|
I was born in 2000 and quickly adopted by a family of four. The little girl was nice and we played together a lot. She named me Snowball and I guess it was because it looked like I was just a gray striped kitten who'd been hit with a snowball to the chest. I'm not sure why her father didn't like me but he hit and kicked me a lot. Thankfully, her mother rescued me and sent me to live with a man who likes cats. She said he was lonely and missed his other cat so much.
When I was a little less than a year old I moved to my new home. I didn't really believe my friend's mom and was scared the new man. For as long as I could remember, grown men had not liked me and tried to hurt me. I stayed out of his way and hid under his bed. Since he brought food and water to where I was I began to think maybe he was different. After a while I ventured out and laid down in a chair. He didn't come after me and only talked gently to me as he passed by. Pretty soon I began to explore the whole apartment and found several other hidey-holes where I knew I'd be safe in case he changed his mind and came after me.
As time passed, I began to trust him since he was feeding me, didn't hit or kick me and was changing my litter box. When I let him get close, he continued to talk softly and stroked my fur. Soon I was wandering around as I pleased and even curled up next to him. It was just the two of us and life was good. Then we moved and I suddenly had four brothers and three sisters. Aaaack! The next four months or so were frightening as I'd never lived with dogs or other cats. The dogs accepted me right away and only gave me a little "sniff" before moving on their way. However, the female cat, Siva, immediately let me know she was the boss. She was old, so I respected her and kept my distance. One day she went to the vet and never came back. I didn't understand but my people were very sad.
With Siva gone it became a battle to see who would dominate between us three boys. That question has yet to be settled as we fight quite often. Even though they "gang up" on me, I'm still able to hold my own. I have to admit that I'm usually the one who starts things and I get squirted with the water bottle more often than I'd like. All in all though I have a good life with lots to eat and as much "human loving" as I'm willing to tolerate.
Sadly, I've lost all my brothers as well as one canine sister. Last year my mom & dad got me a little feline sister to keep me company. Now I have someone to play with but who also pesters me constantly. Her name is Salem but I'm the one who calls her "The Terrorist." Now there's a new dog in the family too. While Elmer's huge and a bit scary, we've reached a point of peaceful coexistence. 'Nuff said (chuckles quietly).
Our hearts were broken when we had to part company with Snowball on Friday, June 29, 2012. Kidney failure took its toll on him and he quit eating and drinking. His chances for recovery were nil and his quality of life had been reduced terribly. His passing was painless and peaceful but felt like a dagger in my heart. I'll love and remember my Snowball for the rest of my days. He was a truly great cat.
|
