Furry Felines for Warm Heart Wednesday #22

It's time again for Warm Heart Wednesday where we share those special moments that warm our hearts.

I have always loved cats.  When I was a small child I'd go outside and wait for a cat to walk by.  Of course, they didn't walk by very often and finally my mother broke down and decided it would be OK to get a cat.  Our first cat was Lucky.   This photo was taken in 1952.

I've had many cats since Lucky.  Of all the cats I've had there is only one who's name I can no longer remember.  He did not stay around very long.  In fact, he disappeared before we even had him fixed.  After a month he game back, stayed a few minutes, and then disappeared again for good.  I think someone else must have been feeding him because he wasn't hungry.  I guess he found another home.  This is my mystery cat in 1959.

My favorite childhood cat was Timmy.  He was so sweet and still holds a special place in my heart.  I was heartbroken when he was hit by a car and killed in front of the house.  I don't let any of the cats I have today outside.  I just don't take any chances.  This was Timmy probably around 1960 or so.

When my husband and I first got married we lived in Sicily.  That's where we adopted our first two cats and brought them back to the states with us.  My husband always claimed that the cats were mine, but he never fooled anyone.  He loved cats just as much as me.

All the cats I have now are rescues.  My former home backed up to an apartment complex and I think sometimes people moved and left their cats behind.  A feral colony formed nearby.  So, I had cats showing up in my yard hungry, and the rest is history.  I trapped as many as I could with a humane trap and had them fixed.

For a long time we had a feral cat living in our shed.  Of course,  I trapped her and had her fixed.  She lived in our shed for nine years.  I was heartbroken when she ran off when we had some workmen in the yard.  If I had known that was going to happen I would have trapped her and brought her inside like we did for Hurricane Ike.  We put up signs around the neighborhood and my husband and I walked for blocks calling her name, but even if she heard us she probably wouldn't have come.  She was not tame at all.  We searched for five months and always hoped she'd show up one day, but she didn't.  I still feel like I somehow failed her.  This was MaMa in her shed.

 I won't even tell you how many cats I have now, but I'm maxed out. 

I'm proud that my husband and I were able to pass on a love for animals to our kids.

You should have seen Reid yesterday morning trying to catch a lizard that got in the house so the cats wouldn't kill him.  He was successful and the little lizards is out there living happily ever after.  We hate to see any living thing hurt.

Keith lives in Austin and has one rescued cat.  Troy and Debbie live out in the country and they have a cat sanctuary (whether they realize it or not).  Cats and kittens just seem to show up.  They're very good about getting them all fixed right away.  They have a cat fence that folds inward if a cat tries to climb it, so the cats have a large safe area to roam and a garage to sleep in.  A pregnant cat showed up recently and proceeded to have six kittens.  I've lost track of how many cats they have but it's twenty something for sure.

I know I shouldn't pick favorites, but Grace was a very special cat to me.  She showed up at our front door as a kitten.  She lived to be almost 21 and she's been gone for two years now.  I still miss her.

Reid has his favorite cat.  It's Ashley.  His mother left him in our garage when he was five weeks old.  We trapped him and brought him inside where he immediately hid under the bed and wouldn't come out.  He was feral and terrified.  Reid spent a lot of time coaxing him out from under the bed and he bonded with Reid.  He's the only one that can pick him up today.   Reid was certain that Ashley would forget him when he was hospitalized and gone for two months.  However, when he returned home it was as if he had never been gone.  Ashley immediately started following him around the house again.

Today,  Blackie is my favorite cat.  She was another one that showed up to eat one day.  I fed her and she came back the next day with a kitten.  Blackie and Baby have been with us ever since.  She is the sweetest cat and a heart warmer for sure.  She thinks everyone must love cats and if a stranger comes in and sits on the couch Blackie climbs right up on their lap and purrs.  This picture was taken a couple of months after they showed up and before they moved inside.  The funny thing is that they have absolutely no desire to go outside now.  They're perfectly content being inside cats.

I think all of my cats have been heart warmers.

Please remember to spay and neuter your cats.  I just don't have room for any more!

Now head over to Jenny's blog for a list of this week's Warm Heart Wednesday participants.

Thanks Jenny!