To Charlie's Page!
On a sad note, my Charlie-Charles crossed the "Rainbow Bridge" on Monday, November 5, 2001, at the vet's office, after having been with me a little over a year. Click here to go to his memorial page.
Hi! My name is Charlie. I'm a male gray tabby, who just found a new home!! I am so happy now..... especially since winter is coming. *grin* My new mewmie is wonderful, and my brofurr and sisfurrs are getting used to me. Chicklet was the first to "convert" -- hopefully the others will follow.Here's my story -- I think it's a rather interesting one. First of all, let me say I'm at least ten years old -- when you get this old, you kind of lose track of exactly how old you are. I have lived a rough life, as you can see if you look at my ears. They are full of nicks. I'm missing a few teeth, and there is also a funny kink in my tail. Sometimes when the weather gets cold, I walk with a limp. (the vet told mewmie it was from an old injury -- probably where I had been hit by a car. He thinks that's probably where the kink in my tail came from, as well) It's hard for me to remember how I got that injury, but I know it hurts me sometimes, and I get stiff when I've been sleeping and laying in one spot for a while.
I wandered up to this trailer house with a nice big porch in late October, 2000. There was another little black kitty who liked to hang around there, but she lived next door. I ran her off pretty quickly! I decided this was MY porch -- she could just go on back next door to HER porch!
Well, about the time I showed up, the lady who lived there (who I adopted to be my mewmie) left for three days on a trip. When she came back, I was still here. I didn't know for sure when she would be back, but I showed up on the front porch the morning after she got back. I charmed my way into the house, and have been there ever since! Good thing, too --- just in time, because the night she took me in the house, it started raining and was COLD, and it has been cold and/or rainy ever since!!
It has not been easy for the other three kitties in the house to get used to me; but they are trying. Chicklet was the easiest -- she likes to chew on my tail and play with me. I will tolerate her for a little bit; then, when I get enough, all I have to do is give her "the look" and she will leave me alone. As for Caesar, he is bending a little. Sometimes we sit on the floor a few feet apart, ignoring each other. That is good for Caesar -- at first, he would hiss, snort and snarl at me. He is getting used to me now, though. Cleo is the holdout, but I think even she is getting used to me now. Hopefully we will all get along and even play.... it could happen!!
Cindy's version: In late October, I noticed a gray tabby cat hanging around my front porch. He would sleep on the porch, be there when I got up in the morning, when I came home for lunch, and when I came home after work. I had taken some vacation time and my parents and I went on our annual trip to Arkansas. I had already decided that if he was still around when I got back, I would start feeding him. Well, sure enough, he was still around!
The other cats had been seeing him through the windows, and had smelled him on my hands, when I would come inside after patting him. I began to bring him in the house for a little bit at a time, just to get them used to him. The day I decided to bring him in for good was the beginning of our winter weather. It has been VERY cold and wet so far. With the injury to his hip, and probably having arthritis, and with him being so old, I just couldn't leave him out in the weather. So, inside he came!
I took him to the vet for shots, Advantage (for fleas), and a checkup. That's when I found out for sure he was a neutered male, and at least ten years old. I wanted the vet to check out his right back leg, because he was limping on it. The vet said it was an old injury, and was probably from being hit by a car. He also said he was missing some teeth, but otherwise, was in good general health. He was VERY good during the vet visit, letting the doctor check him out, and only cried once when the vet was examining his hip. (awww, poor baby!!) Anyway, shortly after the vet visit, I decided it was time to try to integrate him into the household. Things have gone very well, and I'm optimistic that they will continue to get along, and will tolerate each other better as time goes on.
Here is the only picture I have scanned of Charlie. To me, he looks a lot like Caesar. He is approximately the same size as Caesar; but Caesar has a bigger and rounder head, and his eyes are larger and more round. Charlie's eyes are more oval, and his markings are more muted that Caesar's.
