Puss Puss' friend Midnight (long and sad)

Hi All,

This is a sad tale. It happened in West Hempstead, NY many years ago.
Around the corner from DH lived Mary C, long since grown into a dear
woman of an age with yours truly, but the beginning of this story
takes place when she was a teenager.

She and DH were inseparable. They would do all sorts of girly things
together. They discovered boys together. My dear heart, Lynda, and
Mary would leave for junior high and later high school early every day
and stop to use the ladies room of the local gas station to help each
other put on lipstick and eyebrow pencil. Then they would each roll
the waistband of their skirts up to shorten them. These things, of
course, had to be done in secret as the girls were not permitted to
leave the house that way.

I've mentioned The Puss Puss many times and I miss that old cat, but
Mary had a cat too, Midnight. Midnight was an unfixed female and
Lynda once got to see her giving birth to a litter of kittens. Since
Puss Puss was fixed and Midnight was not, there was no need for any
rivalry between them and they got along together as well as could be
expected.

Things happened fast for Mary after high school. Marriage and a baby
soon followed, as well as moving away from home. Midnight was to stay
behind and become her parent's cat. This ran contrary to Midnight's
wishes though. She was a one-person cat and her one person was gone.
It hurt Mary to hear that Midnight had started staying away longer and
longer and finally never came home again.

Mary was an independent sort who, though she became a single mom, was
determined to make it on her own. Through several jobs and numerous
moves the years passed, and she was sure that Midnight must have met
her end huddled alone in an alley someplace.

The day came when, in spite of her best efforts, jobs and places to
live broke down all at once for Mary and she had to move back with her
parents temporarily. She had been there for about a week when there
was an insistent mewing at the back door. Upon opening the door, Mary
discovered an tattered, scarred, and weatherbeaten old black cat.
Mary wondered what had driven this animal of the streets to mew at her
door -- it didn't even occur to her as she opened a can of tuna for
the poor beast that it could be Midnight.

Slowly it dawned on Mary. This WAS Midnight. She must have been
seventeen or eighteen years old and had survived who could guess how
many litters of kittens. She had also survived the icy winters, rainy
springs and falls, and the hot humid summers. All Midnight knew was
that she was still a one-person cat and that her person had finally
come home.

I wish that this story had a happy ending. Both Mary and Midnight
deserved a happy ending such as Puss Puss and Lynda had after Puss
Puss had to spend what was probably her fourteenth year lost on the
streets. Mary took Midnight to the vet who told her that the kindest
thing to do would be to put Midnight down. Sobbing, Mary assented.
She took one more day to spend with her long-lost kitty and returned
to the vet's office for a final goodbye.

I've been meaning to write this story for some time. I'm sorry it's
so sad. I just thought that someone should pay tribute to the old
girl's will to live and to her undying hope that some day her person
would return to love her once more.

Regards and Tears,
O J

Oooh, this made me cry, too, but thank you for telling this story as I think
it honors both Mary and Midnight.
Christine

"O J" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

This is a sad tale. It happened in West Hempstead, NY many years ago.
Around the corner from DH lived Mary C, long since grown into a dear
woman of an age with yours truly, but the beginning of this story
takes place when she was a teenager.

She and DH were inseparable. They would do all sorts of girly things
together. They discovered boys together. My dear heart, Lynda, and
Mary would leave for junior high and later high school early every day
and stop to use the ladies room of the local gas station to help each
other put on lipstick and eyebrow pencil. Then they would each roll
the waistband of their skirts up to shorten them. These things, of
course, had to be done in secret as the girls were not permitted to
leave the house that way.

I've mentioned The Puss Puss many times and I miss that old cat, but
Mary had a cat too, Midnight. Midnight was an unfixed female and
Lynda once got to see her giving birth to a litter of kittens. Since
Puss Puss was fixed and Midnight was not, there was no need for any
rivalry between them and they got along together as well as could be
expected.

Things happened fast for Mary after high school. Marriage and a baby
soon followed, as well as moving away from home. Midnight was to stay
behind and become her parent's cat. This ran contrary to Midnight's
wishes though. She was a one-person cat and her one person was gone.
It hurt Mary to hear that Midnight had started staying away longer and
longer and finally never came home again.

Mary was an independent sort who, though she became a single mom, was
determined to make it on her own. Through several jobs and numerous
moves the years passed, and she was sure that Midnight must have met
her end huddled alone in an alley someplace.

The day came when, in spite of her best efforts, jobs and places to
live broke down all at once for Mary and she had to move back with her
parents temporarily. She had been there for about a week when there
was an insistent mewing at the back door. Upon opening the door, Mary
discovered an tattered, scarred, and weatherbeaten old black cat.
Mary wondered what had driven this animal of the streets to mew at her
door -- it didn't even occur to her as she opened a can of tuna for
the poor beast that it could be Midnight.

Slowly it dawned on Mary. This WAS Midnight. She must have been
seventeen or eighteen years old and had survived who could guess how
many litters of kittens. She had also survived the icy winters, rainy
springs and falls, and the hot humid summers. All Midnight knew was
that she was still a one-person cat and that her person had finally
come home.

I wish that this story had a happy ending. Both Mary and Midnight
deserved a happy ending such as Puss Puss and Lynda had after Puss
Puss had to spend what was probably her fourteenth year lost on the
streets. Mary took Midnight to the vet who told her that the kindest
thing to do would be to put Midnight down. Sobbing, Mary assented.
She took one more day to spend with her long-lost kitty and returned
to the vet's office for a final goodbye.

I've been meaning to write this story for some time. I'm sorry it's
so sad. I just thought that someone should pay tribute to the old
girl's will to live and to her undying hope that some day her person
would return to love her once more.

Regards and Tears,
O J

I found it very, very touching too. I think some cats really do bond to
just one person.
I was going to trap and tame Boyfriend and then give him up to the Cat's
Protection League to find him a home. Yes! I really was! I didn't want
another cat.
The woman that runs the local branch said that she doubted, from my
description of him, that he would settle anywhere else because he was so
nervous. She said if I would agree to keep him, even as a barn kitty, and
feed him, that they would pay for his snip.
I went away to think about it. Was this just a trick, having the wool
pulled over my eyes because I wasn't experienced with cats, an appeal to my
better nature?
In a way, I suppose it was.
My German friend, Nüle. wanted me to keep him. She is very fond of cats
herself and she guilt tripped me. When she was staying here one time, BF
was just at the stage of sneaking into the conservatory late at night to
sleep and disappearing as fast as he could when I opened the back door in
the morning.
"You will tame him and keep him, of course" she said. Which caused me to
reply "What do you mean 'of course?' Of course I won't. I like
birdwatching in the garden and having Kitty is bad enough, I DO NOT WANT
ANOTHER CAT AND HE GOES TO THE CAT'S HOME AS SOON AS I CAN TRAP HIM!!!!"
She said "Ahhhhh.." and then remained silent. "Oh, for goodness sake, what
do you mean 'ahhhhh?' " I said. She said nothing for about a minute, and
sighed. Then she said "Do you realise that this poor boy has somehow lost
his home, this poor kitten - for that's all he is - is totally lost. He's
found somewhere safe to sleep and thinks he is lucky and now you will turn
him out.."

So. That's why I still have him, and I bless the day I decided he could
live here. I love him to bits.
N could guilt trip for Germany in the Olympics ;-)
After this extreme guilt-tripping there wasn't really any chance that he
couldn't stay. And yes, he's ruined my birdwatching.

Tweed



"Christine Burel" wrote in message
...
Oooh, this made me cry, too, but thank you for telling this story as I
think
it honors both Mary and Midnight.
Christine

"O J" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

This is a sad tale. It happened in West Hempstead, NY many years ago.
Around the corner from DH lived Mary C, long since grown into a dear
woman of an age with yours truly, but the beginning of this story
takes place when she was a teenager.

She and DH were inseparable. They would do all sorts of girly things
together. They discovered boys together. My dear heart, Lynda, and
Mary would leave for junior high and later high school early every day
and stop to use the ladies room of the local gas station to help each
other put on lipstick and eyebrow pencil. Then they would each roll
the waistband of their skirts up to shorten them. These things, of
course, had to be done in secret as the girls were not permitted to
leave the house that way.

I've mentioned The Puss Puss many times and I miss that old cat, but
Mary had a cat too, Midnight. Midnight was an unfixed female and
Lynda once got to see her giving birth to a litter of kittens. Since
Puss Puss was fixed and Midnight was not, there was no need for any
rivalry between them and they got along together as well as could be
expected.

Things happened fast for Mary after high school. Marriage and a baby
soon followed, as well as moving away from home. Midnight was to stay
behind and become her parent's cat. This ran contrary to Midnight's
wishes though. She was a one-person cat and her one person was gone.
It hurt Mary to hear that Midnight had started staying away longer and
longer and finally never came home again.

Mary was an independent sort who, though she became a single mom, was
determined to make it on her own. Through several jobs and numerous
moves the years passed, and she was sure that Midnight must have met
her end huddled alone in an alley someplace.

The day came when, in spite of her best efforts, jobs and places to
live broke down all at once for Mary and she had to move back with her
parents temporarily. She had been there for about a week when there
was an insistent mewing at the back door. Upon opening the door, Mary
discovered an tattered, scarred, and weatherbeaten old black cat.
Mary wondered what had driven this animal of the streets to mew at her
door -- it didn't even occur to her as she opened a can of tuna for
the poor beast that it could be Midnight.

Slowly it dawned on Mary. This WAS Midnight. She must have been
seventeen or eighteen years old and had survived who could guess how
many litters of kittens. She had also survived the icy winters, rainy
springs and falls, and the hot humid summers. All Midnight knew was
that she was still a one-person cat and that her person had finally
come home.

I wish that this story had a happy ending. Both Mary and Midnight
deserved a happy ending such as Puss Puss and Lynda had after Puss
Puss had to spend what was probably her fourteenth year lost on the
streets. Mary took Midnight to the vet who told her that the kindest
thing to do would be to put Midnight down. Sobbing, Mary assented.
She took one more day to spend with her long-lost kitty and returned
to the vet's office for a final goodbye.

I've been meaning to write this story for some time. I'm sorry it's
so sad. I just thought that someone should pay tribute to the old
girl's will to live and to her undying hope that some day her person
would return to love her once more.

Regards and Tears,
O J

in article , Christina Websell at
wrote on 1/30/05 4:36 PM:

I found it very, very touching too. I think some cats really do bond to
just one person.
I was going to trap and tame Boyfriend and then give him up to the Cat's
Protection League to find him a home. Yes! I really was! I didn't want
another cat.
The woman that runs the local branch said that she doubted, from my
description of him, that he would settle anywhere else because he was so
nervous. She said if I would agree to keep him, even as a barn kitty, and
feed him, that they would pay for his snip.
I went away to think about it. Was this just a trick, having the wool
pulled over my eyes because I wasn't experienced with cats, an appeal to my
better nature?
In a way, I suppose it was.
My German friend, Nüle. wanted me to keep him. She is very fond of cats
herself and she guilt tripped me. When she was staying here one time, BF
was just at the stage of sneaking into the conservatory late at night to
sleep and disappearing as fast as he could when I opened the back door in
the morning.
"You will tame him and keep him, of course" she said. Which caused me to
reply "What do you mean 'of course?' Of course I won't. I like
birdwatching in the garden and having Kitty is bad enough, I DO NOT WANT
ANOTHER CAT AND HE GOES TO THE CAT'S HOME AS SOON AS I CAN TRAP HIM!!!!"
She said "Ahhhhh.." and then remained silent. "Oh, for goodness sake, what
do you mean 'ahhhhh?' " I said. She said nothing for about a minute, and
sighed. Then she said "Do you realise that this poor boy has somehow lost
his home, this poor kitten - for that's all he is - is totally lost. He's
found somewhere safe to sleep and thinks he is lucky and now you will turn
him out.."

So. That's why I still have him, and I bless the day I decided he could
live here. I love him to bits.
N could guilt trip for Germany in the Olympics ;-)
After this extreme guilt-tripping there wasn't really any chance that he
couldn't stay. And yes, he's ruined my birdwatching.

Tweed

Wow. She is GOOOOOOD!

"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message
...
in article , Christina Websell at
wrote on 1/30/05 4:36 PM:

I found it very, very touching too. I think some cats really do bond to
just one person.
I was going to trap and tame Boyfriend and then give him up to the Cat's
Protection League to find him a home. Yes! I really was! I didn't want
another cat.
The woman that runs the local branch said that she doubted, from my
description of him, that he would settle anywhere else because he was so
nervous. She said if I would agree to keep him, even as a barn kitty,
and
feed him, that they would pay for his snip.
I went away to think about it. Was this just a trick, having the wool
pulled over my eyes because I wasn't experienced with cats, an appeal to
my
better nature?
In a way, I suppose it was.
My German friend, Nüle. wanted me to keep him. She is very fond of cats
herself and she guilt tripped me. When she was staying here one time, BF
was just at the stage of sneaking into the conservatory late at night to
sleep and disappearing as fast as he could when I opened the back door in
the morning.
"You will tame him and keep him, of course" she said. Which caused me
to
reply "What do you mean 'of course?' Of course I won't. I like
birdwatching in the garden and having Kitty is bad enough, I DO NOT WANT
ANOTHER CAT AND HE GOES TO THE CAT'S HOME AS SOON AS I CAN TRAP HIM!!!!"
She said "Ahhhhh.." and then remained silent. "Oh, for goodness sake,
what
do you mean 'ahhhhh?' " I said. She said nothing for about a minute,
and
sighed. Then she said "Do you realise that this poor boy has somehow
lost
his home, this poor kitten - for that's all he is - is totally lost.
He's
found somewhere safe to sleep and thinks he is lucky and now you will
turn
him out.."

So. That's why I still have him, and I bless the day I decided he could
live here. I love him to bits.
N could guilt trip for Germany in the Olympics ;-)
After this extreme guilt-tripping there wasn't really any chance that he
couldn't stay. And yes, he's ruined my birdwatching.

Tweed

Wow. She is GOOOOOOD!

grin Yes, isn't she? She can make me feel bad even though English isn't
her first language.
Next time she came, Boyfriend refused to come into the house if he saw her
in the kitchen or lounge. I told he he was ungrateful and that it was down
to her that he was here.
He said she talked funny and he wouldn't come in until she went to bed
which fortunately for him was around 9.30. He darted into the house to sit
on his favourite armchair about 9.31.
This also meant she got up early. He made sure he was out of the house by
6.
It's probably right what the catwoman said, maybe he wouldn't have settled
anywhere else. I seem to be the only person he feels comfortable with.
I am trying to work on it. If he hears the doorbell he immediately asks to
go out the back door. I used to let him, but now I want him to realise that
my visitors won't hurt him, and he can always go on his bed under the table
in the kitchen, with a tablecloth hanging down hiding him and just listen.
BF is *not* a feral cat, he came here with a posh collar on. I don't know
what made him so shy. Every time I pick up a chicken drinker to put new
water in it, and throw what's in it on the ground he thinks I'm going to
throw it over him, and runs away. I wish he could tell me where he came
from and what happened to him.
I think he was well loved. He came with a very important sort of collar on,
and he only liked expensive dry food (after he got over being absolutely
starving and would eat anything)
I often wonder if his previous owners wonder where he is, I expect they do,
but as he isn't microchipped they will never know.

Tweed

in article , Christina Websell at
wrote on 1/30/05 5:29 PM:


"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message
...
in article , Christina Websell at
wrote on 1/30/05 4:36 PM:

I found it very, very touching too. I think some cats really do bond to
just one person.
I was going to trap and tame Boyfriend and then give him up to the Cat's
Protection League to find him a home. Yes! I really was! I didn't want
another cat.
The woman that runs the local branch said that she doubted, from my
description of him, that he would settle anywhere else because he was so
nervous. She said if I would agree to keep him, even as a barn kitty,
and
feed him, that they would pay for his snip.
I went away to think about it. Was this just a trick, having the wool
pulled over my eyes because I wasn't experienced with cats, an appeal to
my
better nature?
In a way, I suppose it was.
My German friend, Nüle. wanted me to keep him. She is very fond of cats
herself and she guilt tripped me. When she was staying here one time, BF
was just at the stage of sneaking into the conservatory late at night to
sleep and disappearing as fast as he could when I opened the back door in
the morning.
"You will tame him and keep him, of course" she said. Which caused me
to
reply "What do you mean 'of course?' Of course I won't. I like
birdwatching in the garden and having Kitty is bad enough, I DO NOT WANT
ANOTHER CAT AND HE GOES TO THE CAT'S HOME AS SOON AS I CAN TRAP HIM!!!!"
She said "Ahhhhh.." and then remained silent. "Oh, for goodness sake,
what
do you mean 'ahhhhh?' " I said. She said nothing for about a minute,
and
sighed. Then she said "Do you realise that this poor boy has somehow
lost
his home, this poor kitten - for that's all he is - is totally lost.
He's
found somewhere safe to sleep and thinks he is lucky and now you will
turn
him out.."

So. That's why I still have him, and I bless the day I decided he could
live here. I love him to bits.
N could guilt trip for Germany in the Olympics ;-)
After this extreme guilt-tripping there wasn't really any chance that he
couldn't stay. And yes, he's ruined my birdwatching.

Tweed

Wow. She is GOOOOOOD!

grin Yes, isn't she? She can make me feel bad even though English isn't
her first language.
Next time she came, Boyfriend refused to come into the house if he saw her
in the kitchen or lounge. I told he he was ungrateful and that it was down
to her that he was here.
He said she talked funny and he wouldn't come in until she went to bed
which fortunately for him was around 9.30. He darted into the house to sit
on his favourite armchair about 9.31.
This also meant she got up early. He made sure he was out of the house by
6.
It's probably right what the catwoman said, maybe he wouldn't have settled
anywhere else. I seem to be the only person he feels comfortable with.
I am trying to work on it. If he hears the doorbell he immediately asks to
go out the back door. I used to let him, but now I want him to realise that
my visitors won't hurt him, and he can always go on his bed under the table
in the kitchen, with a tablecloth hanging down hiding him and just listen.
BF is *not* a feral cat, he came here with a posh collar on. I don't know
what made him so shy. Every time I pick up a chicken drinker to put new
water in it, and throw what's in it on the ground he thinks I'm going to
throw it over him, and runs away. I wish he could tell me where he came
from and what happened to him.
I think he was well loved. He came with a very important sort of collar on,
and he only liked expensive dry food (after he got over being absolutely
starving and would eat anything)
I often wonder if his previous owners wonder where he is, I expect they do,
but as he isn't microchipped they will never know.

Tweed



Some cats are just naturally spooky. It's just their nature. Maybe that's
how Boyfriend got lost. He may have been scared and panicked and run off but
couldn't find his way back.

In article , "Christina Websell"
wrote:


BF is *not* a feral cat, he came here with a posh collar on. I don't
know
what made him so shy. Every time I pick up a chicken drinker to put new
water in it, and throw what's in it on the ground he thinks I'm going to
throw it over him, and runs away. I wish he could tell me where he came
from and what happened to him.
I think he was well loved. He came with a very important sort of collar
on,
and he only liked expensive dry food (after he got over being absolutely
starving and would eat anything)
I often wonder if his previous owners wonder where he is, I expect they
do,
but as he isn't microchipped they will never know.

I think about the way BF has bonded to you and cares for you, as a most
gentlemanly cat. He clearly adores you.

If a cat is that capable of love, I really wonder how well he was loved
wherever he was before. Perhaps he was pampered as an ornament, and
developed some posh tastes, but, if he were loved as much as you love
him, I wonder if he would have strayed.

O J wrote:

Hi All,

This is a sad tale.

Sad but beautiful. Thanks for telling it.

--
Marina, Frank and Nikki
marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

O J wrote:
Hi All,

This is a sad tale.

yes it is - but heartwarming. :*)

-L.

Howard Berkowitz wrote:
In article , "Christina Websell"
wrote:


BF is *not* a feral cat, he came here with a posh collar on. I don't
know
what made him so shy. Every time I pick up a chicken drinker to put
new water in it, and throw what's in it on the ground he thinks I'm
going to throw it over him, and runs away. I wish he could tell me
where he came from and what happened to him.
I think he was well loved. He came with a very important sort of
collar on,
and he only liked expensive dry food (after he got over being
absolutely starving and would eat anything)
I often wonder if his previous owners wonder where he is, I expect
they do,
but as he isn't microchipped they will never know.

I think about the way BF has bonded to you and cares for you, as a
most gentlemanly cat. He clearly adores you.

If a cat is that capable of love, I really wonder how well he was
loved wherever he was before. Perhaps he was pampered as an ornament,
and developed some posh tastes, but, if he were loved as much as you
love him, I wonder if he would have strayed.

I wonder where Persia came from. She had no collar but had been
front-declawed and (apparently) spayed. Yet she cried at my back door for
hours to be let inside. And once inside, determined this was HER place.
She even slept on the bed with me that first night! Granted, her purrs were
sort of distressed, like she wasn't sure. But when I woke up in the morning
I found a cat on the pillow over my head! Within a couple of days (while I
was trying to find her owners) she made it clear this was HER home.

Jill