New was a well-travelled cat. She was born in Florida, where she resided with my mother (Cop Car). Cop Car got the cat from some neighborhood boys on New Year's Day, thus the name "New" (I'm sure Cop Car will correct me if I get any of the begining parts wrong). After a while, Cop Car got tired of Florida and moved to New Mexico, taking New with her.
After a while, for reasons that don't matter, Cop Car asked if I would take care of New, I agreed and New moved to Kansas. At that point, we did not have any other animals. Occasionally Omar, the cat from next door, would visit, but New didn't mind that. Omar was a well behaved tomcat that didn't try to eat New's food, he would stroll in for a little attention (probably to get away from the young child for a while), then go back next door.
(Omar, the neighbor's cat)
Another neighbor's cat, Snowball lived with us for a couple of months too. Once again, she didn't seem to mind.
(Snowball, Shilo and WS)
New did not know what to think when John and Shilo moved in. Shilo didn't know what to think of the cat either, so they were even. Once New got over hissing from a distance and hiding under the bed, she taught Shilo just who was boss by boxing Shilo in the nose. Shilo decided right then and there that she wasn't going to mess with the cat. The funny part was that New had no front claws. She didn't seem to realize it and apparently neither did Shilo. New dealt much the same way with Bogie and Argent when we brought them home.
(New and Shilo)
New thought she was part dog. Whenever we took the dogs for a walk, she would trail behind us. If we went too far (more than 1/4 mile), she would stop, sit down and groom herself (or watch the world go by) until we came back. Then she would follow us back home.
Her move to NH was uneventful. She did well at the BIL's house as well as both apartments. She took the move to the new house with her usual aplomb. That cat was just plain unflappable. She trained Niki and Sampson not to mess with her and she developed "The Game". To watch her, you would think she just plumb hated dogs. If you were looking, and she was within 5 feet of a dog,she would arch up and swat at it (never getting close). But, if no one was around, or she thought you weren't paying attention, she would go over and rub on the dogs and even lick them. It was hilarious to watch the transformation when she suddenly realized someone was watching, she would go from rubbing and purring a dog to arching and swatting at it in the blink of an eye. It kept the dogs confused and kept us entertained.
(New at the house - 1989)
(new - 1990_
It did't take New long to figure out that she wasn't to mess with inside birds. When I brought Petie, the cockatiel, home, she was intrigued. I could see the thought process going something like, "Cool! Mom has brought me a play toy!" She learned however that Petie was not to be messed with when I had the bird out on my shoulder and New got a little over-curious. I tapped her nose and said "NO!" that was all it took. From then on, she might come cuddle in my lap while I had the bird out, but she
pretty much ignored Petie. She didn't even bother eyeballing O'Hara, Skruffy or Katie when I brought them home (that saved New from getting a painful lesson from O'Hara anyway).
New lived until 1998, to about the age of 16. She suddenly started sleeping under the blankets of the water bed, and quit eating. I took her to the vet and it was determined that she was experiencing kidney failure. They tried flushing water under her skin, but after 3 days, she still refused to eat and her weight was down from 7 lbs. to 3.5 lbs.
We decided that she had given up. She had had a nice long life, full of variety and adventure, it was time to let her go. I went and pet her as the vet gave her the shot that eased her from life.
We finally got one right.
Just as a side note: I never realized how much like New and Shadow looks until I started going thru the old pictures.
Well, since you gave me special permission, Bogie, I'll fill in the beginning of New's life. She did come into my life on New Year's Day in 1982. A little girl who lived in my neighborhood appeared at the door with a little kitty in her arms (the girl must have been 5 or 6 years old, and the kitty 4 or 5 months old). I told the little girl that I would keep the kitty if she would help me "prepare" a place for her. At my insistance, the girl went home to get her mother's permission, then came back to help me round up an old dishpan for a litter box (my back yard had plenty of white sand with which to fill it), designate an old margerine tub for water, etc.
The kitten's full name was "A New Beginning". I always appreciated that Bogie and WS were willing to take New in. They certainly provided a wonderful home and experience for her. Thanks, again, Bogie.
P.S. It wasn't until we moved from Florida that I realized that New was black and white. As long as we were in Florida, where our yards were full of pine trees, New's lounging in the pine needles dyed the white fur, butterscotch.
Posted by: Cop Car | January 22, 2006 at 04:24 PM
Have you any photos of Black Angel?
Posted by: Cop Car | January 22, 2006 at 04:30 PM
See? I knew I would mess up the story If I tried to tell your part - I thought it was a little boy with the kittens.
Posted by: bogie | January 24, 2006 at 04:06 AM
I haven't looked that far back in my archives. I did find one picture of Fluffy (Dudettes cat), but haven't seen any of Butterscotch or Midnight. Hoewever, they may be where I didn't look.
I don't have any pictures of Spook, and I was shocked that I didn't have any grown up pictures of Argent!
Posted by: bogie | January 24, 2006 at 04:09 AM
Somewhere in the vast photographic archives of this house, we must have photos of Butterscotch, Fluffy, and Captain Midnight. As far as I recall, the only cat that involved a boy was Captain Midnight. When we placed the ad in the newspaper about her, our paper boy said that he had been trying to find a home for her. Fluffy and Butterscotch came to our door, each firmly tucked under the arm of a little girl who was trying to find homes for them. They were, as you know, litter mates. They should have had WS to build their cat house. Perhaps it wouldn't have been painted red if WS had built it (and it would have been better constructed, of course!) *tittering*
Posted by: Cop Car | January 24, 2006 at 08:32 AM
I love these stories you're posting on your animals ... may borrow the idea and do the same on my blog!
Posted by: Jackie | January 25, 2006 at 01:42 PM
Jackie - borrow away.
Posted by: bogie | January 28, 2006 at 06:55 AM
Does this mean that those of us who have human animals must post a piece on them? Hmmmm...let's see...Bogie is a well-travelled human, having.... LMAO ...Bogie, you surely realize how much I appreciate your animal postings. Keep it up!
Posted by: Cop Car | January 28, 2006 at 09:00 AM