Some people shouldn’t own pets. Not at all. They simply don’t know what’s necessary for them at the most basic level – food and water.
Last Christmas, my neighbor caught me at the letterbox and asked me if I had seen his new cat. I hadn’t. I never liked the neighbor much – they were renting the house in front of me, and had to share a driveway. They and their whole family or any visitors had total disregard to the fact that the driveway should be kept clear for my car and any visitors wanting to visit me, and would block it frequently. Sometimes it took threats to the police for them to finally clear it, other times letters from the owner/rental lease company threatening they would be removed from the property, but mostly they would simply cause trouble at every opportunity.
They’ve long gone now thank goodness – but they should never be allowed to own animals.
A few days after that conversation at the letterbox, I noticed they had gone away. Greatly relieved at a few days peace and quiet, free from loud music and no cars blocking the driveway, I spent the time in the garden redoing my watering system. I was having great difficulties getting it to work properly. On the second day in the morning, while still working on watering system, now redoing it in sections to isolate the problem, I was joined by a little tiny white kitten. Ever so friendly, she played with my hands, and was so desperate for human company she didn't mind getting totally soaked each time I tested each section by turning on the system and getting drenched. All day this little white shadow followed me. If I disappeared inside the house – in it would follow, and trot back outside to help again with whatever needed doing.
At 4pm I called it a day – and went upstairs to have a shower to get rid of all the grime and dirt from the garden. I came back downstairs to find this little white shadow fast asleep on my couch – totally worn out. I popped her on my lap and it purred and purred and slept.
My two Burmese cats were not impressed.
At 10pm I noticed the neighbours were still not home, and this kitten was far too young to be outside at night. I popped next door to see if they had left any food or water for it outside…. Nothing. Not a drop. I fed the kitten – and it wolfed down the food as if it hadn’t seen anything for months.
My two Burmese cats were definitely not impressed.
Midnight rolled round, nothing for it – the kitten was obviously staying over. I found an old box, lined it with plastic, and I had kitty litter that I use for my bbq in the cupboard, so popped that in my ensuite, popped the kitten on an old blanket on my bed and went to sleep. The kitten didn’t move once, all night.
My two Burmese cats yowled and growled outside my bedroom door all night – not at all impressed to have been locked out.
My daughter got in the next morning and was surprised to see this white kitten, which greeted her when she came in my room, then followed her round the house like a devoted puppy dog as she got ready for work.
“Can we keep her”
I was very tempted.
By this time my two Burmese cats were ropeable. They would throw murderous looks my way at every opportunity, and I didn’t trust what they would do to a poor defenceless kitten, so I rang a friend and asked if she would mind the kitten for a day while I tried to find a new home for it. I couldn’t very well keep it when the neighbours would come back from holiday and reclaim it. Secretly I hoped my friend would take it in so totally irresistible this kitten was.
I rang the one friend who had no pets, who lived on a lifestyle block with two young boys, Sam and Logan. The perfect family for this lovely kitten. They didn’t want pets – but I decided to try them anyway. I spoke to Geoff, as Nikki at work. He worked some magic obviously on Nikki and she turned up with the boys to look at the kitten that afternoon. Big mistake to take the boys to see the kitten, and I knew then the kitten had a great home.
Became best friends with a pet lamb called Zorro!
Kitten was called Snowy, and taken to vet. Flea collar was taken off as she was far too young to be wearing one. She was flea ridden, and had worms and heart worms so bad it was making her cough. Very underweight and malnourished.
Neighbours came home four days later. About three days after they came home he came to my door.
‘Have you seen our cat?’ he asked
‘That little white thing?’ I asked
‘Yes’
‘Not for a few days’ I said – which was true – I hadn’t seen it for a few days!
‘We’ve been away’ he said
‘Probably went looking for food and water’ I said
‘Probably – it doesn’t really matter – it was a freebie anyway’ he said and walked away.
Why people think a kitten so young can fend for itself in food and water is beyond me.
So that was the rags part. Poor kitty such a bad start in life, but now is living it up on a lifestyle block. Nikki, Geoff and the boys renamed Scuppers as it became the cat that goes away on the yacht each weekend. Has learnt to like seafood – especially scallops (how hard is that?) To catch birds, stalk chickens, no mice in the house any more. Tears around the house and the gardens and paddocks and speeds not able to be clocked. So visible, so white – can’t hide anywhere! Except under the Christmas Tree !
Major pest - knocks tomatoes off the bench for fun, and lies on top of whatever you are trying to do.
Became best friends with a black lamb called Zorro.
White cats are known to be deaf, but Scuppers luckily missed the genes for this. She has a tiny black mark on her forehead, and has yellow eyes. Most cases of deafness in white cats are in blue eyed cats. The white color of the coat in cats as well as the blue color of the eyes is a genetic characteristic which in some cases causes deafness due to lack of a cell membrane in the inner part of the ear which it is believed is related to the genes responsible for the color characteristics. to deafness.
My watering system still doesn’t work properly.
Very sad sorry state she was in. She was basically extremely dirty. My cats went ape, so she first went to a friends place for a few days while I found a home for her. She improved quite quickly, and my friend Linda decided to give her a home. This is what she looked like only 5 days later when Linda picked her up.
She was fascinated in the mirror. I love it when kittens see themselves in a mirror and are really puzzled. Chai (her new name) was no different, checking out the back of it to try and find out where her twin playmate went!
Well - her twin definitely wasn't behind the mirror!
Here she is again wondering who it is in the mirror! Her look on her face is if to say 'I've just looked behind this and you weren't there - so where did you come from this time?'
As you can see the wound on her nose is much better, but she still has the odd bits of dirt that hasn't been able to be removed as yet. But her eyes are clear, not swollen anymore and greening up. She's still extremely little - hasn't really grown that much during the month, but it could be she's just going to be a small cat. There is still a little bit of ingrained dirt on her ears too.
When she first arrived on my doorstep - her ears were dry, scaly, scabby, bald and curled back. The result of sunburn, and severe dehydration. They are no longer curled back, and the scabs are gone - and slowly the hairs are growing back on them - but they still have a we way to go. However they're miles better in comparison of day one!
Like most females - she loves her bling! 
But she does like her bling to be clean :)
But she likes nothing better than to cuddle in close on your shoulder. 
