Mancat Monday

 

I know I'm a lucky cat.  All of us kitties that have loving forever homes have so much to be thankful for.  I know that I can take what I have for granted...feel like everything will always be fine.

 

Of course if you know the cats in my family, you know that's not true.  We know a happy life is not a given.  We have all known what it's like to not have a home.  To have a home and to lose it.  Not because of anything we did, but just because bad stuff happens sometimes.

 

If you knew my family when I was adopted, you'd know that I was ill and I was not neutered.  Look at me now...all magnificent.  But it wasn't always that way.

 

Which brings me to what I wanted to meow about today.

 

 

Our furriends Emily, Brutus and Marigold found themselves homeless and in a shelter when their mom  Rose passed away.  Through no fault of their own...they became in danger of losing their own lives.

 

Because of the wonderful humans behind the cats in the Cat Blogosphere, our feline friends are going to have homes with other members of our amazing cat blogging community.  Their story is unfolding as I meow...and their move out of the shelter and to foster...and on to forever homes is going to happen soon.  You can read about their story at the Cat Blogsphere.

 

So now another story...because we are a bit in love with Miss Emily...the lovely lady on the far left of the graphic.  See her black and white lovely fur...see her nose spot?  Oh how mom has a soft spot for a nose spot.

 

She's a puddle looking at Emily.

 

And you know why?

 

Two of our guardian angels were black and white furred...and the signature nose spot.

Michelangelo

(Bridge Angel April 2008)

Roger Ramjet

(Bridge Angel June 1990)

 

We will purr that our furriends have safe travels to their new homes.

 

Memorial Day- Remembering Roger Ramjet

Roger Ramjet.

He wasn't our mom's first cat, but in many ways he was the cat who started it all.

Mom had adopted her first cat and soul mate Morgan from the Humane Society.  Nimue soon followed, being adopted from an ad in the newspaper.  All was happy and well for many years, until the summer of 1985.

The front door was open and the screen door closed.  There he was.  Paws on the door, looking in.  Mom had never adopted a stray before.  Mom and dad didn't know if he belonged to someone else in the neighborhood.  He wasn't um...uh...fixed.  They asked around and found that he'd been hanging out for quite sometime but no one claimed him.  Mom and dad got him fixed...and pretty soon he moved in for good.  He got a collar and tag.  He was SO PROUD of his collar and tag.  It meant so much to him.

He was something.  Larger than life.  Turns out every cat, dog, possum, raccoon in the neighborhood knew him.  And liked him.  Mom and dad finally figured that he was President of the Local Homeless Cat Union.  He regularly held meetings and invited non-cats to attend.  Just to keep the neighborhood peace.

He loved milk and would show up when families in the neighborhood had their morning cereal.  When he caught mice he'd always give parts to mom and dad...sometimes exactly half a mouse.  Sometimes only the heart.

He loved to ride shoulders, but only on the left side.

After 5 amazing years in our family, he developed severe kidney disease.  He passed away in June of 1990.

Ever since then, there has been a parade of strays who have been adopted by my family.  For each one the question is the same.  

Did Roger send you?

Remembering Roger Ramjet

Twenty years ago today, Roger Ramjet left for The Bridge.  Mom wrote about him in November of 2008 when I first started my bloggie.  Click here to read his story.  Even after 20 years, mom and dad still miss him more than words can say.

Roger Ramjet

President of the local cat union.

Friend to all cats, possums and raccoons.

Do anything for a lick of milk.

Always shared his mousie kill.

Proud of his collar and name tag

Insisted on riding on mom and dad's left shoulder (never the right)

Precious spot on his nose.

Protector of the family.

Adored fall leaves.

Loved forever.

Monday Mancat Memories- Roger Ramjet

Last week I talked about the legacy of Meezers in my family. There's more to the story than Meezers. To really understand my family you have to know about Roger Ramjet. My mom and dad entered the world of kitty rescue when this larger than life man-cat came into their lives in 1985.

It was just another day in the summer of 1985. The front door was open, the screen door closed. Then there was a cat there....paws on the screen, looking in and checking out the house. The screen door opened, and he walked in. He was not neutered and he had the scars that you'd expect to see. Asking around the neighborhood, everyone seemed to know him, but no one knew where he lived. My mom and dad got him neutered, vaccinated, got him a collar and a tag and let him go about his business figuring out that if he went "home", the humans would see the phone number and call. Never happened. He was extremely proud of his collar and tag.

He was named Roger Ramjet. Our hero. He was a friend to all, meaning he seemed to know everyone, including the possums and the raccoons, cats and dogs...you name it. It didn't take long to figure out that he must have been President of the local cat union. My mom and dad didn't know at the time where the meeting place was located, but they were certain he was leading the meetings. It was only a couple of years ago that we figured out that the local cat union meetings were being held at a local auto body shop the kitties could access down a cul-de-sac and through a fence. The kind man who owned the shop was feeding homeless and feral kitties for years. The kind man passed away recently and the shop is no more.

Roger hunted and brought back his bounty for the family. He would eat exactly half of a mouse and leave the other half on the doorstep. He always shared what he had. He loved milk more than anything in the world. Instead of calling him to come in at night, all mom would have to do is get the plastic milk jug and scratch her fingers on it. He'd come running. He'd join cereal time with the neighbor kids and walk into their houses to get in on the milk.

He loved playing in fall leaves.

Roger left us in the summer of 1990 after a battle with kidney disease. He was only with us 5 years, but his legacy has lasted forever. It was 4 months after Roger left that Maxfield showed up. We asked, did Roger send you? Yes, he did. Roger has been sending us lost, scared, starving and alone kitties ever since.

Forever Autumn

The summer sun is fading as the year grows old, and darker days are drawing near, the winter winds will be much colder, now you're not here.

I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky, and one by one they disappear. I wish that I was flying with them, now you're not here

Like the sun through the trees you came to love me, like a leaf on a breeze you blew away

Through autumns golden gown we used to kick our way, you always loved this time of year, those fallen leaves lie undisturbed now, 'cause you're not here

Like the sun through the trees you came to love me, like a leaf on a breeze you blew away

A gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes, as if to hide a lonely tear. My life will be forever autumn, 'cause you're not here

~Justin Hayward