Our
What sort of philosophers are we,
who know nothing of the origin and destiny of cats?

--Henry David Thoreau

 

Click HERE to hear a Welcome message from Yeller!!



Our Cat, Yeller

A wonderful cat
Is our Yeller.
We think
He is a pretty good "feller"!





How Yeller Came To The Monastery

An orange tiger cat was bothering our neighbor because he needed to find food. He ate our neighbor's "Holy Spirit" pigeon and a squirrel. That did it! She told Sister Coleta that something had to be done about him! Sister Coleta decided to try to feed him, but he was very distrustful and would not eat until she left his view. Gradually he became more tame and came close enough to touch three sisters.

yeller
  Then the weather became very cold, actually below zero. For three days the cat was not seen. During dinner on the fourth day Sister Mary Clare saw him outside the window. He was so cold that he did not want food. We took him inside, and we held him until he got warm. Three inches of his tail had frozen, separated, and finally dropped off about sixth months later.
yeller
We decided that Yeller would be our very own cat! He could live with us! He seemed to understand that he needed to see the vet to have his shots and be declawed. The vet thought he was 2 years old and said, "That cat will think he died and went to heaven if he stays with the Sisters." We named him Yeller. We fixed a place for him in the workshop at the end of our garage. In the summer he loved the enclosed patio where we have a statue of our Lady. He would stay at her feet or around her very often. When he developed allergies, we began to keep him in the monastery. One of our benefactors donated her puppy's outgrown dog house to Yeller. He loves it! Yeller's "house" is now in our community room.
Yeller loves to be petted and purrs mightily when shown any love. He has knocked over vases, loves to escape when the door is open; he usually comes back when told to do so. He enjoys being with the Sisters. He jumps up on the desk in the lobby when he wants to be petted. At Christmas time he loves to cuddle up to the Infant Jesus in the crib. He enjoys good music. One of his favorite joys is riding on our elevator; going either up or down is fine with him.
yeller
 
And that's our Yeller!

FROM: The Ad-dressing of Cats
by T.S. Eliot

...With Cats, some say, one rule is true:
Don't speak till you are spoken to.
Myself, I do not hold with that--
I say, you should ad-dress a Cat.
But always keep in mind that he
resents familiarity.
I bow, and taking off my hat,
Ad-dress him in this form: O CAT!
But if he is the Cat next door,
Whom I have often met before
(He comes to see me in my flat)
I greet him with an OOPSA CAT!
I've heard them call him James Buz-James--
But we've not got so far as names.
Before a Cat will condescend
To treat you as a trusted friend,
Some little token of esteem
Is needed, like a dish of cream;
And you might now and then supply
Some caviare, or Strassburg Pie,
Some potted grouse, or salmon paste--
He's sure to have his personal taste.
(I know a Cat, who makes a habit
Of eating nothing else but rabbit,
And when he's finished, licks his paws
So's not to waste the onion sauce.)
A Cat's entitled to expect
These evidences of respect.
And so in time you reach your aim,
And finally call him by his NAME.

So this is this, and that is that:
And there's how you AD-DRESS A CAT.

 
"There's no need for a piece of sculpture
in a home that has a cat."
--Wesley Bates
Yeller   "If you say 'Hallelujah' to a cat,
  it will excite no fixed set of fibres in
  connection with any other set and the
  cat will exhibit none of  the
  phenomena of consciousness. But if
  you say 'Me-e-at,' the cat will be
  there in a moment...."

--Samuel Butler

 

The Blessing of St. Clare

May Almighty God bless you.

May he look upon you with the eyes of his mercy and give you his peace.

May he pour forth his graces on you abundantly,
and in heaven may he place you among his saints!

 
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please write, telephone, fax.


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*** This page was last updated on:    Thursday, July 20, 2000 at 06:17 PM ***

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