Photo A Week #1

[rabid1st]

In an attempt to keep up with the Suzes and to keep in touch with you all. I've decided to post a photo from my life every week. This will allow you to get to know me better. And it will show you I'm still out there somewhere...working hard.

So...first up...a queenly feral cat named Jessica. When we moved in she was lurking about in our bushes, close to death, just skin and bones. Suckers that we are, we gave her fresh chicken breast every day. My how times have changed.

Comments

[ladyoneill.livejournal.com]

Awwwww. She looks a lot like my late baby, O'Neill.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Awww! Sorry to hear your Baby is late. I worry about her a lot as she is feral and they don't live long. But she now trots around the yard behind me telling me about her day. Or...possibly...demanding more chicken. Either way, I am growing attached to her.

[ladyoneill.livejournal.com]

O'Neill made it to 18--old for an indoor/outdoor cat, and died several years ago and I still miss him.:(

And they always want more food. Everytime I go into the kitchen, my two think it's food time. *g*

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I thought, perhaps, O'Neill was the family name! That is a ripe old age for an indoor/outdoor cat. Most of mine were of that type as I'm quite the magnet for feral cats and other animals. I think I might smell of pork sandwich to them, or something. Not that I do to humans. But animals definitely like the cut of my jib (or sandwich). My oldest indoor/outdoor cat was Sheba who lived to be 13, most of them lived about 8 or 9 years old and died of hard living or cars. I would keep Jessie in if I could, but I'm very allergic these days.

[ladyoneill.livejournal.com]

I've always been allergic to cats but I've also always had them, so I built up a tolerance to them. We were lucky that none of our cats were killed by cars but we had a couple get feline leukemia from other cats by being outside, and O'Neill was "arrested" as a wild cat (three doors down and across the street after living here for nearly 18 years) and caught that respiratory disease at the animal shelter before I thought to go look there for him (I figured he'd wandered off to die at his age). He lived another six months or so but as an indoor cat and was not happy.

My two now are indoor only--we have a law where cats can be picked up if they're not in their own yard which is what happened to O'Neill. So my two are fifteen and thirteen. We did have one other live to nineteen but most died at ten or eleven.

Nope, O'Neill is the name of my favorite Irish clan, and ladyoneill is actually from a character I created about 25 years ago who married the heir of that clan. *g* As O'Neill the cat was orange and white, I thought it was appropriate. He never went along with wearing a green collar, though.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

My allergy to cats is quite odd. I don't sneeze or anything. My eyes water now, but they didn't. We simply thought I had asthma for years. Turns out...cat allergy. But they could sit on me and I could pet them...etc. Then, about six years ago...just before the fibro hit hard, come to think of it...I suddenly came out in a bright red and very itchy rash all over my body. It would not respond to anything and it got to be quite the emergency, because I had to be really drugged to tolerate the itch. Like I was mixing narcotics and vodka to get any peace. And they ran an emergency patch test and found I was extraordinarily allergic to cats. Tough news as I had one I'd had for 13 years at that time. But there was no way I could even take the shots for her, the doctors were afraid I would over react to the shots.

About six months after she'd gone to her new home...no more asthma. But as of Christmas this year...asthma again...so, it seems I can't have more than one cat loitering about, even outside. Jessica has been around since May without noticable issues. But I am also out in a rash today after doing some yard work. I do hope Jessica can stay...but those tom cats need to go home.

O'Neill is a fine name for an orange cat. I have also lost a few to zealous "arrest." My sweetheart of a feral tom, Solomon, was locked up many times because he could not tolerate being kept indoors. I bailed out over and over again. Then some asshat kidnapped him, took him out into the desert and left him. But he truly loved me (for my chicken dinners in part). He managed to walk home to me though it took him 4 weeks...and he died of dehydration. The asshat is slowly roasting over a spit in hell, I'm sure.

[np-complete.livejournal.com]

Oh, she's lovely! I love ginger cats, and I love white on a cat.

ETA: man, she has a magnificent tail! It's huge!

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

She does have a magnificent tale. Though it isn't generally as fluffy as it is in this shot. I think she was a little alarmed by the camera, despite her slightly sleepy eyes. She bounded away soon after this shot was taken.

I, also, love the ginger tabby with white underbelly.

[susanb03.livejournal.com]

Great picture!

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Glad you like it. I think it is mostly the subject that makes the photo shine. She's a pretty kitty.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Now...what to photograph next. It would be sad if all I had was 52 weeks of pictures of feral cats to post. LOL

[auntiesuze.livejournal.com]

She's gorgeous! And that's a great picture! She must *love* you guys. :D

We have a couple of feral cats in the neighborhood, but there's far too many other critters around for us to try feeding them (the squirrels, crows, mice, raccoons, turkeys, skunks, deer or goodness knows who else would undoubtedly get to it first).

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

The hilarious part of this is Jan is outside at this very moment with a spray bottle and a flash light trying to discourage other feral cats, specifically tom cats, from taking up residence in our garden. Even though she is not technically our cat, we have made arrangements to have her fixed in a few weeks time, but I think she's gone into heat. She needs to temporarily relocate to be eligible for stray cat surgery, but my sister is going to adopt her for a bit. Alas, much work is needed before she is ready for permanent adoption...but she is, at least, healthy looking now...and friendlier.

[fishsanwitt]

She is *gorgeous*!

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

She is a pretty kitty. And knows that her place is on our assorted pedestals.

[astitchintime-9.livejournal.com]

Pretty creamsicle! But such sad stories! Cats really do have their own, distinct personalities, and I, too, have both happy and sad stories. As well as "people can be awful" stories. I wish that cats could live longer, better lives.

[develish1]

such a pretty kitty :)