For the Love of Cat Vol. 6, Shotgun

Halford, 2008

 Okay, we've been keeping a secret.
We have a new cat around. As I've mentioned before, my husband and I live right next door to my parents in a tiny house with our two dogs. I would say the cats are mutual property between the two residents by now. They go to whatever door will open for them whenever they are cold and hungry. Meatloaf, the kitten we rescued last July from under a nearby house, hangs mostly with us. Halford was my cat and he moved with my parents 4 years ago when I moved into a house with Paul downtown. He's now more of my pet again than just a neighbor. He sleeps at our house most nights. Then there is Luci, a beautiful black and white long haired cat I rescued when she was a kitten from a dirty house with no food or liter box for her. I brought her to live with my parents, so she never got the chance to live with me and Louie and therefore never got used to a big slobbery dog that bumps into you when he's looking right at you! Luci has ventured into our home a few times. She'll find a comfy spot on the back of a chair and hold her own when a dog tries to sniff her, but she is definitely not a dog lover like the other two.

Luci, 2008 (notice her extra thumbs)

Okay, so what is the secret?!
My dad brought another cat home. Everyone sighed, we aren't 'cat people'. I love my pets, don't get me wrong, I just don't see our family having loads of cats roaming around. How many is too many? Well, my dad had to explain how the new cat found him and why he put it in his truck and brought it home.

I walked in to my dad's house after a long day of work.
All I knew about the new cat was that it looked like Luci except dirty and my dad had 'saved' it. What I found was a skinny, hungry, scruffy looking Muppet caked in cow manure and stinking to high heaven. How could anyone want to pick that up and take it home? It looked so scared. I did not touch it because I was sure it would turn into a hissing, gnashing fur ball, slicing its way to free itself from my clutches with it's infected claws. I just watched skinny try to choke down food and asked my dad what he was thinking.

He told me he was on a nearby farm with a friend. They were going to do some work on the property. The three men were standing around discussing this upcoming project when a skinny black and white kitty slowly walked by.  The farm hand said 'Oh, yeah. That reminds me I was supposed to get rid of that thing.' and he pulled his shotgun from his truck. My dad quickly asked what he was doing. The man said that this cat didn't belong here and it had been wondering around on their property for a while now and no one could catch it. It was surely feral and diseased. My dad quickly volunteered to take care of this for him. He patiently waiting for the cat to approach. He pet it a little and it seemed fine. He tried to pick it up and then it really gave it to him. Hissing, spitting, clawing, flailing. My dad carried it to his truck, put it in and shut the door.

Okay, I get it.
He could not let that man shoot this cat, it had to be somebodies pet, at least at one time. On top of that, it looked so darn much like his cat Luci. What kind of a man would he be if he stood by and let that happen? I understood, and loved my dad just a little more. I looked at my dad and said 'Well, I guess we call it 'Shotgun'. He smiled with tears in his eyes. The cat purred while it ate the crunchy kibble just as fast as it could. We scheduled a vet appointment for the next day and thought we'd try to find it a home if we could. We'd make sure she was well first. One thing we knew for sure: this cat did not like dogs. The moment Louie or Snorp were in sight, even through the window she flipped out.

Meatloaf, 2012

The first time Shotgun met Louie was quite the scene. 
Shotgun made it known she despised this animal and anyone who looked like it. Hissing, spitting, flailing, clawing again, my dad carried her upstairs and away from the other animals, giving Louie a chance to inspect the new smell and trace everywhere this new creature had been. Louie made zigzags across the kitchen floor, over to the cat food bowl where he was reminded he didn't get to eat that, over to the water dish where he helped himself and wet his whistle, under a chair and table and into a closet, back across the kitchen to the living room where he did some deep sniffing of a blanket Shotgun had been lying one when we came in. Then he went back trough the living room and crossed the kitchen floor to the flight of stairs leading upstairs, no hiding from this dog! No, sorry Louie, you can't go upstairs. Leave that kitty alone.

Shotgun, 2012

So why was this a secret?
Well, it wasn't really a secret actually. More that I wasn't ready to share this story until I knew where it was going. This cat looked terribly sick and hated my dogs. What kind of uplifting story could I spin out of that? How does this relate to Life with Blind Louie?

Well, we took Shotgun to the vet. Shotgun is a 'she'. She had been fixed before, so she was somebodies pet once upon a time. They guessed she was maybe three years old, she did not have feline leukemia but she had such bad fleas that she was anemic.  She was far too thin and was recovering from dehydration. So, I see. The farmer could not take care of another animal and he knew this cat had no home and was sick. They were doing the 'humane' thing and 'euthanizing' her. Farmers and country folk handle things just a bit different than we do in the city. That scenario sounds crazy to me being raised in town and new to this area but I don't think anyone necessarily had poor intentions. I'm just glad my big-heart-ed father was there to give this girl a second chance.

Shotgun, 2012

Now between the two houses, we have four cats, two dogs, three chickens, and two pigs.
Everybody is happy and taken care of so it seems okay. I don't see us adopting out Shotgun, my dad is very attached. She sleeps with him at night and comes when he calls her. The name stuck, Shotgun. I named another cat a weird name. Win! She is way more mellow now, she doesn't hit or spit at my dad anymore, even when he picks her up. She's playing and wrestling with the other cats. The dogs though... well, she still leery. I don't know if that will get too much better. Luci still doesn't like the dogs much and they've been living next door to her for about seven months now. Louie, however is learning to keep his distance. He knows if he smells close enough that he can hear her growling at him that he need to back off. She doesn't run away anymore, she stands her ground. This is really good because it will teach Louie to keep away instead of just chasing and playing hide and seek. Today, I finally was able to take pictures of her because she wasn't hiding. She's a pretty Shotgun.

Shotgun, 2012

For the Love of Cat Vol 4, Replacing Halford?

It was spring time 2009. I had moved back to my parents house in November 2008 with Louie and Halford. We were loving the house with the big yard and Louie was loving hanging out with my dad and Poncho all day when I went to work. Halford enjoyed exploring the woods behind the house. He figured out how to get on and off the roof of this big house and he'd just cruise around up there and hang out. I think he liked the birds eye view. Everyday when I came home from work, Halford would come running. He'd either be meowing down at me from the roof top or running up to my car from behind the house. I loved my little cat-dog. It was just cool to have a cat that would come when you called him.

Gone Fishin'
Due to these very regular daily behaviors, like breakfast together and meeting me at my car when I got home, I knew right away that Halford was missing. By the next day I was already worried. I made flyers, posted an ad on Craigslist and went to both locations of the humane society in town. I left my flyers there in hopes they would call me if anyone brought Halford in. I kept going back to check the cats and make sure he wasn't there. It was really sad. Louie and I looked everywhere. We walked around in the backyard, calling him and Louie used his sniffer. I knew he wouldn't just run away, he really loved us and his house, so instead I feared the worst. Coyotes. I didn't want to think about it, but that may have been Halford's fate.

Luci posed, with Frank Zappa

Time Passes
Six days went by, I stopped going to the pound everyday and just hoped someone would call. That is when I went over to my old house to visit my old roommate and his kitten 'Venom'. I saw how bad the conditions in the house were and there was still no cat food. I knew that we had room for another cat at our place, but it wasn't like I was replacing Halford. I was just trying to rescue this cat, maybe find her a home. I took 'Venom' home with me and I changed her name to Luci in the car on the drive. I thought my folks might be more accepting of the little girl if she had a cuter name.

Two days passed, eight days since I'd seen Mr. Halford. Luci was liking her new house, getting used to the new people and animals. My mom immediately fell in love with the fluffy little girl. Luci seemed to have a permanent spot in my mothers lap any time she'd sit down. We were sitting around inside, my little brother Hunter and my mom, when we heard my dad scream from outside.


Rescue Mission
My cell phone rang and it was my dad, hysterical. I could barely understand what he was saying. It was something like "I hear him, I know it's him. Help me, I need help. Bring the ladder!" I'm running through the hall to the front door while listening to him on the phone. I told Hunter to get the ladder.

When I got outside, my dad was in the neighbors yard on the other side of a fence. He was in full panic mode. My dad pointed to the small vent in the attic of the neighbors shop. It's where the old man would park his riding lawnmower and keep tools and such. There were no windows on the building. It was just a tiny vent in the very top on the side of the building by the roof and a garage door on the front. The neighbors took very good care of their lawn. He was out almost everyday doing yard work but I hadn't seen them in while. They had gone on vacation a little over a week before. Then I heard it too. A loud meow, and it most certainly was Halford! My brother brought him the ladder, my dad climbed up and tore off the vent and pulled out a cat.

Halford liking his lips picturing Luci as a roast turkey

When they passed him to me I cried. He was a bag of bones! Halford started to purr as I held him. I carried him inside and into my room. I closed the door and set out a small water dish and just a couple tablespoons of food. I knew he could hurt himself if he ate too fast. He was just living on mice and whatever for eight days! I couldn't believe he was gone for that long and was still alive!

An Impostor! or Breakfast?
Suddenly, Halford stops drinking water and starts in with a low growl. Hiss! What? I look around and see a chubby, fluffy and clean little black and white kitten sitting there looking at Halford. I had totally forgot about her in all the commotion in finding Halford. Halford was not happy to see another cat right now. I think he just wanted to eat her he was so fricken hungry! I tried to explain to Halford that he wasn't being replaced, I hadn't given up on looking for him. This kitten just needed a good home, that's all. He seemed to hold a grudge. I scooped up little Luci and brought her back to my mom's lap where she belonged, while I went back in to check on Halford. Louie wouldn't leave, he waiting and listened just outside my bedroom door, he wanted his Halford!

Snuggling?

Warming up to Each Other
Over the next few days we fed Halfey slowly, he drank water, re-hydrated. He slept with Louie. He didn't want to go outside, but more than anything, Halford would not tolerate closed doors. He came to hate any kind of inclosed space, and I could totally understand. He would howl like a banshee if a door would close on him. We kept all the interior doors opened at least a crack. This made it difficult to separate Halford and Luci, seeing as Halford wanted Luci for lunch. Instead, we encouraged playing, and we supervised and refereed to make sure it didn't get out of control. Louie helped with the refereeing part for sure.

Maybe not.

Before you know it, a few weeks had gone by and Luci and Halford were getting along, there was some pretty awesome cat wrestling matches going on in our house. They played with toys together and I'd even catch them snuggling from time to time.

A Lesson Learned
I'll never forget losing Halford, I've learned a valuable lesson. Cats get locked into outbuildings all the time. Keep your eye out for cats in your garage, and if you lose a cat go and check your neighbors garages, with their permission of course. I know now this happens all the time in the spring and summer months. Halford, what a survivor! We're all happy to have him, especially Louie.

For the Love of Cat Vol 3, Luci Fur

Luci Was An Accident
I don't know where Luci came from. My old roommate got her as a tiny kitten, she was a little puffball. Probably too small to be away from her mommy yet. He brought her home after I had moved out of the house Louie, Halford and I had once shared with a few other roomies. About a month after getting the kitten, he was being evicted and I offered to find her a home. That house was no home for a cat anymore anyway. There wasn't even cat food or a litter box in the house, it had REALLY gone down hill since I'd moved out. It killed me to see this kitten living like that.

Luci was adorable. Jet black and bright white, long white whiskers and a bushy tail. She's short and chubby, much more of a normal cat as far as the cats go in our family. Halford is the pet and Luci is the real cat. She's sketchy, startles easily, is afraid of the vacuum and prefers to be left alone unless she demands petting or food. She acts like such a pedigree.

All in Good Fun with Love
In reality, I think Luci might not be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, if you know what I mean. I kindly refer to her as the 'special' kitty. Her eyes seem a bit crossed, and she has several extra toes. What a neat cat, and such personality. I definitely don't REALLY think she's slow, it's just fun to tease. That is how I function, life would be unlivable without laughter. I think it's necessary to make fun of ourselves and each other in a loving way. There is no shortage of blind jokes around my house for Louie.

I renamed Luci when I rescued her. Her old name was Venom, after the metal band. It didn't really seem to suit her. Luci was nice. Luci Fur because she's fuzzy, and because she has six toes on one of her front feet and five on the other front one. Demon cat! She could really grab onto something with the death grip of her giant front paws and kick the crap out of it with her back feet.

The Amazing Fetching Kitten
I fell in love with Luci somewhat suddenly one day. I was over at the house she was living and she was still just a little kitten. There was a toy there that was a small fishing pole with a toy bird on the end that chirped when it hit something. Luci loved it until the string snapped. I picked up the now detached bird and threw it across the room a little ways. It chirped when it his the ground. Luci ran over and batted it around, picked it up in her mouth and was carrying it around. I called, her 'here kitty kitty' and rubbed my fingers together. She brought me the bird. I wrestled it away from her and tossed it again and it chirped as it landed. She ran over, swatted it around a bit and picked it up in her mouth again. When she brought it back to me the third time I almost peed my pants. Was this kitten actually playing fetch with me? We went on for about fifteen minutes. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen a feline do.

A rare moment of Luci and Louie snuggle.

Luci never played fetch again.
I tried so many times, in so many ways, with so many different toys and nothing. I think she knows how and that I want her to fetch but just doesn't feel like it. Snob.

Luci is not much of a fan of Louie to be honest. She tolerates him and knows how to get out of his way. I think all of our other animals know Louie is blind by now. There have been a few adorable Luci and Louie moments and I have only captured it on camera once. Now that I look at it, somehow Luci doesn't look like she's enjoying it all that much. Maybe more just tolerating him, and using him for his body heat. She'd much rather find her own quiet warm spot in a window somewhere where no one can bother her.

Halford and Luci
The story of how Luci and Halford met was a tough one. I think it deserves it's own story. Luci arrived at a strange time in our lives, and Halford took sometime to adjust to having another cat in the house, but for very good reason. I will explain...


Check out the next installment:
For the Love of Cat Vol 4, Halford and Luci