HOLLY’S CAT LETTER, EPISODE 49–04/25/2024

HOLLY’S CAT LETTER

EPISODE 49–04/25/2024

🐱 Hi to all my admirers. Since I’m indisposed, I have all this free time and thought it only fair to write a bit about my slacker  brother Oliver from another Mother and Father. 

🐱 Okay, I admit it—I know I’m guilty of getting on Oliver’s case a lot. Most of the time he deserves what I dish out because he annoys me so much and tries to be the head of my domain. He is definitely a control freak and tries to get on my last nerve. I was here first! I never asked for a brother and then one lovely fall day he just sauntered in like he owned the place. He’s the one who tried to start a mutiny! For cat’s sake he was just a four month old kitten! So I still have to occasionally whack him on the head to keep him in line and to remind him that I’m queen of this ship!

🐱 On the other paw, Oliver does need to be given a fair shake. All in all he is a good brother and pretty sweet and loving. It could be a lot worse—at least he doesn’t bite me. I guess I need to change my tortitude and start writing a bit about his good attributes, huh? I’ll try really hard to remember that when Oliver is trying to take over one of my favorite spots. 

🐱 My brother’s official name is Sir Oliver Henry, though he is by no means a “Sir”. I don’t know why he deserves such a title—he hasn’t got a royal bone in his furry body other than being a royal pain in my tail! He’s just a run of the mill cat and squatter who was born in a small village on the Illinois River. He is 11 years old and tries to act like he’s still a kitten. I have to admit he is a beautiful specimen, though I would never tell him that to his furry face. His lustrous black coat is so thick and as soft as velvet. He weighs in at 10 pounds and is solid flabby muscle. Ma combs me but she has to comb him a lot more! 

🐱 This is a little of Oliver’s history. Ma and Pa were at a festival in a small village by the river in October 2012. Ma saw slacker boy along a sidewalk licking a paper plate. By the way, old habits die hard and he is still a plate licker. To my dismay, she was really drawn to him. Ma slowly approached him and reached down to pick him up. For her it was love at first purr. She wanted to take him home, but Pa didn’t. Ma had been dealing with a lot of maternal desires and had voiced this concern, so Pa knew she wanted a second cat. Pa not wanting this kitty upset Ma as she realized Pa didn’t share her feelings. She never asks for much. 

🐱 Later on when Ma and Pa were at home she couldn’t stop thinking about this black kitty that had stolen her heart. Four long days went by and she still wanted to give this black kitty a home. So she made the decision, and one that would change my remaining lives, to drive the 100 mile round trip to find him and bring him home. But first she thought she’d better call Pa at work to tell him—errr warn him—of her plans. Pa really didn’t object at all. 

🐱 Ma arrived at this small village on the river and knocked on several doors asking about this black kitty. She was full of determination to find him. Ma was also afraid that with all the massive festival traffic that something bad could have happened to this black kitty. But finally a guy remembered seeing a black kitty at a neighbor’s behind his house. So Ma drove around and found the house and knocked on their door. A lady answered and Ma talked to her and sure enough the black kitty had been taking shelter in one of their buildings behind their house. The lady’s young daughter appeared and called for the black kitty and he came running out of the building. She picked him up and handed him to Ma. The young daughter told Ma that they occasionally fed him too. The young daughter and Ma talked for quite awhile and it was obvious the daughter was very happy the black kitty was going to have a furever home and be safe inside from all the vile beasts lurking about. 

🐱 All the way to his furever home the black kitty laid on Ma’s lap, and purred contentedly. And the rest of the story: I’ve had to learn to accept him as my slacker brother—learn to share my food, Ma and Pa, and my special spots. But he’s really not so bad. 

🐱Enjoy this lovely sunny day. More about me later…love, Holly