed about it everyday, and that freed us of the burden of worry, we knew it would be ok.
We were out running oneday, “yanno this all God’s plan, you got phased outta that job down there because he wanted you to com home for awhile, I don’t know why, but there it is.”
“I know why. I’d lost my direction down there, I was doing stuff wrong and living too fast a life. I was at my desk 60 hours a week. I had lost focus on what was important, but being home I’m seeing again how it is suppose to be.”
He broke up with a long time girlfriend. It was a good move.
We knew the good times were gonna end oneday. And after what we knew was a good interview, he got a phone call one morning from a big company to come to work and live in Alabama’s most prestigous place for such stuff.
It was in his work field, but a much bigger company. It was better in every way then the job he was phased out of. And to top it off he only lived 1 hour aways as opposed to 4. God is good!
We moved his few belongings and furniture out of storage, into a nice 1 bedroom apartment.
The next couple of weeks he settled into his new job and life, and that left just me and Roxy here much of the day. With Chris gone she didn’t know where to sleep, so she walked the hall talking out loud. But after a few days, she annointed me as her number one.
Now she sits and stares at me while I’m on the computer, she likes to get up on the desk so she can be eye level. She watches TV with me at the end of my feet. I spend a lot of time in my study and she has several places in here to sit or lay down.
And when its time for bed she falls in right behind me. She sleeps at the foot of the bed, like she use to with Chris. It kinda annoys Debbie, but she’s learned to live with it.
The last few months I made really good friends with the people loving Roxy. She lets anybody pet her, just don’t pick her up. I think all those litters makes it hard for her to be stressed in that manner.
My son was home this weekend, with the intent of gathering Roxy and taking her to her new home. But a few hours before leaving he said.
“look if ya want Roxy that’s ok, she seems bonded with you now, and I really don’t want to mover her again.”
" You’re prolly right, and I use to haivng her around."
“What ya reckon momma is goin to say?”
" I dunno, but I’ll get her past it."
So now we have a new family member. She stis atop my desk as I type. She is waiting for me to finsish this so she can go to bed. I find out when she came in she likes being the last one asleep. That way she knows everyone is accomadated for."
I dunno how many years this kind ole cat has left. She’s not gonna hurt a flea. Whatever years she has left, we’ll see she has plenty to eat, and lots of windows to look out of.
I plan to always have cats. Right now I’ve only got one but he’s enough. I’d love to adopt them all but it’s not possible. 
But for some reason God directed this cat to your family and blessed her with a good home. 