Friday, January 28, 2011

...remembering Piglet


it was nearly Halloween in 1997...
1st period had just begun and I was taking roll...
when the head custodian walked into my music room...
he came over to me and then I saw that he was carrying a kitten...

"Mrs. H[my good friend & fellow animal rescuer]...
told me to bring this to you...
she was found by some kids out by the gym...
who saved her from some others who were going to hurt her..."

she still had spittle on her head from where some kid had spit on her...

the PE teacher had called him because she didn't like cats...
and the ones who were "protecting" it...
were yelling at the ones who wanted to hurt it...
so she just wanted it,"no longer her problem..."

as he carried the very scared and almost limp kitten back...
fully intending to call the pound to pick it up...
he realized that it was very thin and weak...
so he went to Mrs.H's room [on the way...]
and she instantly recognizing that it needed care...
sent him and the kitten to me...

2nd period was my prep and my vet was nearby...
so I took her to him & left her there for the rest of the day...

when I came by after school to pick her up...
he told me that she was completely starved & dehydrated...
probably only hours from death before I brought her in...
he'd given her an IV and offered food, which she nibbled...
but there were no fresh injuries...

her tail had been broken in several places before the kids hurt her...
and had healed crooked, looking like "Peekachoo's"...
she had probably been kicked repeatedly...
and had finally run away from that abuse only to be found by cruel kids...
who wanted to "stomp" her as she was black & white and it was almost Halloween...

I'm grateful that there were good kids who stopped them...

when we got home, I set her up with a warm bed & cat box in the bathroom...
so the "others" could get used to her...
she was so weak the first few days that she crawled to food...
and lay down to eat & drink...

but she loved to be cuddled and learned early on...
that I was there for that purpose, as well as food, etc...
and was always very grateful for having been rescued...
rewarding all cuddling & petting with loud purring and head rubbing...


she never really got along with the others...

perhaps a holdover from her abusive early life...
so she became a back yard cat, coming into my bedroom to eat & sleep...
but she loved the outside and was always very vocal in her desires...
make that her need, to be outside, whenever she felt the urge...
which was always...


she was not at all shy in making any and all other desires known...
we often had lengthy "conversations"...
regarding her displeasure with the staff[me], Fluff's selfishness...
or any other impediment to her total self-gratification...


sometimes, after a lengthy confrontation where she had been denied her desire...
she would flop down noisily and sulk, muttering asides at me...


other times she would just let it go and go find Fluff...
sometimes to aggravate or annoy her...
other times, just to "snuggle"...
made even better if it woke up or disturbed Fluff...
as she did in this picture...


but most times...
after a sulk or bugging Fluff, she would return to me...
to further plead her case or to see if pestering would "change my mind"...


if that didn't work, she would often go take a nap...
trying to look pitiful, or even "wronged"...

sometimes she would attempt a separate peace & "maturity"...


often, then next move was aimed at annoying either Fluff or me...
by crawling into whatever we were doing...
insinuating herself into the middle of it and eventually taking over...
then though she wasn't happily outside, we weren't happy anymore either...


so now she'll be happy always...
outside in her garden and I won't be calling her in...


she's sleeping next to her buddy Fluff...

farewell, dear sweet Piglet...
you were a sweet kitty and quite a character...
I will really miss our "conversations" and cuddle times...
but I know that you & Fluff are at rest now...

always remember that because no one wanted you when you were little...
we found each other and you were always loved & wanted here...

4 comments:

Mousie and Christy's Mommy said...

*LIKE* :-)

So glad that the two of you "found" each other and lived happily ever after. Lucky Piglet...lucky you!! As always, thanks so much for sharing!

catsinger said...

...thanks M&CM, as I write this, MJ
is cuddling next to me... Mack is perched on the dark TV, Sneaky Pie is staking out her spot on the other side of the bed & Lucyfur is plotting revenge for all the tangles I combed out of her fur earlier... so they're all doing their part & they are good... but you can never really replace a furry friend, only move on when they're gone... & smile when you remember them...
hopefully, it will be a long, long time before I have to lose the next one...

Mac n' Janet said...

She was lucky to have been found by you! Your pictures were beautiful and show the love you had for her.

catsinger said...

...thanks M'nJ, she was a "ham"...
both she & Fluff loved all forms of attention, as they each knew themself to be the "Queen of Everything"... creating many "interesting" situations as they had to share "facilities" and "staff"... good memories...