Cats

In the morning
they are like rick black coffee
each sip a hot claw in your bare hands.

I also posted this in the journal, Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items, in my writing.com portfolio. Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

A Neighbor’s Cat: A free verse poem

Jamál (Beauty), 12 Kamál (Perfection), 169 BE – Sunday, August 12, 2012 about 10:15 AM Pacific Time

Stretched out

across the stone on my patio,

a neighbor’s

gray and white cat

watches the sparrows in the oleanders,

listens

to another neighbor’s dog bark,

or stares at me

through the kitchen window;

as I pick up the camera

she switches her tail

and leaves.

I took the cats to the Animal Shelter today

Istijlál (Majesty), 16 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 167 BE – Wednesday, March 16, 2011 about 7:25 PM Pacific Time

I took my three remaining cats to the Animal Shelter today. It was a long and difficult decision; however, it was the best thing to do under the circumstances. I could not take care of them and my mother. Mom has Alzheimer’s disease; even with assistance Mom takes a great deal of care.

The Animal Shelter is the best place for Midnight, Prince, and Beauty because they have a chance of adoption into good homes. I suppose I should have made this decision long ago, but I had difficulty admitting I could not do everything. In addition, Mom wanted to keep the cats and I was afraid of her reaction.

Right now, Mom does not realize that Beauty, Midnight, and Prince are not here. I still have the litter boxes to empty, their water dishes and empty food dishes to pick up. I am waiting for Mom to go to bed before emptying the litter boxes. I will empty the litter and take the plastic containers to the garage. Eventually, Mom will realize that we no longer have the cats and I will deal with the situation then.

Renaming the Cats

‘Idál (Justice), 2 Qawl (Speech), 167 BE – Wednesday, November 24, 2010 about 2:50 PM Pacific Time

My mother is renaming the cats. She has been renaming them for a couple of months now. She forgot that they already have names and so she had decided they need names. I don’t mind her giving them new names and the cats don’t seem to mind. The only things the cats care about are clean litter boxes, full food dishes, a full water dish, and someone to stroke their fur. As long as they have these things, the cats are happy.

Since I am, the one who makes the appointments with the Vet it doesn’t matter what Mom calls the cats. Mom enjoys petting them and she enjoys thinking up new names. If there is a problem, the cats come to me meowing and I have to figure out what they want. Unusually it isn’t difficult to figure out what they want all I have to do is check their water, food, and litter boxes; if all of those items are in order, then the cats probably want their fur stroked.

Renaming the cats

Fidál (Grace), 2 Mashíyyat (Will), 167 BE – Tuesday, September 28, 2010 about 2:45 PM Pacific Time

Mom has memory issues, as a results she forgot that the cats have names; therefore, she has decided to give the cats names. I am going along with this because otherwise Mom would get angry. I suspect this is just another manifestation of the Alzheimer's disease.

The cats' original names are Midnight, Prince, and Beauty, while their new names are Ralf, Henry, and Matilda. Since I am the one who makes the appointments with the veterinarian, it doesn't matter what names Mom gives them. When I make t appointments I give the name or names that are on the records at the Vets. I suppose the next time we go to the Veterinarian clinic, I should inform the office help and the veterinarian about he cats new names.

The cats names are now Ralf Midnight, Prince Henry, and Matilda Beauty or is that Midnight Ralf, Henry Prince, and Beauty Matilda. Those sound like good names for characters, perhaps I should use them in my upcoming NaNoWriMo novel.

Tuesday Afternoon in Las Vegas

Fidál (Grace), 12 Asmá’ (Names), 167 BE – Tuesday, August 31, 2010 about 12:36 PM Pacific Time

It's Tuesday afternoon and I'm thinking about lunch. I fixed buttermilk waffles for breakfast, but I didn't make them from scratch. Instead, I used the frozen waffles and the toaster. I toasted two waffles for Mom and two for me. I put peanut butter on Mom's waffles and butter with jelly on mine.

I'm worried about Mom because she doesn't seem to want to do anything for herself. She just sits on the couch or the love seat and talks about cleaning house, but that's all she does. I'm sure it has something to do with the Alzheimer's disease. Mom just sits and waits for me to fix the meals. I know she can fix her own sandwiches, but today she doesn't seem to want to do even that. I'm going to attempt to get her to sift the cat litter this afternoon.

This morning, I ask her to sift the cat litter and she got angry. Mom may think she already sifted it, but I can tell just by looking at the litter boxes that she didn't clean them. If Mom doesn't clean them this afternoon, then I will take care of them after she goes to bed because if I sift them while she is awake she will get angry because "I'm doing her job".

I have to start lunch now because I'm fixing squash and canned chicken. I have some leg quarters in the freezer, but I don't want to fix them until Thursday or Friday. September's budget is going to be bit tight because of the power bill, but we'll get by.

A nightingale on my garage roof

Fidál (Grace), 9 ‘Azamat (Grandeur), 167 BE – Tuesday, May 25, 2010 about 8:56 AM Pacific Time

I saw a nightingale sitting on my garage roof. He was just sitting there looking around, after I noticed him he flew away. All month, I have heard him or another nightingale singing, but this is the first time I have witnessed one sitting on my garage roof. I guess he was looking for one of the neighborhood cats, not that he or his offspring are in any danger from them.

The cats in this neighborhood are not strays; each cat belongs to someone in this area. The cats roam all over the neighborhood and even get on my garage roof. Because the cats are well fed none of the local birds are in danger of becoming cat food. If the cats chase the birds, it is a half-hearted attempt to show the birds that the cats are the bosses.

We lost Spot today

Istiqlál (Independence), 5 ‘Azamat (Grandeur), 167 BE – Friday, May 21, 2010 about 7:02 PM Pacific Time

We lost Spot today. I don't know what was wrong with him because yesterday he seemed all right. My mother seems to be taking Spot's death well. I'm still in shock, so I'm not sure how I'm handling it. I'm going to begin taking the other cats to the vet next week for their shots. I've decided to get them a senior wellness exam and see if there are any physical issues.

Spot curled at my feet
Waited for me to fall asleep
Then found his own bed

The Pets I have known

Jamál (Beauty), 6 ‘Izzat (Might), 166 BE – Sunday, September 13, 2009 about 9:33 AM Pacific Time

I've had a personal relationship with numerous pets during my 62 years. The pets I'm most familiar with are dogs, cats, and birds. When I was growing up in Blackwell, Oklahoma, we had a reddish-blond Cocker spaniel called Patsy, a black Cocker spaniel (Patsy's son) called Skizicks, and a black ans white cat called Mittens. Later my grandmother found a Siamese cat call Jay and she had a Parakeet called Pete.

Through the years, I've had other cats and dogs in my life. In Shawnee, Oklahoma, there was a little dog, called Peanuts and a mixed breed called Bonnie. In Las Vegas, Nevada, there was a Springer spaniel call Specks and numerous cats. All these pets gave me unconditional love and acceptance, in addition the taught me responsibility and caring for other creatures in the universe.

Sometimes Life Intervenes

‘Idál (Justice), 10 Qawl (Speech), 165 B.E. – Tuesday, December 2, 2008 about 8:49 AM Pacific Time

I haven't posted anyting in the past few day because events or at least I thought events intervened and prevented me from posting. Now I think it was just a bit of blog block caused by stress. Anyway something happened last night the made me think how short life really is and that I need to make more of an effort to post daily.

Lion, my yellow cat, died in my arms while I was holding him on the love seat. This isn't the first cat or pet that I've lost, but he is the first one who died in my arms while I was petting him. I knew he was ill, but I didn't realize he was that sick. He was about 12 years old, with a soft purr that got louder as you stroked his fur. When he didn't purr last night as I petted, I should have know something was wrong.

His death has caused me to think about the life changing events in my life. His death has caused me to think about writing my memoirs. His death has caused me to think about getting my mother to write her memoirs. I'm going to start by writing a chapter on Lion, I don't know how Mom's going to start her memoirs.