I have two cats. I love them. I worry about them. They have become a part of me and have shaped who I am. You can call me the crazy cat lady. I’m at peace with that. I do love my cats, but I love all animals. I don’t think you have to be a dog person, or a cat person. I think you can just be an animal person and I don’t understand how anyone can be mean to them.
Let me give you a little background. Spooky was a stray that showed up 13 years ago. She’s was between six months to a year at that time. I came home from Walmart on a Saturday morning and there she was at my door. She walked right in and stayed. I let her out to see if she would go home, but she didn’t. She moved in. I put up signs, called the police and local vets and nobody claimed her. So she stayed. The first day she was in the house, she would be laying in the dining room and the next thing I know, she’s in the bedroom. She never passed me and never made a sound, so her name became Spooky. Turns out she’s a girl.
Fast forward to four years ago and a black cat took up residence in our garage. We fed it and wanted to try to get it into the house because it was cold, snowy and January in Chicago. Let’s just use the word miserable. The cat had beautiful amber eyes and short black hair. So we called it Amber. Turns out Amber is a boy.
Amber would come every day for breakfast and dinner. One night, Amber was outside and looking down a path that leads next door and it looked like he was talking to someone, or something. I went outside and slowly walked to look down the path. It was dark and I couldn’t really see anything, but I thought I saw a shadow of something. Then I saw that it was another black cat. Oh boy…
We started feeding both and put a heating pad in the garage, until we could figure out what to do. The other black cat had long hair, but looked like a mess!
I would put the food out for both in the morning and Greg would ask, which one was there. I’d look out the side window and say, “It’s Amber.” or “It’s the Pouffy one.” So, Pouffy became Pouffy. Turns out Pouffy is a boy. Maybe I shouldn’t be allowed to name pets… Some mornings we would find those two curled up together on the chair on our front porch. They were quite a pair.
We worked with an organization, to get them fixed and we had to trap them to do so. Pouffy was so skinny, he didn’t set off the trap…(I’m trying not to cry). We finally figured it all out (ALL Greg because I was crying when we had to trap them). They went to a vet, got checked out, received all of their shots and Amber was fixed. We got the call that Amber was definitely a feral cat, but Pouffy had already been fixed and was chipped. He had an owner.
We found out he was originally rescued from the mean streets of Chicago, as a baby. The organization that rescued him had socialized him and then he was put up for adoption. We live out in the suburbs of Chicago and the family that adopted him is somewhere near us, but they could not give us anymore information. The lady that socialized him called the owners and found out that they had thrown him out, in the middle of winter, because “he didn’t bond with the kids”. WTF?!?!?! You don’t just throw him out! I have a lot of words for people like that, but I will keep them to myself. The lady that had rescued him and socialized him said, when they adopted him, she specifically said they could bring him back anytime, no questions asked. Now I have pure, unbridled disgust for people like that.
Pouffy became ours. Pouffy was literally a bag of bones. His fur was matted and tangled and disgusting. He was so shy, but sooooooo sweet. When they came home, they took up residence in our guest room, for weeks. I had to cut out chunks of Pouffy’s fur because I couldn’t brush or comb through it. Pouffy was used to people, so he was immediately affectionate, once he came to trust us.
Amber was different. He was tough but sweet. He was a really nice cat. He liked us, but he was never affectionate. That was just who he was and we loved him for it. I would pet him with a feather and play with him. Eventually, he let me touch him, but he seemed like he was putting up with it more than actually enjoying it. He was definitely the tough one. He always looked out for Pouffy and we are convinced if Pouffy had not met up with Amber, he never would have survived. Amber saved him.
As the weather warmed up, they went outside and would hang around in our courtyard and come in every night and play together. We found out Amber had a parasite, from eating dirt (before we were feeding him). We took him to our vet and had that taken care of. Then he was feeling better and one day he just left. It was like he found a home for Pouffy. He knew Pouffy was taken care of and he could go. He didn’t need to do it anymore. He could move on. We were sad. Pouffy was sad.
Spooky had chosen to move in next door, with my parents and just visit, while the new arrivals were getting settled. When Amber left, she came back. Pouffy and Spooky would get into it for a while. Pouffy wanted a pal to play with and Spooky, having been an only cat and older, wanted nothing to do with him.
After four years, they still have their moments where they slap each other for a minute, but overall they have come to accept each other for who they are. Now that you have read all of that, you might understand why I wanted to do a project for Pouffy. He had a rough start, so he deserves love. And Amber, we think about you everyday!!!
So today we are making a Mixed Media Pet Art Project, starring Pouffy!
You will need:
5×7 canvas board: https://amzn.to/2ppafSF
Mod Podge: https://amzn.to/2qx8Y9C
Stencil: https://amzn.to/2ppaLA5
Acrylic paint
Bugle beads
Charms: check out the clearance aisle at the craft store