Let's See Your Cats!!!

South of Ridgway, about half way between Ridgway and Brandy Camp.

 

Starched..

 

Been through there many times!

 

looks like trouble

 

Big time.

 

I can't make up my mind...

 

Oh man. You sir just made my day.

 

looks like hes got a swagger and theme music.

 

Just need an explosion in the background.

 

I’m heading to an ass kicking contest and you’re about to lose

 

Black Cat is not impressed


Sorry, but I couldn't resist. This is a picture of our old black cat, Blackie at about age 16. Yes I know the name is unimaginative, but he was rescued by my wife and her mom, and they saved and passed around so many stray cats that they started running out of names. So there was also Whitie (Blackie's hot girlfriend), Stripie the striped cat, Big Head Kitty...you get the point.

Anyway, My wife found Blackie back when she was starting college, and the vet guessed that he was about 1 year old. He died in 2010 after 24 years with her, and he was a gangster. He was with her for 2 full bachelors degrees in two different states, and then ended up coming along with her as part of the marriage thing. He was always an indoor/outdoor cat with full freedom to come and go, and he had the run of three different college campuses before "retiring" to our first house. He wasn't big, he wasn't mean, and he wasn't particularly aggressive unless provoked. That said, he fucked up every cat that crossed him, and I once saw him beat down and run off a very large German Shepherd that got smart with him. He wore scars like badges of honor. His right eye got scratched in a fight and the iris slowly darkened as he got older. He could see fine, but man did that look sinister. He also came home once missing an inch off of his tail, but he didn't seem at all bothered by it. He had one broken canine tooth, and so we often called him Snagglepuss.

He protected Whitie with his life.



She was deaf and small and adorable, and dude was in love. If she ever let out a cry Blackie would come running and ready to rumble. Once shortly after my wife and I started living together she was holding Whitie while siting on the floor while I clipped her claws. Whitie cried once and Blackie was on me from behind. He slammed into me, held on like a backpack, and bit my head. My wife yelled and he immediately knew he was guilty of friendly fire. He jumped off and just sat next to me (just out of arms length) looking sorry - he didn't run and hide. We had a bro moment then and he was my boy from then on.

Heather (my wife) also told me a story about when she was in college in Ohio and there was a tornado warning. She was in the library studying when the sirens went off. Remembering that the cats were out, she sprinted back to her apartment in the pouring rain. She found Whitie huddled up against the foundation, and a soaked Blackie completely covering her with his body. The treats flowed that night I'm sure.

I personally saw him get between Whitie and a ground hog she had accidentally cornered under our patio. I heard the ground hog first and when I looked under he was in the corner ready to go through her to get away. I was about to turn the hose on them both when Blackie came hauling ass from out of nowhere and got right between them all puffed up and talking trash. The ground hog must have felt outnumbered because he kind of side-walked out of there. It was the coolest thing ever. Afterwards Blackie just chilled out, gave Whitie a little rubbing, and passed out on the patio in the sun like nothing happened.

I have a million other stories about Blackie, but with all that he was still super affectionate to us and our friends, and he was very smart. He could figure out doors and windows better than most people, and he came like a dog when called - well, if his mommy called him anyway. He would often come to get me like Lassie when something was wrong inside the house, and he would do that cat-talking thing like he wanted to explain the problem. He was tough to the end, and kidney failure finally got him. Whitie stopped eating regularly and just shut down after he died, and she was gone a year later at age 22. She was picked up by my wife as a dumped kitten, and Blackie took care of her from day one. I don't think she knew what to do without him, and so she just gave up. Sad, but not.

 

The Chronicles of Blackie The Black Cat.

 

Anybody else just get hit by that dust storm? Dust all up in my eyes...

 

There's a whole house but he has to do it right by me every time

 

guess they want an audience when doing that...

 

My philosophy is that they see it as protection, like a giraffe at the watering hole. Minnie (ol' one eye) will drink or eat when you stand near his food and occasionally when you're in the other room.