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Tess, 1984-1994
Tess was three-quarter wolf and arrived at my door in Flagstaff in the dead of winter. She was about 10 inches long and after
being in the house for a couple of hours, she went to the door and whined. I took her out and she wandered as far as she
could from the house and did her business. That was the extent of "training" needed. She never had an accident and always
went to the door when she needed to go. She would not ask for walks but simply got up and stood next to me when it appeared
I was going out. She just assumed she would be going along . . . which she did.
Cuddy & Scat
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| Max (left) comforting Cuddy |
Cuddy (? - 2003) was semi-feral when I met her but became tamer and tamer over time and was eventually as comfortable
with people and other animals as my other cats.
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| Cuddy & Scat |
Scat (1986-2004) was long-lived. I adopted her as a kitten in Flagstaff and she accompanied me to California, and then
back to Arizona. In Flagstaff, she felt she had the run of the town and I would find her asleep on the courthouse lawn, in
front of the Navajo Mission House, or winding her way down the lower slopes of Mt. Elden.
Max,
April, 1989- December, 2005
One spring afternoon during my stay in Sacramento, I was out gardening and happened to look over the four foot high wooden
fence between me and my neighbor. There, on the neighbor's back porch, was a box with a mother cat and her kittens, put out
there by my neighbor so the cats could get some sun. One of the kittens was hanging onto the side of the box, peering out
to see what was what.
A week or so later, I was out gardening again and suddenly heard this scratching, then a mewling as a kitten pulled itself
above the wooden fence and stared at me. That was followed by my neighbor's voice: "I guess he's your cat." That was Max,
a furry pearl-gray Manx who had chosen me to hang out with. He was a loyal, one-person cat who immediately showed his lineage
by trotting his 5 inch high body to the door and growling whenever someone knocked.
That was almost 17 years ago. Max passed away December 26th and I miss him mightily.
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| In Jim's "Cantina," circa 2000 |
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| On the hearth, 2003 |
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| Under the tree, 2005 |
Spirit, ? - 8/14/06
Spirit showed up at my bedroom window in
the middle of the night in spring of 2001, right after I'd returned from a conference in Palm Springs. He meowed and meowed
until I spoke to him, then he started purring through the window. Then he meowed some more until I got up, went outside and
called him - "kitty" at this point. He followed me inside, curled up on the pillow next to me and purred. Then he got up,
went to the patio door and meowed until I came over and showed him how to use the cat door. Just as I was falling asleep,
he started meowing at the window again, so we repeated steps 1 through 3. I finally fell asleep but he was next to me when
I awoke. On Monday, August 14th, he finally succumbed to the kidney disease he'd been fighting for a year.
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| His favorite pose: meditating. |
Isabella, 11/96-10/25/07
One day in the fall of 2001, I got a call from my daughter in Flagstaff asking if I'd adopt a dog that was about to be
put down because its owners could not have pets at their new home. That was Isabella, who arrived about a week later. She
was already 5 years old, set in her habits, and exhibiting more of the Rottweiler in her than the lab. In a couple of years'
time she was 100% lab in her demeanor and devotion. She was diagnosed with cancer on the eve of our departure for Mexico
and a 6 months stay there. It was only in the last couple of months that she began to show signs of the cancer spreading
and she passed away less than a week after our return to the states.
Nikki, 10/15/1994 - 3/25/08
After my youngest moved out, I decided to get a dog. I never had a dog before. I chose a rat terrier puppy and named
her Nikki. She was very bright and very loyal. When I came home, she was always at the door. She was beside me when
I was down, and jumping for joy when I was happy. She was my little shadow. - Ellie
On Tuesday, March 25th, while I was having a tooth yanked, Nikki, Ellie's rat terrier, was in to have a tooth pulled also.
Shortly after I got home, the vet called Ellie saying they were going to have to pull 3 or 4 more teeth. Then, while she
was off picking up grandkids, she got a call from the vet saying Nikki had gone into cardiac arrest during the procedure and
that they were trying CPR. They asked how much longer Ellie wanted them to continue CPR and she told them to keep trying.
I got a call from a tearful Ellie a short time later saying that Nikki was dead. Nikki was 13.
Nikki with Little Kitty (a.k.a. Bubba)
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