I never thought I would feel this way, but I am really glad our television started smoldering one day. It wasn’t even that old, but for some reason when my husband was home for lunch watching the news, he could smell something burning and it was the television.
I am sure you are thinking, what does a television have to do with a cat? Well, trust me, it does. After the television cooled, my husband and I set it outside to be safe. He was going out to dinner that night with a few other guys which in itself is a rare event. When he got home, it was about 10PM and he decided that we must go get another TV immediately. The local Wal-Mart is only one mile away so off we went.
I should add that it was January 21, 2005 and a very rare below zero night. I really don’t know why we decided to go that night and couldn’t just wait until the next day. I guess God wanted us to be outside at that time. It was about 11PM by the time we chose the TV and got it home. I could hear a kitten meowing and my husband said he didn’t hear it. I started walking toward the sound and it got louder. I soon saw a kitten, probably a few months old running toward me meowing. It really sounded like she was saying, “help, help.” She let me pick her right up and she had an icicle on her little whiskers.
I placed her inside a carrier for the night with a shoebox for a litter box and some food and water. I never let any kitty intermingle with the others until they have been vet checked and tested for FELV/FIV. It was a Friday night so I was able to get her to the vet the next day. Fortunately, she was negative for FELV/FIV and seemed healthy.
I told my husband I would try to find a home for her, but we had to keep her until then. I knew it would be difficult to part with her even if I only had her for a short time. I honestly did ask neighbors to be sure she just didn’t escape from somewhere. I also mentioned her to the mother of a girl I was tutoring. As soon as I mentioned the kitten, I regretted it. She knew someone that wanted a kitten.
I didn’t like how these people cared for their dogs, letting them run around without a leash. I assumed that any friends of theirs would treat pets the same way. I ended up fibbing and saying someone else I knew wanted the kitten. I know it is wrong to lie, but when it comes to rescuing cats, I will do what needs to be done so they can have a good life.
After a month or so of me “trying” to find a home for this kitty, I think my husband realized it wasn’t going to happen so he stopped bugging me. In the meantime, Stinky earned her name. I think when she uses the litter box it smells more than the others because she never mastered covering it. She will scratch for a long time, all around and on the floor, but never manages to cover the offensive odor.
Stinky is a little scrappy and fresh with her paws. The only time she didn’t scratch me when I picked her up was the night I saved her. She will sit near me and on my husband’s lap, but it has to be on her terms. She tends to get a build-up of ear wax so I have to clean her ears often which always leads to me getting scratched.
Despite the fact that she scratches me, she is very well- mannered. She always asks my husband permission to sit on his lap. She will get on the arm of his chair and meow until he tells her OK.
Even though she is over 10 years old, she is still as playful as a kitten. She loves to chase the laser dot. She used to fetch toys for me like a dog, but sadly, she outgrew that. Stinky also likes to play with the other cats like Phoebe and Prancie. They like to wrestle and play tag.
Stinky gets offended easily. She likes my sister and my niece so she expects them to always say hi to her before the others. One time my sister didn’t so Stinky ran out of the room offended. Another time, a friend of mine said she was chubby and Stinky swatted her.
Other than Stinky’s ear wax problem, she has been surprisingly healthy all these years and hopefully will continue to be for many more. As I said before, I am really glad our TV started burning one day or Stinky would have frozen to death. I am also glad I decided to keep her and I think she is happy about that too (except for when I am cleaning her ears).
A Cats Purr
"Cats make one of the most satisfying sounds in the world: they purr ...
A purring cat is a form of high praise, like a gold star on a test paper. It is reinforcement of something we would all like to believe about ourselves - that we are nice."
Roger A Caras