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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / July 2006Odd Thing
My parents, who don't like cats, reported to me that the two black cats their neighbors own provide them with endless entertainment. The cats press their faces up against the window at night, providing them with a view of golden eyes since it's dark outside. Mom said it's kind of spooky. She said Dad laughs at them. The wander around on the patio, chasing lizards. Mom said one was rolling around in the grass the other night, belly up, and she *almost* felt like she should run outside and tickle that fuzzy tummy! I said "do it!" At 81 years old, I doubt Mom will become a cat owner, and Dad always said don't you dare bring a cat in here! But in their dotage they are enjoying the black cats that live next door. I think it's funny. Of course, Dad told me not to bring a dog into his house but when I got divorced and had to move back in (when I was 24) I brought Sampson (RB) with me. He wound up loving that little mutt dog and playing on the floor with him. And mom was cooking the dog eggs for breakfast after I left for work. So you just never know :) Jill > My parents, who don't like cats, reported to me that the two black > cats their neighbors own provide them with endless entertainment. Yeah, yeah. My dad "doesn't like" cats, so for the first few years he called Oscar my "puppy" to work around the problem. > Of course, Dad told me not to bring a dog into his house but when I > got divorced and had to move back in (when I was 24) I brought > Sampson (RB) with me. He wound up loving that little mutt dog and > playing on the floor with him. And mom was cooking the dog eggs for > breakfast after I left for work. So you just never know :) My dad didn't want me to get a dog when I was a kid -- it wasn't because he didn't like dogs, though. It's because he's an old softie, underneath all the armor, and he knew that they wend their way deep into your heart, then die far too soon. He didn't want to put himself through that again. Of course, mom and I got a dog anyway, and when we came home it was fait accomplit.  Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > My dad didn't want me to get a dog when I was a kid -- it wasn't > because he didn't like dogs, though. It's because he's an old softie, > underneath all the armor, and he knew that they wend their way deep > into your heart, then die far too soon. He didn't want to put himself > through that again. > Of course, mom and I got a dog anyway, and when we came home it was > fait accomplit. That sounds just like the premise of "My Dog Skip", a very sweet movie (and book). In that, the father didn't want his son to have a dog because "he's too young to care for him". But that was just an excuse - the real reason was that the father had lost a beloved dog as a child and he never got over it. In this story, the mother puts her foot down and gets the dog anyway, over the dad's objections. Of course, the father ends up loving the dog, too. Joyce > > My dad didn't want me to get a dog when I was a kid -- it wasn't > > because he didn't like dogs, though. It's because he's an old [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > her foot down and gets the dog anyway, over the dad's objections. Of > course, the father ends up loving the dog, too. Sounds like our story, if the father loved the dog and cared for it, but also griped at regular intervals about how "he's not my dog!" and "I never wanted a dog!" etc. Puma's ashes sit in my parents' garage window, looking out on the yard and, in the distance, the dock leading over a brackish creek. Dad put a cotton sprig in a beer bottle next to the box as decoration. Somehow it seems fitting. We've talked about doing something with the ashes, but none of us have pushed it. To me, that is the perfect spot, anyway. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > Sounds like our story, if the father loved the dog and cared for it, > but also griped at regular intervals about how "he's not my dog!" and > "I never wanted a dog!" etc. My father kept saying he would give me Scruffy plus some money for his upkeep. But I know he loved that cat, and my mother would never voluntarily part with Scruffy. Then I got Rusty. Winnie > Puma's ashes sit in my parents' garage window, looking out on the yard > and, in the distance, the dock leading over a brackish creek. Dad put [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > My parents, who don't like cats, reported to me that the two black cats > their neighbors own provide them with endless entertainment. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > work. > So you just never know :) My mom never liked cats. With an exception of course for ours after Sam staked out her lap on her first visit and basically said "like me or else". An attitude she was familiar with. Many years later when she was starting to have mental lapses she began talking about her cat. Now at the time she was in an independent living facility and about ready for a move to assisted living. We took the cat with a large pinch of salt. But she sounded so convincing when she talked about it. When I went to visit I stopped by the on site beauty shop and was talking to the woman who did mom's hair. Turns out she has a cat that she brings to work because the cat likes the residents and for the most part the residents are fond of the cat. My mother in particular. To the point where when the hairstylist had to go out of town for a few days, the cat had been staying with my mom. And had done so on many occasions. Don't ever think you really know your parents. Jo > Don't ever think you really know your parents. So true. Mom and I were talking about Dad's impending visit. She said that she was so glad that he and I would be getting some time together. I admitted that I had been a little worried about how she would feel. "Oh, you should know me better than that!" Should I? Well, regardless, I'm glad she's not only okay with it, but happy about it. She said dad is really excited and has been talking about it already ... "Can't believe it's less than three weeks!" He has a senior's pass to Rocky Mountain National Park, too, so I am going to look for some neat trails there. Much cheaper than if I were to go by myself. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > > Don't ever think you really know your parents. > So true. Mom and I were talking about Dad's impending visit. She > said that she was so glad that he and I would be getting some time > together. I admitted that I had been a little worried about how she > would feel. "Oh, you should know me better than that!" What were you worried she might feel? Her reaction sounds reasonable to me. Did you think she would feel left out, or something like that? Just wondering, Joyce > > > Don't ever think you really know your parents. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Just wondering, Joyce Yup, the reaction sounds reasonable. My relationship with my parents is complex, confusing, and ever-changing. The only constant seems to be that we all step on each others' toes and hurt each others' feelings far too often. My dad and I have our moments often enough, but I have a heck of a time figuring out my mom. My dad and I at least share a few interests and personality traits; a big problem for mom and me (I just realized today, actually) is that we don't really have anything we can do together, besides talk and shop. Shopping is fraught with emotional peril, and when we run out of constructive things to talk about ... well, it can get messy when we try to fill the silence. It gets even worse because when I'm around her, I try to spend every moment with her, which is a bad idea on several counts, including 1) I need a large amount of alone time, so this just makes me cranky and 2) I need hard exercise to keep my moods in check, and mom doesn't do that, so I don't end up doing that either ... Speaking of common activities, I've picked up six Colorado hiking guide books and one ghost town guide book (dad said he'd like to check out some of those while he's out here). The books aren't just for the week he'll be here; I need more ideas on where to go with DH and other friends. I also bought a really nice hiking skort -- this is good because when I wear shorts hiking, the legs tend to ride up in the middle, which looks pretty icky. These have the coverage of shorts, but the flap front and back look nicer, plus it's just the most amazingly soft, gliding fabric, perfect for long hikes: http://www.titlenine.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=23&itemType=PROD UCT&iProductID=23&RS=1&keyword=no-brainer+skort Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > My parents, who don't like cats, reported to me that the two black cats > their neighbors own provide them with endless entertainment. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Jill When my parents first moved into their house, my brother planned to take Mom to the Humane to get a cat. But my Dad said no cat or he moved out. Turned out there was this black & white cat Scruffy who lived in the neighbourhood. He often came over to my parents backyard and wormed his way to their hearts. When the neighbour moved away, she let Scruffy stayed behined with my parents. Dad loved Scruffy, who lived with them for about 9 years before he disappeared. But it was Mom who took care of Scruffy all those years. I miss that cat too. Winnie > My parents, who don't like cats, reported to me that the two > black cats their neighbors own provide them with endless > entertainment. That's so sweet! My parents are retired, and the only pets they've had as a married couple are a dog (Charlie Brown the Begal, and Fluffy, the cat that lived to 21 years old to spite my non-cat lover father). Now that all of us have been moved out for years and years, my mom misses having an animal around. My brother, my sister and I all have multiple pets, and Mom comes to visit to see the animals as much as she comes to see us. Our dad, though, doesn't miss slavehood at all. Shamrock is one that notices this, and takes it upon himself to prove that lack of owners in his own home does not make him exempt of slavehood, and proves it each time Dad is here in my house. Shamrock literally forces himself on my dad's lap every time he's here, never lets him forget the owner of this house. LOL Back to Mom's love of animals - there are several indoor/outdoor cats in their neighborhood, and my dad knows where they all live even though they spend a lot of time in his yard. ;) SignatureCheryl |
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