OT Tribute to a very unusual dog

I just think that this is a wonderful tribute and Mainge was an amazing
creature and a very good friend to her "pack leader".

http://www.batfedders.com/mainge.html

Karen wrote in news:2006092318485216807%
kchuplis@alltelnet:

I just think that this is a wonderful tribute and Mainge was an amazing
creature and a very good friend to her "pack leader".

http://www.batfedders.com/mainge.html





I had a cat who my family and I (I had just finished school at the time)
took in. She was so cleary miserable living without a family. She became
MY cat and I never saw a more devoted animal. She once defended a best
friend of mine against a cicada bug by killing it in mid-flight with one
swat. She would NEVER leave our corner yard though we had no fence. When
I moved she became an indoor only cat without the slightest complaint.
When she first found her way to our crawl space under the house you would
have thought she was dingy grey but she turned out to be pure white (with
pink trim) when she became happy again and started washing. I was always
sure she knew she was rescued and was eternally grateful. I think some
animals just figure it out. 25 years later I still get emotional when I
think of her.

Andy

Outsider wrote:

I had a cat who my family and I (I had just finished school at the time)
took in. She was so cleary miserable living without a family. She became
MY cat and I never saw a more devoted animal. She once defended a best
friend of mine against a cicada bug by killing it in mid-flight with one
swat.

Are cicadas dangerous? Or was your friend just afraid of it? Whichever,
your kitty was very gallant to dispatch it for your friend.

When she first found her way to our crawl space under the house you would
have thought she was dingy grey but she turned out to be pure white (with
pink trim)

Pink trim?? What breed is this?

when she became happy again and started washing. I was always
sure she knew she was rescued and was eternally grateful. I think some
animals just figure it out. 25 years later I still get emotional when I
think of her.

I don't blame you. She sounds like a wonderful kitty. Did you have any
pictures of her?

Joyce

Wow! This story really touched my heart; what a beautiful story and tribute.
Thanks, Karen.
Christine
"Karen" wrote in message
news:2006092318485216807%kchuplis@alltelnet...
I just think that this is a wonderful tribute and Mainge was an amazing
creature and a very good friend to her "pack leader".

http://www.batfedders.com/mainge.html

On 24 Sep 2006 20:28:19 GMT, wrote:

Outsider wrote:

I had a cat who my family and I (I had just finished school at the time)
took in. She was so cleary miserable living without a family. She became
MY cat and I never saw a more devoted animal. She once defended a best
friend of mine against a cicada bug by killing it in mid-flight with one
swat.

Are cicadas dangerous? Or was your friend just afraid of it? Whichever,
your kitty was very gallant to dispatch it for your friend.

Cicadas aren't dangerous, but they are annoyingly noisy, and large
enough to freak out a lot of people (two to three inches long, and
about 3/4 inch across). Here in Tennessee, we get some every summer,
but there are also two varieties that hatch out in vast numbers every
13 years and every 17 years, respectively. I remember going to an
outdoor concert during a swarm year, and finding out that cicadas
liked bright lights and loud music. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada for details.

--
John F. Eldredge --
PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria

wrote in
:

Outsider wrote:

I had a cat who my family and I (I had just finished school at the
time) took in. She was so cleary miserable living without a family.
She became MY cat and I never saw a more devoted animal. She once
defended a best friend of mine against a cicada bug by killing it in
mid-flight with one swat.

Are cicadas dangerous? Or was your friend just afraid of it?
Whichever, your kitty was very gallant to dispatch it for your friend.


Harmless but my 6 foot friend jumped, startled, as it flew toward him and
T.C. (my cat) did not know they were harmless! She sailed into the air
almost as high as my friend was tall and BAM. She looked up at us with a
look of "are you guys ok now?" She seemed quite proud of saving us. We
just stood there dumbfounded.






When she first found her way to our crawl space under the house you
would have thought she was dingy grey but she turned out to be pure
white (with pink trim)

Pink trim?? What breed is this?

I mean pink nose and skin. It kind of looked like trim against that
white fur since it looked almost like eye-liner around her (yellow) eyes.






when she became happy again and started washing. I was always
sure she knew she was rescued and was eternally grateful. I think
some animals just figure it out. 25 years later I still get
emotional when I think of her.

I don't blame you. She sounds like a wonderful kitty. Did you have any
pictures of her?

Joyce


There is one poor polaroid somewhere; I have been looking for it. Not
found yet.

John F. Eldredge wrote:

Cicadas aren't dangerous, but they are annoyingly noisy, and large
enough to freak out a lot of people (two to three inches long, and
about 3/4 inch across). Here in Tennessee, we get some every summer,

Thanks for the wikipedia link. I got to hear a recording of a cicada
song for the first time ever. I've always assumed they sounded like
crickets. Not! I'm from the northeast (Massachusetts) and I guess
we don't get them up there. Don't have them in California either, at
least not in the urban area where I live. I've never heard that sound
before.

but there are also two varieties that hatch out in vast numbers every
13 years and every 17 years, respectively.

I remember people talking about that a few years ago on this newsgroup.

Joyce

Outsider wrote:

Are cicadas dangerous? Or was your friend just afraid of it?
Whichever, your kitty was very gallant to dispatch it for your friend.

Harmless but my 6 foot friend jumped, startled, as it flew toward him and
T.C. (my cat) did not know they were harmless! She sailed into the air
almost as high as my friend was tall and BAM. She looked up at us with a
look of "are you guys ok now?" She seemed quite proud of saving us. We
just stood there dumbfounded.

Good girl! She had every reason to be proud!


Pink trim?? What breed is this?

I mean pink nose and skin. It kind of looked like trim against that
white fur since it looked almost like eye-liner around her (yellow) eyes.

Oh! Duh, of course. I was thinking, maybe she had on a pink collar?
No, that didn't quite fit with the story...

Joyce

wrote:
Thanks for the wikipedia link. I got to hear a recording of a cicada
song for the first time ever. I've always assumed they sounded like
crickets. Not! I'm from the northeast (Massachusetts) and I guess
we don't get them up there. Don't have them in California either, at
least not in the urban area where I live. I've never heard that sound
before.

We do get them here in Massachusetts, but for a shorter period than in
warmer climates, and how many there are varies from year to year.

One of my favorite memories is when I saw a cicada emerge onto a
lady's slipper for its maiden flight. It was a rare event. A cicada,
which had lived maybe a decade or more underground, emerging for a
fleeting few days of glory, choosing the rare Massachusetts state
flower on which to molt!