A Tale And A Tail Of A Cat

I'm a little not busy right now, so I think I will go ahead and post tomorrow's blog.

Those of you who read this blog have read where I mentioned Floyd the cat. He or she, I don't know which, is my current feline pet and a great one, I might add.

But Floyd had a predecessor, the infamous QT. I don't whether Amanda or Laurette named him, but QT was short for quetip(sp). He was a white cat with an orange tip on his tail.

From the time that QT was born, I knew he was going to be an unusually smart cat and a loving cat. I taught him to roll over like a dog when I snapped my fingers, and he had rather have his belly rubbed than to eat.

QT was a roamer and a fighter. He didn't back down from anything up to and including a saber-tooth tiger. He certainly didn't win all of his battles, but he came out the top cat more often than not. He would come home, lick his wounds for a couple of days and be back at it again.

We thought if we got him "fixed" he would settle down a little. So off to see Carol Crawford, DVM. In performing her surgery, and by all accounts she was a good vet, Dr. Carol apparently missed the "lust" and "prowl" cords. Upon his recovery QT was back to his old tricks.

When we left Aberdeen and moved to an apartment in Memphis, there was no place for QT. Amanda, reluctantly I think, agreed to move QT to the capital city to the complete dismay of Rob. Rob bitched , screamed and moaned, but we all know who has the final say in that household. Rob came to love QT, but he will never admit it.

Well, here goes Amanda down Highway 25 headed for Jackson and QT is in a box on the passenger side. He is growling like a cornered alley cat, and Amanda in trying to calm him, let her foot get just a little heavy, and that old black Taurus cruised on at about 20 mph over the speed limit -- at least that was what the highway patrolman said -- we'll have to take his word for it. But that's another story.

QT took right to the urban life there on Sheffield Drive in Jackson and began to expand his horizons. In his wanderings he found a slutty female feline and brought her home to show to the family. Rob was very unhappy once again, but QT insisted that Snape, as she became to be known, was his one and only true love, and he wanted her as his concubine.

Snape would bathe QT, and they would lie in the sun snuggled together. I even have a picture of them asleep with QT's arm (leg and paw) around her. Snape was never one to get to close to the humans around the house.

Then came time for Amanda, Rob and little Mary Peyton to leave for Winston-Salem, and QT and Snape were going to be homeless.

By that time Melinda and I were living in our house in Olive Branch with a six-foot fence around the back yard -- like that would make a difference to a cat. So I transport QT and Snape to OB, and neither were too thrilled about the trip. I kept them locked up and fed and watered for a couple of days and let them out. Snape was like a cruise missile honing in on the top of that back yard fence -- over and gone -- ner to be seen again.

QT hung around for a few days eating and lounging in one of the patio chairs undoubtly dreaming of his days and nights with Snape. One afternoon he just walked away without saying goodbye, kiss my butt or anything -- just left. But I have no hard feelings knowing that he gave me years of love.

Not long after QT's unheralded departure Floyd shows up out of the blue and stays. Floyd has a ring around his tail. I know that God sent me Floyd because he did not want me to be too sad for too long.

Bon Voyage, QT!