A Beautiful Poem for Older Cat Adoptions

I received a newsletter yesterday from my local cat rescue that I have
adopted my two boys from and there was this beautiful poem included about
adopting older cats, which is something I strongly believe in. Hope you all
enjoy it as much as I did!

This Old Cat

I'm getting on in years,
My coat is turning gray.
My eyes have lost their luster,
My hearing's just okay.
I spend my day dreaming
of conquests in my past,
Lying near a sunny window
Waiting for its warm repast.

I remember our first visit,
I was coming to you free,
Hoping you would take me in
And keep me company.
I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

I could sense your disappointment
As I left my prison cage.
Oh, I hoped you would accept me
And look beyond my age.
You took me out of pity,
I accepted without shame.
Then you grew to love me,
And I admit the same.

I have shared with you your laughter,
You have wet my fur with tears.
We've come to know each other
Throughout these many years.
Just one more hug this morning
Before you drive away,
And know I'll think about you
Throughout your busy day.

The time we've left together
Is a treasured time at that.
My heart is yours forever.
I promise - This old cat.

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...dotes/200701/1

"MoMo via CatKB.com" u27647@uwe wrote in message news:6c0c5ea88fdcc@uwe...
I received a newsletter yesterday from my local cat rescue that I have
adopted my two boys from and there was this beautiful poem included about
adopting older cats, which is something I strongly believe in. Hope you
all
enjoy it as much as I did!

This Old Cat
snip
--


This is beautiful. Thanks for posting.

MaryL

On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:10:21 +0000, MoMo via CatKB.com wrote:

I received a newsletter yesterday from my local cat rescue that I have
adopted my two boys from and there was this beautiful poem included about
adopting older cats, which is something I strongly believe in. Hope you all
enjoy it as much as I did!

This Old Cat

I'm getting on in years,
My coat is turning gray.
My eyes have lost their luster,
My hearing's just okay.
I spend my day dreaming
of conquests in my past,
Lying near a sunny window
Waiting for its warm repast.

I remember our first visit,
I was coming to you free,
Hoping you would take me in
And keep me company.
I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

I could sense your disappointment
As I left my prison cage.
Oh, I hoped you would accept me
And look beyond my age.
You took me out of pity,
I accepted without shame.
Then you grew to love me,
And I admit the same.

I have shared with you your laughter,
You have wet my fur with tears.
We've come to know each other
Throughout these many years.
Just one more hug this morning
Before you drive away,
And know I'll think about you
Throughout your busy day.

The time we've left together
Is a treasured time at that.
My heart is yours forever.
I promise - This old cat.



This is a keeper. Thanks! MLB

Gorgeous!!!

Blessed be,
Baha
Proud Mama of cats adopted in adulthood, who turned into big kittens!

MoMo wrote:
I received a newsletter yesterday from my local cat rescue that I have
adopted my two boys from and there was this beautiful poem included about
adopting older cats, which is something I strongly believe in. Hope you all
enjoy it as much as I did!

This Old Cat

I'm getting on in years,
My coat is turning gray.
My eyes have lost their luster,
My hearing's just okay.
I spend my day dreaming
of conquests in my past,
Lying near a sunny window
Waiting for its warm repast.

I remember our first visit,
I was coming to you free,
Hoping you would take me in
And keep me company.
I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

I could sense your disappointment
As I left my prison cage.
Oh, I hoped you would accept me
And look beyond my age.
You took me out of pity,
I accepted without shame.
Then you grew to love me,
And I admit the same.

I have shared with you your laughter,
You have wet my fur with tears.
We've come to know each other
Throughout these many years.
Just one more hug this morning
Before you drive away,
And know I'll think about you
Throughout your busy day.

The time we've left together
Is a treasured time at that.
My heart is yours forever.
I promise - This old cat.

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...dotes/200701/1

"MoMo via CatKB.com" u27647@uwe wrote in message news:6c0c5ea88fdcc@uwe...
I received a newsletter yesterday from my local cat rescue that I have
adopted my two boys from and there was this beautiful poem included about
adopting older cats, which is something I strongly believe in. Hope you
all
enjoy it as much as I did!

This Old Cat

I'm getting on in years,
My coat is turning gray.
My eyes have lost their luster,
My hearing's just okay.
I spend my day dreaming
of conquests in my past,
Lying near a sunny window
Waiting for its warm repast.

I remember our first visit,
I was coming to you free,
Hoping you would take me in
And keep me company.
I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

I could sense your disappointment
As I left my prison cage.
Oh, I hoped you would accept me
And look beyond my age.
You took me out of pity,
I accepted without shame.
Then you grew to love me,
And I admit the same.

I have shared with you your laughter,
You have wet my fur with tears.
We've come to know each other
Throughout these many years.
Just one more hug this morning
Before you drive away,
And know I'll think about you
Throughout your busy day.

The time we've left together
Is a treasured time at that.
My heart is yours forever.
I promise - This old cat.


That needed a tear (or tissue) warning for those of us at work! Beautiful,
thanks!!!

Hugs,

CatNipped

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...dotes/200701/1

I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

Two years? I struggle to think of Smokey as an "old cat", though the
vets guess he was about two when we took him in.

Granted, his "kittenness" was totally gone, but he wasn't "old" by
indoor standards (though I've heard it said the estimated lifespan of a
feral cat is about 3 years on average.)

Using the two year guesstimate, Smokey turns 7 this summer. That's a
"senior" cat age and yet he shows no changes in behaviour yet.

Someday I would like to adopt a senior cat, 10+, from the shelter and
give her/him a loving retirement. I haven't done it yet because I want
us to be a bit more financially well-off in order to provide care for
an older cat who is more likely to need it than the young ones. I also
don't want to squish another cat into a 2-bedroom apartment.

And yet I feel a sort of chill because when we adopted Nocturne, we
were aiming for a cat 6-12 months...older than "kitten" but still young
enough to spend many years with us. We passed older cats by...and male
cats... We didn't want a tom.

Smokey took that choice away from us, and I'm so glad he did. For him
the choice was simple: we take him in as he is, an adult male
ex-feral, or we let Animal Control euthanize him. And he's been a
delight ever since.

--Fil

Enfilade wrote:

I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

Two years? I struggle to think of Smokey as an "old cat", though the
vets guess he was about two when we took him in.

Granted, his "kittenness" was totally gone, but he wasn't "old" by
indoor standards (though I've heard it said the estimated lifespan of a
feral cat is about 3 years on average.)

Using the two year guesstimate, Smokey turns 7 this summer. That's a
"senior" cat age and yet he shows no changes in behaviour yet.

Someday I would like to adopt a senior cat, 10+, from the shelter and
give her/him a loving retirement. I haven't done it yet because I want
us to be a bit more financially well-off in order to provide care for
an older cat who is more likely to need it than the young ones. I also
don't want to squish another cat into a 2-bedroom apartment.

And yet I feel a sort of chill because when we adopted Nocturne, we
were aiming for a cat 6-12 months...older than "kitten" but still young
enough to spend many years with us. We passed older cats by...and male
cats... We didn't want a tom.

Smokey took that choice away from us, and I'm so glad he did. For him
the choice was simple: we take him in as he is, an adult male
ex-feral, or we let Animal Control euthanize him. And he's been a
delight ever since.


This is of course the eternal reward, to have a loving pet who wouldn't
have made it without you. That is a beautiful poem.

One way I cope without Willie is to recognize that Harry would not be alive
today if I hadn't adopted him. I chose him because I love a happy healthy
older cat and, not to put too fine a point on it, the guy at the pound said
that he expected to find Harry dead each morning on arrival, what with his
sneezing blood, and the vet after finding him so skinny and with mouth
ulcers and abscessed teeth said on the next vist that he didn't expect
Harry to make it after he first saw himt. Harry acts as though he
understands how he got to where he is now; he is a real purrbucket and
loves to sleep in my bed; a really gentle and appreciative soul. Norm
(trained by having 3 or 4 cats get to a happy old age)

MoMo via CatKB.com wrote:
I received a newsletter yesterday from my local cat rescue that I have
adopted my two boys from and there was this beautiful poem included about
adopting older cats, which is something I strongly believe in. Hope you all
enjoy it as much as I did!

This Old Cat

I'm getting on in years,
My coat is turning gray.
My eyes have lost their luster,
My hearing's just okay.
I spend my day dreaming
of conquests in my past,
Lying near a sunny window
Waiting for its warm repast.

I remember our first visit,
I was coming to you free,
Hoping you would take me in
And keep me company.
I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

I could sense your disappointment
As I left my prison cage.
Oh, I hoped you would accept me
And look beyond my age.
You took me out of pity,
I accepted without shame.
Then you grew to love me,
And I admit the same.

I have shared with you your laughter,
You have wet my fur with tears.
We've come to know each other
Throughout these many years.
Just one more hug this morning
Before you drive away,
And know I'll think about you
Throughout your busy day.

The time we've left together
Is a treasured time at that.
My heart is yours forever.
I promise - This old cat.

Thank you for sharing this. Darn near made me cry.

Ginger-lyn

Enfilade wrote:
I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

Two years? I struggle to think of Smokey as an "old cat", though the
vets guess he was about two when we took him in.

I gather the poem means the elderly cat was turned out and roamed, unwanted,
for 2 years. It's a shame what some people do to the "pets" when they
become ill or infirm.

Jill

stunning wonderful, Lee
MoMo via CatKB.com u27647@uwe wrote in message news:6c0c5ea88fdcc@uwe...
I received a newsletter yesterday from my local cat rescue that I have
adopted my two boys from and there was this beautiful poem included about
adopting older cats, which is something I strongly believe in. Hope you
all
enjoy it as much as I did!

This Old Cat

I'm getting on in years,
My coat is turning gray.
My eyes have lost their luster,
My hearing's just okay.
I spend my day dreaming
of conquests in my past,
Lying near a sunny window
Waiting for its warm repast.

I remember our first visit,
I was coming to you free,
Hoping you would take me in
And keep me company.
I wasn't young or handsome,
Two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.

I could sense your disappointment
As I left my prison cage.
Oh, I hoped you would accept me
And look beyond my age.
You took me out of pity,
I accepted without shame.
Then you grew to love me,
And I admit the same.

I have shared with you your laughter,
You have wet my fur with tears.
We've come to know each other
Throughout these many years.
Just one more hug this morning
Before you drive away,
And know I'll think about you
Throughout your busy day.

The time we've left together
Is a treasured time at that.
My heart is yours forever.
I promise - This old cat.

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...dotes/200701/1