My Cats ~ My Family

Cats…I’ve Had a Few

My family had cats off an on as I was growing up. I moved back home in my late 20s and we decided to get a couple of cats. Unfortunately right after that, I ended up moving 45 minutes away for a job, so I missed much of their growing up stages.

Abby was the cat we got from the animal shelter. We decided to just get her at first, then keep looking, but she ended up being pregnant when we got her, so we kept one of her kittens.

My mom died in 2003, and Abby and Midnight kept my dad company. His health was failing, so I moved back in with him in 2005, and he passed in 2007.

I started feeding a neighbor cat who refused to go home, and she “told” her housemates there was food next door…I’m sure of it, because before long there were quite a few hungry neighbor cats who wouldn’t leave. I took them in, and ended up at one time with 8 cats. I never wanted more than 3, and honestly 2 was plenty, but I loved them all, and cared for them the best way I knew how. I was low income, and unfortunately couldn’t afford vet care for them, and at that time, I couldn’t afford flea medication, either.

Here’s a story of me and my cats. I’ve loved them all dearly, and still have 5 at the time of this writing, but only 1 form the original 8.

My cats truly are my family.

Abigail (Abby)

I moved in with my dad in July, 2005, because he was having health problems (he passed away on November 07, 2007).

We had two cats, Abby and Midnight. We went to the local animal shelter seeking two cats, and the lady at the desk told us about Abby. She told us that Abby (they called her Bunny) was so gentle and good that they let her roam around the office instead of keeping her in a cage. It was Abby’s last day at the shelter before being euthanized. We agreed to take her. We didn’t get another one that day, and it’s a good thing, because Abby ended up being pregnant. She had two girls and a boy (which I saw being born). We provided a couple of birthing boxes on two different floors, and she chose the one upstairs, and came and got me to go up with her when it was time for her to deliver. We gave the two girls to a couple at my church, and we kept the boy (Midnight…my dad named him).

Abby is in the picture here. (I had to have my sweet girl put to sleep on Saturday, October 18, 2008…a very, very sad day).

Nicknames: “Abby-gail”, “Abs”, “Abby-girl”

Midnight

This is Abby’s son, Midnight. He wasn’t used to other cats, because it was only him and Abby for 10 years. He HATED Sidney at first, but now he “tolerates” him. But boy oh boy…he does NOT like Shaggy at all!

Midnight loved hunting birds and mice. When he needed to have a bowel movement, he would run up and down the attic stairs crying. He loved kicking rolls of paper towels, and he loved picking on Abby.

His world turned upside down when I started bringing in the neighbor cats, but he adjusted.

Nicknames: “Boo-boo”, “Boo-bear”, “Boo”, “Boy”.

Sadly…I had to have Midnight put to sleep on February 26, 2013. He was sick for a long time, and I was selfish and didn’t have the heart to part with him. I watched him be born in February 1997, and he died in the same month, 16 years later. He went out fighting, too. He had arthritis in his legs, and when the doc held his leg to shave it, he nipped at her, and he looked so angry. This is the younger Midnight that I knew. He was a rascal.

I regret waiting so long. I was hoping he would die in his sleep (don’t we always wish for that?), but it never happened. I knew it would stress him out going to the doctor, and I didn’t want that to be the last moments of his life. I tried to get someone else to take him in, but the vet said I had to be there, and you know what…I’m so glad I was. I was able to pet him and kiss him and talk to him, and he was purring the entire time, until the very end, when he got angry (but that was only because he was hurting).

I cried almost the entire time I was in there with him, but somehow it gives me closure to see them when they pass, and I hadn’t cried since then until today, when I’m writing this (3/7/13). I will miss you my little man…

Along Came Peaches

I had always desired to have an orange Tabby. Peaches was the neighbors’ cat, but she would hang out at our house every day. She was skinny, so I started feeding her. Well…she must have went home and told her “brothers and sister,” because I suddenly was feeding three, then four…

*Peaches is such a good girl. She is finally feeling at home (updated May, 2009). She plays and runs, which she did not do for almost 1 1/2 years. She used to only look at my shoulder and wouldn’t make eye contact with me, but now she has fantastic eye contact! She’s really come out of her shell!

I was such an ignorant cat owner in the beginning. I had not cared for many cats in my adult life, and I didn’t know how, nor could I afford good care for them, unfortunately. Peaches could have lived a longer, healthier life, if I knew then what I know now. She sure was a good girl!

I had to put a very sick Peaches to sleep on Friday, June 18, 2010.

Here They Come….

Peaches all of a sudden wanted to come in the house. My dad had dementia, so I didn’t want to overwhelm him with a new animal, so I let her come in for a while, then I decided it wasn’t a good idea, so I made her stay outside, again.

It started getting cold (it was Fall in Michigan), and I was worried about her being outside. I remembered the last Winter we had, I found her outside in freezing temps and her owners were all in bed, so I would call them and wake them up to come and get her, so she wouldn’t freeze to death. I didn’t want to put her through that again.

I finally decided to keep her. She loved my dad, and sat on his lap. I think she aggravated him at times, but he loved her, too. In fact when the ambulance came the last time to take my dad to the hospital, she would not stay off of his lap, even after my many attempts to put her down.
Peaches is a snuggler for sure.

After my dad died on November 7, 2007, I was still feeding four other neighbor cats. One by one, they all tried getting in the house. I tried my best to keep them out, and finally got tired of “fighting” them.

Meeko’s picture is featured here. He was raggedy, dirty and very skinny when he came. He was around 13, and pretty wild compared to what I was used to.

I Fell in Love

Meeko

Meeko, who I did NOT want, has captured my heart, and is one of my favorites. He is gentle and loving to me and the other cats. They ALL like him.

Nicknames: “Meeks”, “Meeko Man”

*I had to put Meeko to sleep on Tuesday, August 18, 2009. My roommate hit him with her car when backing up in the driveway. A very sad, emotional week for me. He was the best cat I had…wouldn’t hurt a fly. He had a rough life, and I’m so glad I could give him a happy 21 months on this earth. I love you and miss you, Meeko!

Charlie

This is Charlie. She’s a gentle, quiet girl. She gets along with everyone, and they all get along with her as well.
That tortoise shell coloring is gorgeous. And she’s soft like a mink coat.

Nickname: “Charlie Wharlie”

*I had to have Charlie put to sleep in the fall of 2014. I had taken her to the vet, and she had gum disease, so we were going to have her teeth extracted after the infection cleared up, but she really wasn’t up to it, so I took her back in, due to a swollen eye. They were going to have to remove her eye, and I couldn’t bear it. After they put her to sleep, they looked in her throat, and discovered a tumor, so she would have been put down anyway.

She never bothered anybody or anything. She was so easy going, and deserved better. I feel so guilty for letting her suffer for so long, but I had no idea she was that bad. Hind sight is 20/20, and now that I have more money, I’m taking better care of my pets, and taking them to the vet when needed.

Kayleigh

My precious Kayleigh. She was so sick when she arrived. She stayed up in the attic, and I would bring her food and water, and I put a litter box up there just for her.

Once she started feeling better, she came downstairs. But she was TERRIFIED of the other cats. She’s full grown, but tiny, and they knew they could bully her. She showed her fear even before they’d do anything, so that gave them a “good” reason to attack. She was even attacked once while using the litter box.

I told her she had to stop showing her fear and start fighting back. I also prayed for her and corrected the others when they bullied her.

Today…she stands her ground and is Queen of the house. My brave, brave girl. She acts like a toddler. She also loves to follow me around the house, and has fantastic eye contact.

When someone enters a room, she greets them with a MEOW!

Kayleigh died on my bed at 10:50pm on January 12, 2011. I don’t know if it was due to strong putty fumes and/or insulation being installed at the time in the attic, or if she had a stroke. She was walking as though she was drunk. She wasn’t outside to eat anything poisonous, so I’m not sure. It was a horrible evening and night for me. I tried to get her to a vet, but they were all closed. I just prayed she would go quickly if it was her time to go, and thank God she did. I had to bury my baby girl in the back yard. Oh how I will always miss her…

Nicknames: “Kayleigh-belle”, “Kay-kay”, “Miss Kayleigh”

Sidney

Here’s Sidney. I had to actually carry him in one cold night. He was so scared. He wouldn’t even let me near him when he first started coming over.

Now he loves to be petted.

My neighbors never even gave him a name. He had a twin brother, and they just called them the black cats.
But you know what…he learned his name almost immediately. When I call him, he comes running. When I say his name, he looks at me.

At one point, he had to have his leg shaved due to an infection. The doc x-rayed it, and it was OK, but he had to be on an antibiotic for a while. The doc said he had numerous bite marks on his body, so he must’ve been in several fights in his life.

My poor baby.

Nicknames: “Sid”, “Sid-man”, Sid-meister”, Sid-sid”

Sidney had to be taken to the Humane Society on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. He was becoming increasing aggressive to the other cats, and when I came home this day, he had hurt one of my girls. I had contemplated doing this twice before, but didn’t have the heart to go through with it. I cannot have a cat in my house that is going to be a danger to my other cats. Sidney started getting worse the past few months. I don’t know why. My heart is very heavy tonight. I loved him…

Shaggy & Tia

Tia or “Tia Marie”

She’s a tiny long haired tortoise shell. She CRAVES affection, and can be aggravating at times. She acts as though she might have been abused.

Sweet girl. Almost looks like an owl in the face.

I took Shaggy in on 11/27/08. He’s one of the neighbor cats I’d been feeding for months, and it has been freezing cold at night time around here, so I finally decided he could stay inside. Midnight doesn’t like another big male in the house…he was just learning to tolerate Sidney.

Shaggy is medium/long hair Ragdoll. Mostly white with a touch of Siamese coloring and blue, blue eyes. A sweet boy. Very shy and timid at first, but is warming up to me. Seems to like the other cats OK, but for some reason has not taken a liking to Peaches.

It’s so sweet when I see a friendship between two cats. Shaggy and Tia absolutely love each other. And Meeko and Sidney are best buds. Charlie gets along with all of them.

This picture is of Peaches and Tia on my bed.

Nickname: “Tia-marie” “Shaggy-Boo”

I had to put a very sick Tia to sleep on Tuesday, June 29, 2010. She had always had congestion and a runny nose, which I attributed to allergies, but for a few days she wouldn’t eat or even look at me and barely moved. This was tough for me, and I will miss this gently little girl.

Shaggy died in September, 2018. He was a loving cat to all the other cats. He nurtured them, cuddled them, and loved me and my husband. He was a good cat all around. He was 18 years old when he died.

Photos: Shaggy is the white/grey Ragdoll. Other pic is Peaches (orange Tabby) and Tia (Tortoise Shell).

Lola (Lola Mae)

Lola came to join our family on Saturday, July 31, 2010. On Friday, July 30, I heard a cat yelling outside my window. I thought there were some cats fighting. It was around midnight, so I grabbed my flashlight and a broom to break up the fight. Lola was against the house scared, and my Sidney was in front of the house not even paying attention to her. She ran to me immediately. She followed me to the back porch and ate some food. I figured she belonged to someone, so I came in the house. The next day I went on the porch in the afternoon, and I heard a meow coming from the woods. I didn’t recognize it as one of my cats. Here came Lola running out of the woods to me. She was eating as though she was starved all the while growling so none of my other cats would come near her. She was terrified of them. I let her in the house, and she seemed happy to be inside. I didn’t know she was a female at first, and I realized later she was in heat and had probably had to fend off many advances from males, and that’s why she was scared. She also was very young. I would guess only 7-11 months old.

She is now best known as “Mae Mae.” Also called Lolie or Lolie Mae at times. (They gotta have nicknames, you know).

She grew quite accustomed to her two sisters and three brothers, and they welcomed her with no problems. She now even engages some of my older cats in bouts of “Chase Me And I’ll Chase You.” Plus she runs up to strange cats as if to welcome them to the neighborhood.

As of Feb, 2015, Lola is thriving. She’s my talker, my friend, my helper, and she loves to pick on the other cats. She really helped me through the difficult time of losing my other best friend, Kayleigh (read about her above).

I have never seen a cat as determined as Lola. What she wants, she gets. Where she wants to go, she makes a way. No matter what. She doesn’t give up!

She loves to hunt, too. Yuck!

Nicknames: Lolie, Mae-Mae, Mayzie

Beanie and Buzzy

New Additions
January 22, 2011

Two 6-year old sisters have arrived on the scene. Beautiful Calico girls. They currently are very scared. It’s a new person, smells, noises and 5 other cats they must get used to. I’ll keep you updated. Beans (or Beanie) is the dark Calico and Buzz (or Buzzy) is the lighter one.

Their owner could no longer keep them, because she developed allergies to cats and dogs and wasn’t tolerating allergy medicine.

Update Feb. 10, 2011. Beanie and Buzzy are adjusting well. Buzzy is finally becoming a little more social. Beanie growls and hisses at some of the cats, still, but I think it’s out of fear. Lola picked on Beanie bad at first, now Beanie goes after Lola. I correct them every time they try to fight or “argue.” They really are doing well. Beanie sits on my lap, when I’m in my recliner, and she sits by my when I sit on the sofa. They both come out in the kitchen for morning feedings.

This was a huge adjustment for them. But they are very loving cats, and I hope this soon feels like home to them!

*Update Feb, 2015. Beanie had a 2-day stay at the vets last week due to severe constipation, but she is doing better. She and Lola are friends now, and they love to play. Buzzy has become much more social, and even picks on others at times, though Beanie and Lola still try to bully her at times. They are both flourishing and doing well, and are now 10.5 years old.

**Update: Buzzy suddenly started breathing laboriously, so on the 3rd day, we took her to the vet. She was 14.5 years old, and weighed 25 lbs. The vet said she was critical and pale, which I feared. He said it could be kidney disease (which I agree with), cancer or heart disease, but she wouldn’t endure blood work or x-rays. he said she would probably die of a heart attack during testing. We just lost Shaggy in September, 2018, and my heart wasn’t ready to lose another family member. Thank you Buzzy for bringing me joy and love my darling. You will forever be in my heart, and I’m so sorry you struggled to breathe for 3 or more days. Mommy misses you so much.

We had to put Beanie to sleep on October 29, 2021. Doc said there was a possibility of stomach cancer, because her stomach was protruding greatly, yet she was thin. She was eating pretty well, but didn’t look good. She was clinging to me at night, which was unusual for her. She just didn’t look and act like she felt well. When I took her to the vet, I wasn’t prepared to let her go. I figured they could help her. I didn’t want to put her through a bunch of tests or cancer treatment. She was old, and had lived a good life. That was a rough day. I miss her greatly

Kiki

Itty bitty Kiki came to live with us the end of October, 2011. She’s 2 years old. Her mommy couldn’t take her to her new house, because there was a person there with cat allergies, and her daddy was threatening to kick her out of his house :( She’s shy and oh so sweet.

Kiki loves to intimidate Lola. She’s a tomboy for sure, and she stands her ground, even though she is tiny. She loves to be brushed, but has only sat on my lap a few times. Probably because it’s usually already taken by another cat.

Kiki has blossomed and has gained weight.

Nickname: Keeks/Keekster

Milo

Milo was a neighbor’s cat. I saw him devouring food we threw out to the birds and squirrels, and drinking their water, too, so I started leaving dry food out for him. He ate it as though he was starving, so I knew he wasn’t getting enough food at home. Lola kept trying to attack him, and he was terrified of her, but he watched her go into the house, and one day, he decided he would come in, too. I let him eat, drink and sleep on the cat beds, but I made sure my neighbor knew he was only visiting, and he could take his cat home at any time. In fact my husband and I put Milo (then named Shadow) into a cat carrier and took him home and released him in the kitchen. He looked back at us like we had betrayed him. Every time he was let out, he would come over and come in and was hungry and thirsty and skinny.

In December of 2020 my neighbor went to live with his family for about 6 months. He never asked if we would watch Milo, so I considered him abandoned. When the neighbor came back, there was a dog living at his house, and he told my husband he couldn’t take him back at that time. I wondered how he could even think of taking him back after abandoning him for 6 months. Now he tells people we stole his cat. Sigh.

Milo was around 2 years old when he came to live with us. He made up with my 3 girl cats, which was astonishing! He’s a rascal, but a joy! He has gained weight, he sleeps with us, he loves his sisters, and plays with toys. He loves catnip, too!

My sweet, sweet boy!

He is a Russian Blue.

Pics of My Babies

Gifts for Cat Lovers

If you are a cat lover, or you know someone who is, you’ll enjoy these cute cat items! They make great gifts for all occasions!

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