Full Name: Gabrielle
Age: 16
Given Birthday: April 21, 1991
Nicknames & Phrases: Gabby Girl, Crabby Cat, Gabriella
Quirks: This girl never shuts up! :-) Loves Potato Chips, insists
on
sitting in places where she doesn't fit, goes to sleep in a windowsill
& falls off
History:
Gabby was actually a member of the Herd before I even began
using the term! Mark had
adopted her when she became of age but was unexpectedly unable to
keep her. He came to
me, asking if I would care for her and for Ricochet (See: In Loving
Memory). Look at that
little face! How could I say "no?" She was a delight from the day
she came to me! The tiny
ball of fluff was into everything and soon after started talking,
too! :-) It's always been my
practice to try to converse in the cats' language by mimicing them
when they meow. Gabby
took to it, instantly! It didn't take her long to become the chattiest
kitty of the bunch!
Gabby's original name was "Blue Eyes." Mark said that he couldn't
think of anything else
at the time but that he didn't really care for the name, either. When
I asked him if he'd mind
my changing her name, he readily agreed. After a few days, I came
up with Gabrielle, after
the archangel Gabriel. To me she looks like a little angel! :-) With
as much as she talked, it
automatically followed that Gabby would be the shortened version.
Mark liked it and
Gabby, herself seems to like it, as well!
As you can see, Gabby grew up to be a beautiful baby and very
loving in the bargain! :-)
Unlike most all-white cats with blue eyes, Gabby's hearing is perfect.
We think that she has
genes from a siamese cat somewhere in her lineage. This might have
saved her from the
deafness that usually afflicts white furred, blue eyed cats. Even
if she had been deaf, we
couldn't love her any more or less than we do! Actually, there are
a few times that both
Mark and I have wished that she was mute. It doesn't last long, mind
you! :-)
After two years, Mark was ready to reclaim his kitties. I was
heartbroken! :-( Gabby and
Ricochet meant as much to me as my own cats by then and I was going
to miss them sorely!
Miss them, I did, too! It just wasn't the same without Gabby's incessant
chatter or Ricky's
nighttime cuddling! :-( When Mark and I would talk on the phone, he'd
hold the phone
for our kitties so they could talk to me. Ricky just loved on the
phone but Gabby carried on
conversation with me every time we chatted! It was so good to hear
that sweet voice!
Gabby didn't have quite as hard of a time as Shakey when I
first moved here. She was pretty
upset and began doing some hiding of her own. I think the "terrorists"
(See: Dif-"fur"-nitions)
of the Herd just liked to hear her holler. Any time one of my cats
chased her, she'd chew them
out as she ran. Though her hollering sounded funny, we knew that she
was being stressed and
stopped whichever cat was bothering her.
When she and Shakey were confined to our bedroom for awhile,
Gabby settled down. The
reintroduction of the Herd at a later date went much more smoothly!
Now, she still gripes
at some of my cats. It's obvious though, that it's just a token grousing.
Many times, we've
caught her playing with some of the other cats. If she sees that we're
watching, she'll put on
a display of upset and start her grousing again! :-) She's still chased
from time to time but
Mark and I have learned how to tell when to intervene.
Gabby is a silly baby and very good natured about being teased.
Mark is constantly
waking her up from her naps by playing with her paws or grabbing her
tail. Usually
when she's fully awake, she starts talking and isn't likely to quit
until the teasing quits!
She talks during claw trimming, too only she's not quite so nice about
it! :-) Gabby has
a conversation for every occasion and has charmed many with her
commentary.
Gabby has many of the usual kitty quirks but she has a few
of her own, too! I can't count
the number of times she's fallen asleep in the window sill, only to
fall back out! :-) She's
an absolute fiend for potato chips, too! When she's playing with Mark,
she'll tuck her head
under her chest while she slaps at his hand. I don't know if she's
trying to protect her head
while she plays or not but it sure is cute to watch!
I don't get a good-night from Gabby in the bedrom, as she prefers
to stay in the living room
most of the time. She gives her good-night before I retire and comes
to greet me when I wake
up in the morning! Her hand kisses when I rub her chin are as precious
to me as any loving
that I get from any of the other cats! It's so good to be with my
"long lost" daughter again! :-)
From the adorable little ball of fur to the beautiful, sweet
kitty she grew up to be, Gabby will
always have a special place in my heart! Though I wouldn't have wished
for Mark to have
fallen on hard times, I'm so glad that the circumstances brought me
the priviledge of being
Gabby's mom for a while! :-)
Were you talking to me?
Primed and ready for conversation
Although it's fun to watch your kitty play with insects,
always remember that some can be poisonous to your baby...
including some that may not be harmful to humans.
Meet The Herd
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