Ernie turned up at our place on wet night about 4 years ago.He is a tabby. He has a broken tail and a distrust of menfolk! I loved him straight away - much to The Stud's chagrin.
"How can you encourage that smelly cat?" he has asked me a million times in 4 years. While trying hard not to hear the Smelly Cat song from friends in my head, I just state simply "Look at him, how could you not?".
Yes. He is smelly. As he has a broken tail (which doesn't seem to bother him at all) he cannot lift his tail out of the way when he wees.
He also arrived as a tom, hence the huge head on him. Some in my family regfer to him as Melon Head, but I won't be naming names.
Over the years Ernie's time with us has been sporadic. He comes and goes when he pleases and sometimes has disappeared for weeks before arriving 'home' bedraggled and shabby looking, big woeful eyes peering through the back doors.
Before we legged it to Australia for Xmas he shot through about 2 weeks before we left and didn't show up again until March this year. I was so relieved and he was genuinely happy to be back. I could tell. Its in the way he looks at me you know. And he has stayed here everyday and night since then.
Last Friday he had been gone a day and a half, arrived back with a very swollen paw. What to do, he had just scoffed his dinner (he gets through a tray of chicken necks with lightening speed) and had limped off under the house. No amount of coaxing would get him out. When we got home Sunday, it was raining but within an hour Ernie was at the back door yowling plaintively. His paw still swollen. We fed him and off he went.
I was sure he would be gone for a few days, last time he had na abscess on his head and he went off only to come back almost proudly when it had burst.
However, he was there Monday morning. I grabbed him and stuffed him in the cat/rabbit cage and carted him off to the vet. They found no sign of an abscess initially so that meant an X-ray to check if his paw was broken or something. I threw caution to the wind and suggested the Vet give him the ol' snip snip while they had the cat sedated.
Turns out that Ernie did indeed have a very deep abscess which is only just healing. He has spent the week locked up in the kids disused playhouse, having a drain in his paw and recovering from loosing his 'nads'. He is not a happy camper at all but I hope he knows I'm only doing it for his own good. Now, he's been a fighting whoring machine for all his life - the Vet says it might take some time for the habits of his life-time to be over-ridden.
The Stud is shaking his head that we have spent $400 on a stray. He's not a stray in my opinion.
It may be the presbyterian ancestry in me, but I believe that the moment we started feeding him and named him we gave him an assurance that we would be responsible for him. He can rely on me.
He's my wee boy.
Look at him, you see what I mean don't you?
16 comments:
Oh, he's beautiful! I love a tabby. They're so intelligent and personable. You did the right thing, Saj. He's going to be injured a lot less now. Our tabby is indoor-outdoor, too. I feel we're giving our cats a good life, Saj. (well, my husband isn't that great. He favors the dog, and when I'm not looking, he manages to kick Quattie off the couch to make room for the dog. stuff like that.) Kiss Ernie for me~ (Your Cheeky Quotes are really great, btw!) xx
I'm glad I didn't come to you when I broke my foot a couple of years ago... snip snip? Ouch!
Your "wee" boy...Was that intentional? An oblique reference to his being urinatingly challenged? He is an exceedingly handsome fellow--definitely irresistible! And as you love him, how could you let him suffer when you had it within your power (and bank account) to ease his pain.
I take the hard line that when it comes to having to shell out the cold hard cash to maintain the well-being of our cat, it will be time to bid a fond adieu. However, I have not yet been put to the test!
That is incredibly generous of you to spend so much on a cat which, technically, isn't yours. But very caring. You'll get your reward in heaven Amanda, my dear. Erm, should that be pussy heaven? No, NO. DON'T say anything!!
Such a touching story from Ernie.
he looks very cute :)
Hugs from Kareltje =^.^=
from
The Netherlands
The bride wore red! And she looked bloody fantastic!!! Took me awhile, but I enjoyed the trip to find your wedding pic.
Margaret - bless you, Ernie says thanks very much. He didn't turn up last night but he is here this morning.
Steve - hehe, do you think thats why The Stud is a bit nervous at the moment?? :-)
Louciao - haha, I knew if anyone was going to get the it would be you! Oh you found the Harlot in Scarlet then, thanks for your comments. I figured that everyone would start laughing if I arrived in white!
OC - you naughty boy, however if it's pussy heaven that calling count me in! (Can I say that???)
Anya - welcome, I loved The Netherlands when I visited there so thank you for visiting here - loved the wee cat face!
Bless your cotton socks Sagittarian.
I am sure he will thank you in his own way when the penny drops that he probably had a slow lingering death of blood poisoning ahead were it not for your intervention.
Though I don't think rat stew is really your thing probably. I've got two feline adoptees at the mo' while their owners move house - it's like having toddlers about the place!
PS My parents have a stray they have named Gipsy. All her fur was matted into impossible lumps when she first started visiting and she was very skinny underneath. It took many months of patient combing and cutting the rest out for her to be restored to a glamorous long-haired cat able to wash herself properly again, but she seems happy, content, clean and well-upholstered now.
Luckily this did not cost them more than a £40 vet's bill when they got her checked out/.
What a beautiful creature !
Awww he is precious! As the proud owner of rescue cats and dogs I know how easy it is to fall in love with them and the more skanky they look the harder I fall! :-)
'the little prince' and his rose:
same thing. when you love someone, they will allow themselves to be tamed....
xo
Well you could tell Ernie that he's just going to have to work off his debt... hmmm what kind of work can a snip-snipped Tom do now ??? Good for mouse control maybe ?
Anyway, Ernie looks adorable, I can see why you would fall for him, hope it won't lead to marital dis-harmony, that's alot of cash... but you are on the way to feline sainthood... wonderful story, I hope he'll be ok in the end, and come and sit on your laps when watching the telly... well, that's what ours do...
Poet - thank you indeed! I like the sound of Gypsy...I may need to persuade one of my daughters to become a vet!
Villager - he is lovely isn't he!
Penelope - haha, I know what you mean. Someone's gotta love them eh?
kj - I love that story, the little prince! Lovely words, thank you.
Owen - not sure about having the lad on my lap. he's still got a manky tail which he can't lift outta the way...he does lye down beside me when I sit on the back deck drinking my morning cuppa tea (when it's sunny) and I think thats about as close as we're going to get for a wee while.
It was worth spending that money not to have to feel bad about not spending it. I guess he'll reward you by staying home more.
Brother T - exactly! And the wee fella was there this morning all purry and happy.
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