Cats for York

xoxoxoBruce • Oct 5, 2004 6:42 pm
Over in the Dog thread, York asked if we had a cat thread. Well here's your chance to show the world your pussy,....again. :biggrin:
Happy Monkey • Oct 5, 2004 6:45 pm
:biglaugha
jinx • Oct 5, 2004 6:57 pm
There's this one too.
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 5, 2004 7:21 pm
Yeah, that's why I said again. ;)
busterb • Oct 5, 2004 7:33 pm
Soon as have a dose of clap as a damn cat. My dog feels same way. :-)
jinx • Oct 5, 2004 7:36 pm
xoxoxoBruce wrote:
Yeah, that's why I said again. ;)

Oh! I thought you were just better aquainted with york than I am...
wolf • Oct 6, 2004 1:49 pm
Cats are not pets.

Cats are furniture.

The sofa doesn't come when you call it either.
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 6, 2004 7:38 pm
jinx wrote:
Oh! I thought you were just better aquainted with york than I am...
No, I was just too lazy to find your thread. :blush:

Wolf, that's not nice,....funny,........and true,...but not nice. :lol:

btw- Where's York?
wolf • Oct 7, 2004 1:45 am
My sister has cats. I enjoy them when they deign to wander across my lap or do cute kitty things of their own volition. They are fur bearers, and therefore fun, enjoyable, and likable on that count alone.

But my opinion stands as stated.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that I'm a dog person.
Cyber Wolf • Oct 7, 2004 7:47 am
I ought to nominate the cat I had when I was in school for some kind of history book, because he must have been the only cat in the world who would come when called, allow himself to be picked up and turned over and wrestled with, didn't mind if you played with his tail, was a gentle kneader, didn't bite and would defend his family (myself and my mom in particular) from strange dogs.
jinx • Oct 7, 2004 9:47 am
Banzai (excitedly) comes when called, and will hunt/kill/eat any flies or moths I point out to him. He also used to play fetch, but I haven't done that in a long time, not sure if he still would.
Pie • Oct 7, 2004 1:12 pm
wolf wrote:
The sofa doesn't come when you call it either.

Both of my current cats come when called. So did my old one, before she lost her hearing. Then you had to flip a light switch or something to get her attention.

- Pie, cat (and dog!) person

PS: My parents have trained their Aussie to growl and bark when the name "bush" is mentioned. :D
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 7, 2004 8:07 pm
Cyber Wolf wrote:
I ought to nominate the cat I had when I was in school for some kind of history book, because he must have been the only cat in the world who would come when called, allow himself to be picked up and turned over and wrestled with, didn't mind if you played with his tail, was a gentle kneader, didn't bite and would defend his family (myself and my mom in particular) from strange dogs.

C'mon CW, next you'll be telling me it had canine teeth. :blush:
Cyber Wolf • Oct 8, 2004 8:06 am
xoxoxoBruce wrote:
C'mon CW, next you'll be telling me it had canine teeth. :blush:


Would you feel better if I called them a set of 12-gauge needles instead? :p
York • Oct 8, 2004 12:54 pm
Sorry guys, i didnt know you were actually gonna start a topic on it! hahaha Tnx! And Jinx, its a great cat !! Here's my garfield!Image
York • Oct 8, 2004 12:56 pm
and my girlfriends two Spic and Span
Image Image
York • Oct 8, 2004 1:04 pm
And Wolf, my Garfield ( his name is Actually Sirius ) isnt like a dog, but since i was in a studio before i moved, it wasnt possible to keep a dog! But im a animal-liker! Not a lover, thats more for the human kind! If i call he's name he ll come, and he rolls on his back, he sits when i tell him to...u can teach them if u want! My sister has a friend who's mom trains cats for commercials and stuff! But they ll never be dogs.....
glatt • Oct 8, 2004 4:12 pm
Any of you other cat owners clean up cat puke on the rug this morning?

God, I hate that cat.
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 8, 2004 7:16 pm
Cyber Wolf wrote:
Would you feel better if I called them a set of 12-gauge needles instead? :p
Any of you other cat owners clean up cat puke on the rug this morning?
That'll teach you to stick your tongue at me. Like Ace Ventura, I've got agents everywhere. :lol:
York • Oct 9, 2004 7:23 am
my cat also "does not puke" on command! hahaha If u get a pet and they make a mess, u clean it up! Or teach them to get a bucket on command?
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 9, 2004 9:46 pm
In all fairness though, sometimes they'll clean up after you. Like those dirty old steaks defrosting on the counter. :hafucking
York • Oct 10, 2004 3:38 am
yep, if we could only see what they wr up to the moment we leave for work!
My Sirius listens pretty well when im around but he also eats anything!
Luckely he didnt ate the two others yet! haha
York • Oct 10, 2004 4:43 am
flower power happy CatImage
Roosta • Oct 12, 2004 6:50 pm
I'm glad this isn't my cat. He's going to get revenge for this...
Elspode • Oct 12, 2004 7:50 pm
Uh...I'm glad I haven't been invited to dinner at their place...
York • Oct 13, 2004 11:32 am
euh....why? Breakfast than? haha :)
busterb • Oct 13, 2004 11:50 am
How to give pills to Dogs & cats :D
1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind the sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4.Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill into back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.

5.Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl, and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse in from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between the knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by the cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down the ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously for 30 -40 seconds.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail; get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lay cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force open cat's mouth with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap. Throw pieces of towel in garbage.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessertspoon. Flick pill down throat with rubber band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve the friggin' cat from tree across the road. Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap

13. Tie the little ****'s front paws with garden twine and bind tightly to legs of dining room table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down. Pray vigorously while performing all steps.

14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home
to order new table.

15. Arrange for RSPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters left.


Dogs:

1. Wrap pill in bacon.

2. Praise the dog.
dar512 • Oct 13, 2004 4:03 pm
busterb wrote:
How to give pills to Dogs & cats :D

Dogs:

1. Wrap pill in bacon.

2. Praise the dog.

Even easier. I just smear some peanut butter on it. Plus then you have the entertainment of watching the dog try to lick the outside and inside of its mouth simultaneously.
404Error • Oct 14, 2004 6:10 am
Instructions on how to clean your toilet


1. Put both lids of the toilet up and add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the water in the bowl.

2. Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

3. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids. You may need to stand on the lid.

4. The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power-wash" and rinse".

6. Have someone open the front door of your home. Be sure that there are no people between the bathroom and the front door.

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

8. The cat will rocket out of the toilet, streak through the bathroom, and run outside where he will dry himself off.

9. Both the commode and the cat will be sparkling clean.

Sincerely,

The Dog
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 14, 2004 8:34 pm
Bwahahahahahahaha! Great 404. :thumbsup:
FloridaDragon • Oct 15, 2004 10:13 pm
Another cat in the bath tub...Bosley (also famous for his palmbeachpost.com hurricane picture at Palm Beach Post photo gallery )

boy was he pissed.


FD
Cyber Wolf • Oct 15, 2004 11:04 pm
Ok, if that isn't a cat about ready to go on a murderous rampage, I don't know what is.
York • Oct 17, 2004 4:18 am
looks a bit like wolverine in the X-men......haha i ve seen some angry ones tooo...Image
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busterb • Oct 22, 2004 12:32 pm
Why the dog left home! Yep it's been shopped.
York • Oct 22, 2004 12:38 pm
Mine is pretty big too, but this is over the top! hahahaha Nice done...
Image
LabRat • Oct 22, 2004 12:55 pm
busterb wrote:
Why the dog left home! Yep it's been shopped.


why does this pic look familiar??
Elspode • Oct 22, 2004 1:06 pm
Probably because of this:

http://www.cellar.org/showthread.php?t=5180&highlight=big+pussy
busterb • Oct 22, 2004 1:17 pm
Sorry I missed that one. Mine came e-mail today. Aw shucks
York • Oct 22, 2004 1:30 pm
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tooo much Bacardi!!
York • Oct 22, 2004 1:31 pm
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York • Oct 22, 2004 1:40 pm
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and he's pretty good at it too!!
York • Oct 22, 2004 1:41 pm
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404Error • Oct 25, 2004 1:09 am
Dive, dive!
glatt • Oct 25, 2004 8:45 am
Cruelty to animals, or cool physics experiment?

The air force took a cat up for a ride in the vomit comet, and then tossed it around the zero-G environment to see how it behaved. It looks a bit freaked out by the experience.

Quicktime movie here: http://www.usafa.af.mil/dfp/cockpit-phys/mov/cat.mov
Dagney • Oct 25, 2004 12:10 pm
glatt wrote:
Cruelty to animals, or cool physics experiment?


That has got to be the cruelest thing I've ever seen.
Happy Monkey • Oct 25, 2004 1:35 pm
Lucky...
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 25, 2004 10:11 pm
I can't get it. :(
glatt • Oct 26, 2004 9:07 am
xoxoxoBruce wrote:
I can't get it. :(

new link: http://www.boingboing.net/2004/10/25/air_force_zerog_catt.html
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 26, 2004 7:50 pm
Thanks glatt. I got it from our buddy Kirk :biggrin:
York • Oct 30, 2004 4:38 am
Well, i wonder what that Cat is thinking......? But why do they throw it around like that? That G-force would be there just if they dropped it.....or did they want to see "impact"??
Cyber Wolf • Oct 30, 2004 6:41 pm
I'll bet they wanted to see if it'd land on the wall on its feet. Climbing up a wall is a concept a cat can grasp with no problem but landing there feet first? Towards the end, it looks like the cat can't decide where it's falling so it's twisting itself everywhere trying to get feet first. How do you explain to a cat that you don't "fall" in Zero-Gs?
York • Oct 31, 2004 2:59 am
Thats a possibility, but freaky for the cat anyway! Its like if they would drop me somewhere where i couldnt get a grip(like a room full a ugly women)....it s even frustrating for man..and the cat's going nuts! I could tell that she wouldnt try to grip the wall without seeing this! But than again, what experiments do they do without us knowing it?
zippyt • Oct 31, 2004 10:47 am
there ain't NO way i would try and grab that swirling freaked out cat !!!!!!!!
It would be like grabbing the chain on a chain saw !!!!!!!
York • Nov 1, 2004 3:02 am
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wolf • Nov 1, 2004 11:43 am
Whatever that was, it's not loading.
York • Nov 7, 2004 5:10 am
the one i posted? Or the clip? Over here i can see it all!
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FloridaDragon • Nov 7, 2004 11:07 pm
Biggest dust bunny, er, dust pussy I ever saw.
Elspode • Nov 7, 2004 11:16 pm
This picture was taken moments before $3,000.00 worth of stereo gear crashed down upon it, right?
404Error • Nov 7, 2004 11:39 pm
Back when I was married we had a little bunny rabbit that had the run of the house. It's favorite hidding place was behind the entertainment center that held the stereo equipment (about $2000 worth) I bought overseas while in the army. I didn't use the stereo much then because we were in a small apartment and I didn't want to disturb the neighbors but one day I went to turn it on and nothing happened. When I checked to see if everything was plugged in I found the bunny had chewed thru every single wire from all the components... :mad2:

To this day the ex still thinks that rabbit escaped the apartment thru an open window...but she did like the hasenpfeffer. ;)
York • Nov 8, 2004 10:38 am
hahahaha euh, pretty cruel! But , pretty tasty too...!
slang • Nov 13, 2004 5:45 am
ImageImageImage

Here's some closeup pussy shots for ya.
404Error • Nov 13, 2004 7:32 am
Nice target...er...ah...cat, Slang. Yours?
slang • Nov 13, 2004 8:37 am
Ha-ha. No. My brother's california cat. Notice the way it looks at you as if it's somehow better than you.
York • Nov 14, 2004 5:44 am
haha nice pics ......Image Image
York • Nov 14, 2004 5:46 am
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man with pussy!!
York • Nov 14, 2004 5:47 am
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they have great expressions hahaha
Bullitt • Nov 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Anything from this site is just... Priceless
jaguar • Nov 24, 2004 1:40 pm
Tell me this isn't the cutest thing you've seen in ages.
York • Nov 24, 2004 1:48 pm
hahaha i guess it is!!
404Error • Nov 24, 2004 10:44 pm
More cute cat pictures. :biggrin:
xoxoxoBruce • Nov 24, 2004 10:44 pm
Some cats don't know when to quit. :lol2:
York • Nov 26, 2004 12:54 pm
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York • Nov 26, 2004 12:59 pm
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jaguar • Nov 26, 2004 1:13 pm
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404Error • Nov 30, 2004 1:25 am
What are you looking at?
FloridaDragon • Nov 30, 2004 11:08 pm
Buttercup defending her catnip bed.... with a right cross.
FloridaDragon • Nov 30, 2004 11:09 pm
all mine now...
Cyber Wolf • Dec 1, 2004 8:03 am
Wow, and Buttercup looks good and serious about it too. Stay away from her drugs, man.
York • Dec 5, 2004 4:00 am
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xoxoxoBruce • Dec 5, 2004 5:03 am
Ahhh...kitty cats.....to pussy cats. ;)
York • Dec 5, 2004 10:36 am
yep, also very nice and like-able... :thumbsup: :p and the fact that there are some parts she cant lick ( read "clean") herself! :)
York • Dec 20, 2004 6:46 am
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To all of you, i already wish a happy ending of this year!
busterb • Jan 23, 2005 7:59 am
Aw to see the sun again
York • Feb 1, 2005 1:12 pm
just hangin' out....nice and warm!!
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spot the difference in size?? Who's the man?? :p
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garnet • Feb 1, 2005 1:18 pm
Awwwww! What pretty kitties!
grazzers • Feb 16, 2005 3:56 pm
Sherbet and Smudge
Dagney • Feb 16, 2005 6:52 pm
Ohhhh i love tuxedo kitties!!!!!
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 16, 2005 10:00 pm
Do they purr with a brogue? :D
grazzers • Feb 17, 2005 2:07 pm
Not really, Sherbet (top) just squeaks a lot instead of meowing, no idea why :eyebrow:
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 17, 2005 9:22 pm
Trying to lure the mice? ;)
York • Feb 19, 2005 11:26 am
hahaaha , might be Bruce! My fat one miauws sometimes, if it takes to long to get his food...., one of the sisters also just squeaks a lot...when she's just laying somewhere and i pet her, or when she needs some attention ....kinda like my GF.... :p
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 19, 2005 1:41 pm
Be careful, if your cats and your girlfriend speak the same language. The cats could be reporting your activities. :worried:
York • Feb 20, 2005 3:29 am
they all love me too much to do that!! :biggrin:
besides..im the boss (cat)
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jaguar • Feb 20, 2005 5:52 am
Sent to me:
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chainsaw • Feb 23, 2005 4:25 pm
Hey, check out My Kitties !
404Error • Feb 23, 2005 7:07 pm
Nice looking cats, Chain! I love Duffy hiding from Wilson, that's a great shot! :thumbsup:
BigV • Feb 23, 2005 7:26 pm
CAT BATHING AS A MARTIAL ART

1. Know that although the kitty cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, we recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)
2. Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. We recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face-mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.
3. Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule.)
4. Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo. You have now begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.
5. Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record for cats is three latherings, so don't expect too much.)
6. Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared with what you have just been through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg.
7. You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.
In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.
You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But at least now he smells a lot better.
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 23, 2005 8:52 pm
:lol:
chainsaw • Feb 24, 2005 11:17 am
I take my two beasts to a groomer every 6 months or so. Every visit is just as traumatic as the last. But this last time, they bathed them both and put them back into their carriers to relax. Well, Duffy had to poop, so he did. Then he laid in it. Thankfully the nice lady that owns the shop realized what he did and washed him again. He was NOT happy. Again she puts him in his carrier. Again he poops and lays in it. Wash #3 pushed him over the edge. When my husband went to pick them up, Duffy looked like something out of a horror movie. He latched on to Eric's hand and would not let go... teeth and claws. He came home with blood dripping all over. Mama just sat and watched the whole incident. They are such different animals, even though she's his mom.
York • Feb 24, 2005 11:53 am
Woow Chain, nice cats fur-real! haha So there's always an adventure huh...? I got my big one, he likes to be trimmed, he lays on he's back and stuff, but ive never put him in a tub...or washed him! No thanks, he d wreck my house!! :D ps The pic of the one with the Halloween-cap on is COOOOLLL :thumbsup:
elf • Mar 7, 2005 6:40 pm
Chainsaw, your pic labeled 'mama loves to lay in the sun' is absolutely perfect. She's a pretty kitty. ;)
Nightsong • Mar 8, 2005 3:40 am
The bathing thing made me think of how I aquired the nice black kitty I have today. He showed up on the door step of our rural house one evening early October. My loving wife tried to shue him off to make him go home. ten minutes later his is back on the porch. So my wife, who was cleaning and filling fishtanks squirted him with the hose. he just looked at her like "Thanks lady that completes my day"
As we sat watching the weather that evening there was going to be a cold snap. A sudden drop below freezing. My wife peers out the door to a pair of mournful yellow eyes begging to come in. She cracks. " If I bring him in will you bath him he is filthy."
Mind you this is the woman who told me if I got one more animal she was moving out. So I said yes.
I was a little busy feeding kids but she brought him in and put him in the tub. As a test she turned on the water. The poor thing just sat there and watched it fill. Frankly I always thought he looked rather resigned. he never once complained through the whole bath. That was three years ago this october. Bastards still here. <giggle>
Nightsong • Mar 8, 2005 3:44 am
This is the one I meant to use.
Elspode • Mar 11, 2005 4:21 pm
I enjoy this thread, and I am killing time, waiting for the work week to end, so I was thinking how much I love all my own cats...and that reminded me of the following.

Call me morbid, but I don't just write eulogies for pop culture icons...this piece is from about three years ago.

------------------------------------------------------
Most of you who know me know that I am a pragmatic, analytical and cynical person at times.
Funny characteristics for someone who has become a witch, but nevertheless, I am. I am always
questioning mysterious, unexpected, inexplicable things, trying to explain them away with science
and reason, only to have them thrown back in my face. The deeper I get into my Wiccan, witchy
ways, the more quickly my questioning and doubts are returned to me in their unequivocal and
fullest measure.

Now, I sit here, a little bit frightened to even think, fearful of what the mysteries of the universe
might manifest next. You see, I found myself thinking about something yesterday, something
unpleasant, something for which there was no earthly reason for me to be thinking. Today, it has
come to pass, and it is something which has left me and my family in a state of pain and sorrow.

As I drove home from work yesterday afternoon, I suddenly caught myself writing something in
my mind. I was, completely unbidden, writing a eulogy...a eulogy for my cat, TC. There was no
reason for this whatsoever. TC was a healthy, active, 16-year-old black cat, my constant
companion, my familiar. Yesterday, I pulled up in the driveway and there she was, lying in the
leaves beneath our front windows, enjoying her life as a cat. Yesterday, she got up, walked over
to me, and answered my spoken greeting with her own, a soft meow. She followed me to the
front door, ready to be let inside and to sit at my side on the arm of my recliner. Yesterday, like
so many other days past, my beloved cat was there. Yesterday, my unbidden thoughts had simply
been that...unbidden thoughts, spurious musings, nothing mysterious or sinister.

Today, my family and I buried TC, the victim of an attack by our neighbor's chow dog which had
once again gotten loose from his backyard.

Did I say that I am now just a bit fearful to even think, to remotely ponder anything for fear that it
will come to pass? Should I mention the wave of guilt and feelings of complicity which swept
over me as I stood in the vet's office, looking at my friend's lifeless form? Need I tell you about
the accusatory little voices running through my mind, all of them saying "You made this come to
pass"? I can't recall ever feeling so dazed, so utterly smacked in the gullet by the powers that be.
I've been blindsided by the forces of nature, and I'm not sure I'm ever going to be able to look at
things in the same way. Was I precognitive? Or did I unwittingly empower something?

In the end, this isn't about me. It's about TC, the crone of our cat family, the fur child that I
found in a dumpster outside a Quik Trip sixteen years ago and named accordingly...TC - Trash
Can.

I heard a plaintive squall, a mewling cry that day as I dumped a stack of broken down cardboard
boxes into the dumpster. The sound could have only come from a kitten, and I quickly dug down
through the debris. There, in the very bottom, were two kittens scarcely bigger than my palm,
one dead, the other quite vigorously alive...scared, hungry, cold...but alive. I fished her out and
carried her into the store and found a towel and a box lid. I wrapped her up and called home. In
short order my then-wife arrived and hustled the kitten off to what was to be her lifetime home,
the house on Sycamore here in Grandview.

A quick consultation with a friend of ours much more savvy in the ways of infant felines revealed
the waif's very poor state of health. Indeed, had she lain in the waste bin much longer, she would
have certainly met the same fate as her litter mate. Consumed by fleas from end of tail to tip of
nose, she was emaciated and weak. She couldn't have been more than four weeks old, and those
four weeks must have been hard indeed. I was incredulous at the callousness of someone who
could simply throw away a helpless living creature, and I was determined to see her healthy and
happy. She required eyedropper feedings for a week or so, and a thorough flea bath and skin care
were performed.

She quickly became hale and hearty, and soon began to exhibit the feisty and scrappy nature
which was to define her life. My wife and I didn't live here on Sycamore at that time, but my
mother, sister and aunt did. My aunt quickly took a shine to the little black foundling, and she
decided that TC was hers. The name I gave her stuck despite the apparent shift in ownership, but
curiously, TC never seemed to know that she belonged to anyone except for me, and later, to
Selene. The cat never took any sort of shine to my aunt, and she merely tolerated the other family
members. No one could pick her up for the most part without being scratched to ribbons, but I
could snatch her off the floor, cradle her in the 'baby kitty' position, grab her whole head with her
nose in the palm of my hand and scratch the insides of her ears. These abuses she not only
tolerated, but actually seemed to enjoy. TC was always my cat, even though I didn't live with her
for the first five years of her life. Say what you will about imprinting, but there seemed little
doubt that this cat knew who I was somehow, that she knew who had pulled her from the trash
bin fifteen minutes before the Deffenbaugh truck showed up to dump and compress it's contents.

After my mother passed away some eleven years ago, I moved into her home, the home in which I
had grown up. My sister had moved away, and so had my aunt, but she couldn't take TC to the
apartment complex she was managing, so the cat stayed with the house. Did I say that she stayed
with the house? She owned the house! Other cats came and went, other cats came and stayed,
but TC was always the queen kitty. She broached no disrespect, tolerated no foolishness,
especially in her latter years. If she deigned to play briefly with one of our other cats, everything
in the house would stop so that we could observe the rare moment. TC, for all of her trash can
attitude, for all of her short temper, was...well, she was regal. There isn't really another word that
quite describes her any better than that.

TC always commanded the best places to sleep. When we still allowed the cats into the basement, TC would zoom to our bed,
curling up next to Selene's head, snatching a small part of her head pillow on occasion.
*I* don't even get to do that, but TC wasn't the sort of cat that you could deny any feline
pleasure. She didn't like very many people in the first place, and if you've ever been to our home,
you've probably heard the warning "Be careful, she's cranky and she bites sometimes". Yes, she
was a crab a lot of the time. She would climb up on you, sit in your lap or on your chest, purring
softly, but just try and pet her and - bam! - a quick, bloodless nip would let you know that it was
alright for you to serve as a cushy heated resting place, but you'd better keep your hands off.

There were two exceptions to this rule...Selene, and myself, but Selene had to earn her way into
TC's heart. This hard-won acceptance which our crone kitty awarded my wife has made it all the
more difficult for Selene to bear TC's passing.

My relationship with TC always made me feel special. Mostly, it was because she had always
treated me differently than any other human being, even my mother, who I always considered to
be the St. Francis of Assisi of cats. As I became more and more a witch, it was TC who taught
me what the meaning of a familiar really was. When I came home from my bypass surgery in July,
TC immediately sat at my side, then curled up in my lap, then lay upon my aching chest, passing
me her energy and giving me comfort in my fear. She was never far from my side, and almost
always could be found posed Bast-like on the left side arm of my chair.

Today, my family and I buried TC beneath the blue spruce which our coven used for Yule last
year. We buried her wrapped in the arm cover upon which she loved to lay at my side, night after
night. It was her morning routine to share breakfast with whoever happened to be in the kitchen;
she would sit patiently by her bowl and softly meow out the word "milk". I swear, you could hear
her ask specifically for milk. Accordingly, into her grave we placed a small glass of milk to
nourish her journey to the Summerland. The milk was in a glass with a picture of Sylvester and
Tweety on it, so that she didn't have to cross over alone, and so that she might go in good humor.

As I ponder what has transpired today, I must turn inward and examine my feelings. I must
carefully ponder my beliefs, my pragmatism, my cynicism. Yesterday, I caught myself
contemplating that which today has been made truth. Did I experience precognition? Did Fate
whisper in my ear, and I was too stubborn to listen? I hope that the passing of my friend, my
familiar, will lead me to some insight into my own beliefs, some understanding of the mysteries. If
I can learn some lesson from all of this, then TC will have left me with great gifts indeed...the gifts
of faith and understanding, the ability to trust my own experiences, and from all of those, perhaps,
the ultimate gift...the gift of eternal hope.
jaguar • Mar 11, 2005 4:30 pm
aw...i love this thread.
Undertoad • Mar 11, 2005 4:42 pm
Spode, your wonderful humanity comes out in how you treasured your relationship with TC. But it was TC's age which put your mind in obit territory, and probably TC's age which didn't put a quick claw across that chow's nose.

Find your meaning in the unconditional love and relationship that you had, not in the coincidence of how it ended. You may find meaning in that coincidence, but it was the real time you had together before the ending that made it meaningful.
404Error • Mar 11, 2005 4:58 pm
Sorry for your loss, Els. My sincere condolences go out to you and yours. I know losing a beloved friend and family member like that is never easy.
zippyt • Mar 11, 2005 10:16 pm
Damn Splode that SUCKS !!!
xoxoxoBruce • Mar 11, 2005 10:31 pm
Shit. :grouphug:
York • Mar 12, 2005 10:44 am
:( :( :(
xoxoxoBruce • Mar 12, 2005 11:06 am
So if you love your puddy tat, sit 'em down and buy them a drink.....
Then tell 'em you love 'em while you can. ;)
jaguar • Mar 12, 2005 12:58 pm
wonder if it tastes of fish.
FloridaDragon • Mar 12, 2005 10:45 pm
Bosley the cat (featured in this thread) turned 17 this week! :band: He got tuna instead of a cake.
xoxoxoBruce • Mar 13, 2005 12:22 am
Happy Birthday Bosley!! :D
Elspode • Mar 13, 2005 12:53 am
The words "Pussy Pop" rather conjure a decidedly non-beverage image for me somehow...
York • Apr 10, 2005 6:00 am
Strange cat....Image

Loving cat
Image

Nice cat
Image
staceyv • Apr 10, 2005 1:36 pm
I love cats.
be-bop • Apr 10, 2005 7:28 pm
Continuing the cute pics this is my daughters cat Schumacher when he was young..Too cute for words
York • Apr 13, 2005 1:41 pm
yep it is! :D
xoxoxoBruce • Apr 13, 2005 10:45 pm
:biggrin:
York • May 10, 2005 2:26 pm
Ladies and gentlemen....this is the Cat i got pregant last week....( if the stick was right! :lol: )



Thanks Catwoman , for the greatest gift!! XXXX
Undertoad • May 10, 2005 3:24 pm
Congratulations!

- or -

I'm sorry to hear that!
jaguar • May 10, 2005 4:19 pm
who is that a photo of?
xoxoxoBruce • May 10, 2005 10:47 pm
York's pussy. :blush:
York • May 11, 2005 11:31 am
Undertoad, its a wanted one, so no sorry's! :)

Jaguar, the pic is indeed as Bruce said, my GF! :love:
Elspode • May 11, 2005 1:37 pm
Okay...but what does she look like without a Photoshop treatment?
jaguar • May 11, 2005 3:06 pm
..i'm confused. So was the catwoman a reference to Catwoman here, in which case I assume you're dating catwoman which would make you the guy she was talking about which would be...unusual. Or are you refereing to your girlfriend as Catwoman and it has nothing to do with $Cellar->Catwoman
Clodfobble • May 11, 2005 3:47 pm
York has a thing for cats... and I'm pretty sure he's in a different country than the cellar's Catwoman.
York • May 16, 2005 4:52 am
Well im pretty sure about that too!
Jaguar, every country has one i guess!
The one you saw up here is the one from Belgium and me! Guess the cats a popular animal for a woman! And guys luv pussys too !! :lol:
York • May 16, 2005 4:54 am
Elspode wrote:
Okay...but what does she look like without a Photoshop treatment?

there aint much ps....only the eyes and some dots....her eyes are grey/green...u can imagine im sure! :D
jaguar • May 16, 2005 5:00 am
For some reason (maybe the name) I thought you were UK based, thus the confusion.
Catwoman • May 16, 2005 6:11 am
York wrote:
Ladies and gentlemen....this is the Cat i got pregant last week....( if the stick was right! )



Thanks Catwoman , for the greatest gift!! XXXX



Christ that gave me a shock.
York • May 16, 2005 6:37 am
haha i bet it did! Because off the catloving people everywhere (and she is) and my name ...ok! Confusing maybe! York was my former "artist" name! And issnt as boring as my Belgian one! :)
York • May 22, 2005 3:55 am
this is a newly kitty that i gave as a present to my sister this week! Yep its dark, first clip and i forgot the light! I dont know what the cause is, but the clip is only 5sec in the beginning, but by waiting and klicking the link again under it, it gets a bit longer! http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=MPG_0006
footfootfoot • May 22, 2005 5:10 pm
Clodfobble wrote:
York has a thing for cats... and I'm pretty sure he's in a different country than the cellar's Catwoman.


Isn't a jaguar a cat?

How do we know Jaguar isn't preggers?

:mg:
wolf • May 22, 2005 5:17 pm
Don't worry, his parents will have it quietly dealt with.
footfootfoot • May 23, 2005 11:58 am
wolf wrote:
Don't worry, his parents will have it quietly dealt with.


Is there a smilie for "just spit my coffee through my nose"?
xoxoxoBruce • May 24, 2005 1:15 am
Cats are so sneaky you think there are more than one because they seem to be everywhere at once. ;)
xoxoxoBruce • May 28, 2005 1:13 am
Will this grow up to be a psycho-cat? :mg:
York • May 30, 2005 12:57 pm
haha cute -oholic! :p
xoxoxoBruce • Jun 4, 2005 4:14 am
heh heh heh :lol:
Happy Monkey • Jun 4, 2005 7:48 am
I love Doctor Fun...
Elspode • Jun 7, 2005 12:50 am
Roommate's cat Freddy on the left, my guy Merlin on the right.

I think they're gay. Well, I'm pretty sure Merlin is, anyway. He's awful cuddly for a male cat, and furthermore, he seems to enjoy being humped by our female dog.

Sorry the picture is so blurry. Still learning to use the new camera.
wolf • Jun 7, 2005 1:14 am
Fess up, el. That's a Hogwarts throw underneat the cats.
Queen of the Ryche • Jun 7, 2005 10:04 am
And you knew that how? ;)
Elspode • Jun 7, 2005 12:20 pm
I freely admit to being a total Harry Potter geek.
wolf • Jun 7, 2005 2:31 pm
Yeah, but is amazon delivering your Half-Blood Prince via fedex on the morning of release?
Elspode • Jun 7, 2005 4:08 pm
No, but I am relatively certain we will be standing in line at Barnes and Noble to purchase the audiobook (that Jim Dale is wonderful reading those stories!) on the night of release.

We went out for the last one. It was nutsy kookoo.
xoxoxoBruce • Jun 7, 2005 9:28 pm
As I recall, when the last one came out I got it at Pathmark (food store) the day it was released, no lines and cheap. Other people were still waiting for their pre-release orders. ;)
York • Jun 20, 2005 12:03 pm
Apollo!! In the house!!! (of my sister!) :D
xoxoxoBruce • Jun 20, 2005 5:51 pm
;)
Bullitt • Jun 20, 2005 7:57 pm
my gatos:
punky-bear!
Image
Image

and buster
Image
wolf • Jun 21, 2005 1:44 am
Buster seems rather shy.
Bullitt • Jun 21, 2005 1:56 am
wolf wrote:
Buster seems rather shy.

nah, he's just old.. pushin 14 the big guy is.
Image
Image
xoxoxoBruce • Jun 21, 2005 2:17 pm
A white carpet!! Man I couldn't live with that...I should say it couldn't live with me. :drool:
Hobbs • Jun 21, 2005 6:38 pm
Sleepy time for Noel.


Meow, meow, good night.
FloridaDragon • Jun 22, 2005 10:25 pm
If you plant it (catnip) ... they will come ...
xoxoxoBruce • Jun 22, 2005 10:35 pm
This is what catnip does. :lol:
BigV • Jun 22, 2005 11:33 pm
yuk yuk yuk!!
York • Jun 25, 2005 3:40 am
Haha real nice demons ....cool pics too here above... :D
xoxoxoBruce • Jun 26, 2005 12:26 am
York, here's some kitties from Framaries. ;)
York • Jul 4, 2005 3:48 am
some more nice ones...
York • Jul 4, 2005 3:49 am
encore...
York • Jul 4, 2005 3:51 am
en nog...
wolf • Jul 13, 2005 3:20 am
This is very, very strange.
LabRat • Jul 13, 2005 9:57 am
Some of the pics were kinds cute. I think my favorite was of the cat covered in dollar bills, the look on his face is great. "Just try to take one, I dare you..." What people will do for entertainment...

[SIZE=1]we used to put peanut butter on the roof of our dogs mouth. now THAT is funny. :)[/SIZE]
melidasaur • Jul 13, 2005 11:03 am
York wrote:
encore...

The one with the frog mask... OH HOW CUTE!!! I practically freaked out here over the cuteness of that cat!
York • Jul 14, 2005 2:39 am
It is kinda funny to see that....i know that i could put a load a stuff on my big guy...and he wouldnt even mind....but i would never be able to do it with the other two cats.....they wouldnt even let me put a collar on.....
York • Jul 24, 2005 3:25 am
Here s a black skinny cat that ended up in our backyard! She/he visited a coupple a times and is now coming by every day! Any suggestions for a name? ;)
wolf • Jul 24, 2005 3:49 am
Well ... what's the name of that artist, you know, the one that does essentially line drawings and puts a black skinny cat causing some sort of mischief into each one?

Mary Maxim Crafts

Arrrrrrgh (and it's not even Talk Like a Pirate Day yet!)

Okay, so now I have to give instructions.

When you get to Mary Maxim, you have to pick the American or the Canadian Catalog. You'll get a poorly designed website that has frames. On the menu bar on the left scroll down until you find "cross stitch and embroidery" and then you hafta click on "Black Cat Cross Stitch" under that.

And finally you will see the charming cartoons of which I spoke.
York • Jul 24, 2005 4:50 am
well, i dont have a clue.... wait...MaryMaxim? Is that it?? :lol:
wolf • Jul 24, 2005 2:17 pm
I don't know the name of the artist ... Mary Maxim is the company that sells those cross stitch kits.

I posted the pics to show you the similarity to your own new friend, and also in hopes that someone here would know the name of the artist, since the catalog descriptions themselves SUCK ASS.
Trilby • Jul 24, 2005 2:24 pm
Lets name the little black cat Ichabod! As in Ichabod Crane. Or, you could call it GiGi after the little black cat in "KiKi's Delivery Service"--that movie by the Japanese Walt Disney...forget his name...
xoxoxoBruce • Jul 24, 2005 2:28 pm
Bad link, Wolf. :(

Name it Samhain.
wolf • Jul 24, 2005 2:34 pm
xoxoxoBruce wrote:
Bad link, Wolf. :(


Fixed, sort of.

Name it Samhain.


Sam-hane or Sowen?

And actually, we're just about to approach Lammas aka Lughnassah ... that gives some possibilities also.
wolf • Jul 24, 2005 2:40 pm
Ahem. After all that I was finally able to locate the original artist's website.

Kats by Kelly

Which kind of blows my idea out of the water, as her name is rather more conventional than this little kitty deserves, methinks.

Time to get out Old Possum's Book of Pratical Cats and pick one.
Clodfobble • Jul 24, 2005 2:54 pm
Brianna wrote:
by the Japanese Walt Disney...forget his name...


Hayao Miyazaki. And if you liked "Kiki's Delivery Service," you should check out "Castle in the Sky" and "Spirited Away."
xoxoxoBruce • Jul 25, 2005 6:25 pm
cute :cool:
York • Jul 26, 2005 12:43 pm
Cute indeed! Still figuring out a name....anone has a name of a black hole or some star?
Elspode • Jul 26, 2005 1:38 pm
Objects containing black holes tend to have such unremarkable names as NGC 8247 and unwieldly sci-fi things like that.

A popular name for black cats has always been "Midnight". You could call her schwartz, ebony, onxy, raven, shadow, inky or mystic.

That's all the stuff in the thesaurus that seems applicable...or at all reasonable.
jinx • Jul 26, 2005 1:46 pm
I had a black cat named Spooky, and dissected one I named Azrael... you know, from the Smurfs...
Trilby • Jul 26, 2005 2:12 pm
What about Ichabod? No? How 'bout LeStat?
Clodfobble • Jul 26, 2005 4:43 pm
We had a black cat that my brother named "Mr. Sack."

It was from a particular Charlie Brown cartoon we had on video... but it was funnier to just pretend we had no idea where he'd come up with it and let people stare at him.
York • Jul 27, 2005 3:07 am
Lestat is cool! I was lookin for something that connected with the Universe...my big Cats name is Sirius, so i was thinking about Orion for the black one, anyone knows other names for space-stuff? I can always fall back to Lestat off course!! :)
York • Jul 27, 2005 7:15 am
Image
tough guy...
Trilby • Jul 27, 2005 8:33 am
How 'bout Cygnus? You know, short for Cygnus X-1. Or Hawking? (Although that sort of sounds like 'hawking and spitting'--at least to me) Catastrophe is a good name for a black cat, but doesn't really fit with the Universe motif...Cygnus might be good. Cygnus and Sirius...I like!
xoxoxoBruce • Jul 27, 2005 1:55 pm
Universe motif?.....Void. ;)
York • Aug 6, 2005 6:45 am
Ow damn....i guess i wont need a name anymore...last week there was a festival in our town... when we got back saturdaynight , we came by the cat....she lay there...dead! :(
Such a shame...because of the people who came and drive too fast all the time on that road...i was so angry...she was only 6months...just started to know a good life...found a place to eat and sleep....damn...ill call her " Angel" ! That she may rest in peace!! :worried: