Thud Saves the Day

I've had Thud just short of five months. She's a little calico cat who
by an improbably set of circumstances came to me from a shelter well out
of the area; she was about to be put down because she's so terrified of
people and there was no reason anyone would want a cat like that.

Well, I'm a bit of a sucker.

She doesn't particularly like me, but will grudgingly accept affection
every so often, usually at arm's length. But she gets along well with
the others, and really has the hots for my monster tabby Giovanni. It's
an OK situation, although I wish she'd be a little friendlier to me.

This morning I was finishing up getting ready for my club bicycle ride.
Thud walked over to my dresser and stretched as far as she could,
pawing at a drawer. This went on for several minutes. She didn't seem
to want to jump up on top, which would be fine with me, but simply was
standing on her tiptoes trying to reach up as far as possible. She'd
never done this before.

I thought that perhaps she'd like to snuggle down for the morning in one
of the drawers. So I just picked one of the drawers - my underwear
drawer - and pulled it open.

And there was Niobe, happily sitting in the drawer! I have absolutely
no idea how she got there; perhaps it was open just enough for her to
get inside, and maybe I pushed it shut without thinking as I walked by
earlier in the morning.

So had I not rescued Niobe, she would have sat there for hours unless my
wife happened to wander by the dresser. I was gone for five hours, so
that would have been quite a time for poor little Niobe to be in the dark.

Thud earned her keep today.

Art

"Art Shapiro" wrote in message
...
I've had Thud just short of five months. She's a little calico cat who by
an improbably set of circumstances came to me from a shelter well out of
the area; she was about to be put down because she's so terrified of
people and there was no reason anyone would want a cat like that.

Well, I'm a bit of a sucker.

She doesn't particularly like me, but will grudgingly accept affection
every so often, usually at arm's length. But she gets along well with the
others, and really has the hots for my monster tabby Giovanni. It's an OK
situation, although I wish she'd be a little friendlier to me.

This morning I was finishing up getting ready for my club bicycle ride.
Thud walked over to my dresser and stretched as far as she could, pawing
at a drawer. This went on for several minutes. She didn't seem to want
to jump up on top, which would be fine with me, but simply was standing on
her tiptoes trying to reach up as far as possible. She'd never done this
before.

I thought that perhaps she'd like to snuggle down for the morning in one
of the drawers. So I just picked one of the drawers - my underwear
drawer - and pulled it open.

And there was Niobe, happily sitting in the drawer! I have absolutely no
idea how she got there; perhaps it was open just enough for her to get
inside, and maybe I pushed it shut without thinking as I walked by earlier
in the morning.

So had I not rescued Niobe, she would have sat there for hours unless my
wife happened to wander by the dresser. I was gone for five hours, so
that would have been quite a time for poor little Niobe to be in the dark.

Thud earned her keep today.

Art

She certainly did, and she well may yet become friendlier. For the first
year or two after I acquired Pickles and Waffles, even though the would get
into my lap and onto my bed after the first few months, they'd still run if
I walked toward them. I will have had them for five years on February 1.
Several months ago, Pickles decided she would like her tummy rubbed. Now
if she thinks I'm headed toward the living room, she will run ahead of me,
squeaking as she goes. She has sometimes almost tripped me in her rush to
get there ahead of me. Once we're both in the living room, she comes to me
for skritches. After a minute or so of this, I say, "Show me the tummy,"
and she rolls over on her back so I can rub her tummy . She will let me rub
it just as long as I can bend over to do it, and has actually let me step
over her while she's in that position.

Joy

Thud walked over to my dresser and stretched as far as she could,
pawing at a drawer. [...]
I just picked one of the drawers - my underwear drawer - and pulled it
open.
And there was Niobe, happily sitting in the drawer! I have absolutely
no idea how she got there; perhaps it was open just enough for her to
get inside, and maybe I pushed it shut without thinking as I walked by
earlier in the morning.

We often used to find Ishmael (RB) asleep in the closed top drawer
of Marion's desk. It was an old wooden desk with a back panel that
left a gap behind the drawers - a kitten could climb up between them
and into the drawer and settle down in a comfy nest of papers. The
trip usually left his fur looking a bit rumpled, though. He looked
rather like a man sleeping off a wedding party in his tux.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland
mobile 07800 739 557 http://www.campin.me.uk Twitter: JackCampin

"Art Shapiro" wrote in message
...
I've had Thud just short of five months. She's a little calico cat who by
an improbably set of circumstances came to me from a shelter well out of
the area; she was about to be put down because she's so terrified of
people and there was no reason anyone would want a cat like that.

Well, I'm a bit of a sucker.

snip

What a lovely story.
I too was a sucker for a very frightened cat. Boyfriend was so afraid that
I had to leave the back door open for two years so he could have an escape
route. If I closed it he panicked.
Eventually, he trusted me but I can't say it didn't take years, it did, by
baby steps. Now he's a lap fungus and I hope Thud gets to that stage too
one day.
He is still afraid of visitors. If the doorbell rings, he's at the back
door requesting out.

I found it very rewarding to nurse him back to as much emotional health as I
could. I don't think anyone in their right mind could have abused him
because he is so wonderful, I think he was lost and on the point of going
feral. He was probably always a nervous cat, as he will jump off my lap if
he even hears the noise of a text coming in on my mobile phone, or my
landline rings.. or is it because he is anticipating having to get off for
me to answer it?
Art, I hope Thud will learn to trust you, but it will take a while if my
experience is anything to go by. You are very kind to take her in, as I
suppose all of us are who take on difficult cats.
She already rewarded you once.
Good luck with her

Tweed

On 12/23/2013 1:15 AM, Art Shapiro wrote:
I've had Thud just short of five months. She's a little calico cat who
by an improbably set of circumstances came to me from a shelter well out
of the area; she was about to be put down because she's so terrified of
people and there was no reason anyone would want a cat like that.

Well, I'm a bit of a sucker.

She doesn't particularly like me, but will grudgingly accept affection
every so often, usually at arm's length. But she gets along well with
the others, and really has the hots for my monster tabby Giovanni. It's
an OK situation, although I wish she'd be a little friendlier to me.

This morning I was finishing up getting ready for my club bicycle ride.
Thud walked over to my dresser and stretched as far as she could,
pawing at a drawer. This went on for several minutes. She didn't seem
to want to jump up on top, which would be fine with me, but simply was
standing on her tiptoes trying to reach up as far as possible. She'd
never done this before.

I thought that perhaps she'd like to snuggle down for the morning in one
of the drawers. So I just picked one of the drawers - my underwear
drawer - and pulled it open.

And there was Niobe, happily sitting in the drawer! I have absolutely
no idea how she got there; perhaps it was open just enough for her to
get inside, and maybe I pushed it shut without thinking as I walked by
earlier in the morning.

So had I not rescued Niobe, she would have sat there for hours unless my
wife happened to wander by the dresser. I was gone for five hours, so
that would have been quite a time for poor little Niobe to be in the dark.

Thud earned her keep today.

Art

Thud certainly did earn her keep! I have to wonder why some cats get
themselves shut in some place and don't speak up. I have a friend whose
cat is *always* sneaking into the hall closet. She gets shut inside and
doesn't say boo about it. It's not until later, when they start
thinking hmmm, it's awfully quiet, where's the cat? they discover she's
in the closet again.

Jill

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
On 12/23/2013 1:15 AM, Art Shapiro wrote:
I've had Thud just short of five months. She's a little calico cat who
by an improbably set of circumstances came to me from a shelter well out
of the area; she was about to be put down because she's so terrified of
people and there was no reason anyone would want a cat like that.

Well, I'm a bit of a sucker.

She doesn't particularly like me, but will grudgingly accept affection
every so often, usually at arm's length. But she gets along well with
the others, and really has the hots for my monster tabby Giovanni. It's
an OK situation, although I wish she'd be a little friendlier to me.

This morning I was finishing up getting ready for my club bicycle ride.
Thud walked over to my dresser and stretched as far as she could,
pawing at a drawer. This went on for several minutes. She didn't seem
to want to jump up on top, which would be fine with me, but simply was
standing on her tiptoes trying to reach up as far as possible. She'd
never done this before.

I thought that perhaps she'd like to snuggle down for the morning in one
of the drawers. So I just picked one of the drawers - my underwear
drawer - and pulled it open.

And there was Niobe, happily sitting in the drawer! I have absolutely
no idea how she got there; perhaps it was open just enough for her to
get inside, and maybe I pushed it shut without thinking as I walked by
earlier in the morning.

So had I not rescued Niobe, she would have sat there for hours unless my
wife happened to wander by the dresser. I was gone for five hours, so
that would have been quite a time for poor little Niobe to be in the
dark.

Thud earned her keep today.

Art

Thud certainly did earn her keep! I have to wonder why some cats get
themselves shut in some place and don't speak up. I have a friend whose
cat is *always* sneaking into the hall closet. She gets shut inside and
doesn't say boo about it. It's not until later, when they start thinking
hmmm, it's awfully quiet, where's the cat? they discover she's in the
closet again.

Jill

I once went away for a week. The day after I left, my daughter and
son-in-law decided to surprise me by painting one of my rooms while I was
away. After they'd been there for a while, my son-in-law heard a muffled
"meow". He investigated and found Skeeter shut in my bedroom closet. As
soon as the door opened, he made a beeline for the cat door and dashed
outside. Bless him, he'd been there for 24 hours, but there was nothing in
the closet to clean up. Once he'd relieved himself, naturally, he came in
looking for food.

I still get the horrors when I think what would have happened if they hadn't
decided to surprise me. Ever since then, when I go on a trip, I either make
sure I know exactly where each cat is, or I leave the closet door open a
little.

Joy

On Sun, 22 Dec 2013 22:15:46 -0800, Art Shapiro
wrote:
So had I not rescued Niobe, she would have sat there for hours unless my
wife happened to wander by the dresser. I was gone for five hours, so
that would have been quite a time for poor little Niobe to be in the dark.

Thud earned her keep today.

Thud might seem a little stand-offish, but she obviously knows that you can
help kitties in need.