Pets

Or at least he will on Nov. 11. He’s still a handsome dude as he enters middle age. A face to die for and a shiny ginger coat.

He’s put on a few grams (haven’t we all) and slowed down a bit. He doesn’t have the boundless energy of his kittenhood, but he’s still capable of a mad dash through the house and a merry chase after his toy mouse. He loves his naps in the sun, or on the bed in the morning after we have gotten up for the day.

All of our guys have been aggressively friendly, but Oates is the most affectionate cat we have ever had. He’s always been a ladies man – Maria is his favorite person in the whole world. He also loves our granddaughter Veronica (she’s the cat whisperer in the family.) And when Sarah was out here doing her remote seminar he was all over her as well.

He’s become more of a lap cat since we are spending more time at home with him. He cuddles up to both of us and sleeps on our bed all night long.

He’s pretty smart and his happy word is “Treat.” Shake the ole Whiskers envelope and he comes running.

He is not quite as vocal as our old Siamese friend Brio but he’s not far off that standard for loquaciousness. It’s a pleasure to have a conversation with him most days.

At 6, he should have a number of good years ahead of him. Should he outlive us we know that Sarah and Veronica will take great care of him. But let’s hope we all can age in place for a bit.

I’ll have a special treat for him on the 11th. Happy Birthday old pal.

On August 24, Veronica has a significant anniversary as she completes the first decade of life and embarks on the second. Ahead of her are a pretty important and fun-filled ten years – secondary school, the teen experience, starting post-secondary education – but it’s a good time to reflect on the past ten today.

At ten she is still the sweet and kind little girl she has been throughout her life. She adores animals – especially cats – and they respond to her petting and treat giving. She is very responsible and fiercely protective of her older brother and younger sister. She works hard at her studies even if she cannot be in school these days. She loves swimming and takes advantage of a pool whenever she can.

She’s looking forward to a special visit with Nonna and Grandpa this week – on her own. While this is something she always enjoys, she’ll no doubt feel guilty that the other kids aren’t here. She is the most sensitive of the three grandkids to how others are doing in life. I hope she can always maintain this loving concern for others. That’s her Nonna’s way.

It’s a privilege to live a long life and watch your grandchildren grow and mature. I’ve always felt that the older they get the more fun they are, and the more character you have to love. There is no better example of that than Veronica. Happy birthday, my sweet girl.

We have had 3 cats in 36 years. The first two lived well into their teens and had a great life. We are hoping to be around to see Mr Oates do the same.

The secret to this happy turn of events was that each of our cats has stayed indoors.

There are some folks who believe that an indoor cat is so repressed that he can never be contented. Does Oates look like that to you?

Fact is an outdoor cat can end up living a Hobbesian life – nasty, brutish – and short.

• He can get hit by a car.
• He can get kidnapped – or poisoned.
• He can get lost.
• He can contract a variety of bad communicable diseases.
• He can serve as lunch for a variety of predators.
• He can get into cat or dog fights and lose.
• He can pollute the neighbor’s flowerbeds.
• He can kill songbirds and generally make a nuisance of himself.

I do not see the point of serving my cat nourishing food, and getting him expensive vet care only to throw it all away because he might like to go out on the prowl.

Oates has never been outside in his life so he won’t miss any of it. As long as he gets to chase after a variety of wand toys before lunch he is happy.

I read a lot of stories in the Facebook “ginger cats” group and it always breaks my heart to see pics of a handsome fellow who met a premature death under the wheels of a car. It is so unnecessary.

I’ll never be convinced that keeping a cat indoors deprives him of anything but danger, sickness, death. So sue me for cruelty.

Mr. Oates isn’t really a Christmas party animal. He was getting along fine when Maria’s mother came up the week before, but when 13 other people arrived on Christmas Day he had enough of the festivities. Oates went to his favorite spot in the bedroom closet and stayed there until the hordes left. After that, he hid out on top of the wall unit in the basement.

Sarah, Dave and the grandkids stayed on and that messed up his favorite spot on the guest room bed. After they headed back to Ottawa yesterday, he magically reappeared.

He spent last night in his customary spot at the foot of our bed. Now since his cat bed has returned to its place in the guest room, everything is back to normal. And normal is all a cat ever really wants things to be.

He’ll be happy to know there’s no New Year’s Eve party planned around here.

Mr. Oates – or Oatesy as he is commonly called around here – will celebrate his 4th birthday on November 11. In cat years that makes him around 30, so he is still relatively young but quite a bit past kittenhood. He’s a handsome devil – as most ginger tabbies seem to be.

It’s been well over 3 years since I discovered him at the Arnprior Humane Society shelter – sleeping quietly in a cat bed, sad and forlorn after his family suffered marriage breakdown and surrendered him and his favorite toy to the shelter. Both came home with us.

He didn’t enjoy the car ride, and it took him a bit of time to feel at home – but by nightfall, he was sleeping at the foot of the bed. He’s done so every night since. Most cats don’t show a lot of gratitude for a second chance at life, but they are nothing if not adaptable. Oates certainly made himself at home.

He’s different from our much beloved Sammy. He is a quiet purrer, but very vocal – almost like our old Siamese Brio from a couple of decades ago. He really loves women. Maria is his favorite person in the world, but other people on his love list are our friend Shari and granddaughter Veronica – the Cat Whisperer.

Oates has his moments with me as well. He usually comes in to cuddle up if I have an afternoon nap. At night, if Maria gets tired of his snuggling in her face, she sends him down to the foot of the bed, where he usually ends up plastered to the back of my calves. “Anyplace that’s warm” is his motto.

At age 4 he is full of energy. He dashes around in the morning, frantically chasing a wand toy mouse or feathery “bird.” Afterwards, he’s ready to chow down and then hit his bed for a few hours of shut-eye. He repeats the process at night before stretching out on the couch near the fireplace.

He is extravagant in his affection. He rubs around your legs, gives head butts, and if you drop him a slow “I love you” eye blink, you are sure to get one back. He’s got a variety of vocalizations, from a soft purry trill to a full-throated Yow! Yow!  Mrrowww! There’s no ignoring him.

His favorite room in the house is (wait for it) the furnace area. Lots of nooks and crannies to explore, and he knows he’ll get a cat treat to lure him out.

In 36 years we’ve had three great cats, each one different but each one special. We have loved each one. They have loved us. Not a bad bargain.

8 year old wisdom: “You’re so bossy Nonna, you boss me around all the time.” This was Teddy recently when his Nonna made him quit playing Hot Wheels on the PC and come to lunch.

And Nonna admits that she has always been “a little bossy.” Her own mother agrees – and she knows best.

Today as Maria celebrates her birthday all of us bossees must agree that she does it out of love and concern for us. It’s her Meyers-Briggs ISFJ personality. Plus her teacher experience. Plus her concern we are all healthy and safe and happy.

I mean it’s not as if she doesn’t walk the talk. She’s always ready to help out – her peers, her siblings, her mother, Sarah and Dave, her grandkids, in the community and of course me. Sometimes she gets frustrated that it seems to be “expected” or taken for granted. But then she’s on to the next service opportunity. Go figure.

So my dear Happy Birthday. We all love you and appreciate you. Even a certain ginger tabby four footed bundle of love that cares for you more than anyone else. But he won’t be bossed around either.