Guest Story: Artie

Hello!

My name is Artie. My name has always been Artie, even before I met my mum. My life began in a house of kitties, over 70 – my extended family! Mum, dad, sisters and brothers, first, second, third, fourth….cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents, great grandparents, and so on – because my huge family began with just four kitties: great, great, great- (not sure how many greats) Grandmum and Granddad were among the founding four. I lived with a lady who kindly took in these four ancestors of mine and life was good for a short while. A man lived in this house, too. I didn’t like him much.

You would think with 70 cats, there would be 1400 toes, but instead, the toe total was enormous. That’s because most of us were born with extra toes – some just front, some just back, some of us had extra toes on all four feet! Me-I was born with huge thumbs and one extra dangletoe in back! Mum says these many toes has something to do with inbreeding – I didn’t really listen to what she was saying-kinda got boring.

I don’t know why I was named Artie as most of us kitties didn’t have names, just were called kitties. The lady named me, and she thought I was obnoxious, so she told my mum. I don’t think the lady knew all I wanted was some love and attention-someone to hold onto and hug, impossible in this crowded house. Mum says I’m a Peter Pan because I get wild and crazy and I don’t want to grow up, and that I’m like burdock (no idea what that means but I do like to jump on her back when she least expects it). Is that obnoxious?

A lady in a uniform came to the house one day and talked to the man and lady. The lady wanted to help us so we could see a doctor, get well, and find loving homes, but the man was not very nice and said, “no”. Mum thinks the man was using us kitties as a way to keep the lady under his “spell”. Because there were so many of us, the lady was home all the time scrubbing our potty spots, but things got really bad! My eyes burned all the time because the windows and blinds were always closed and it was gloomy and it got so hard to breathe! Many of us got sick and mysteriously disappeared. I remember there was always a pile or two of kittens on the kitchen floor and the momcats took turns taking care of them, but they were sick and many disappeared forever.

One day, a bunch of people showed up at the house. They had crates and OMG we were scared – most of us hid. Me? I’m curious and bold! I caught the eye of one of the ladies and she put a crate on the floor and sang to me. She was that lady in the uniform! I ran across the room and dove in! It was soooo cozy and dark inside – and meeoh the soft, clean blanket! It was so nice I got all purry!  After a ride in a car (not fun), I was poked, prodded and (unmentionabled). I was a bit scared but the people thought I was cute and I started to realize cute is good – maybe cute and obnoxious……are they the same? At this new place, I was given a nice, clean and cozy room full of toys and blankets and FOOD! All my very own!

But I couldn’t stop thinking about the lady who let me hide in her crate. I wondered, what is she doing now? Does she like kitties? Obnoxious kitties? One day that lady came back to my little room and let me get into her comfy crate again! It turns out she couldn’t stop thinking about me, either! Me and my cuteness – or is it obnoxiousness?

I have been with this lady and her nice man, I call them Mum and Dad, fur almost seven years. I spend my days sitting on Mum’s desk while she works, sitting in her lap, sitting on her computer, sitting on her printer (she even put a blanket on it so it is more comfy), sitting on her shoulder, sitting on sunny windowsills, snuggling in bed, hanging out on the kitchen counter while she cooks, playing with my kitty buds, Muddy and Cassius, and I even put up with Miss Molly (she’s a mini-wiener wolf)- oh I just love my family, especially Mum!

Sincerely yours (and Mum’s and Dad’s),

Artie

(I dictated. Mum typed. I’m all thumbs.)

Relaxing with Mum while she watches TV

Hanging out in Mum’s office on the printerbed she made me.

Any resemblance? Mum thinks spittin’ image!

Photobombing Mum’s chocolate ganache banana cupcakes-yum!

No cats on the counter! We know Mum doesn’t really mean it! (left to right me and my bros: Cassius, Me, Muddy).

Baahahaaa – Cassius wears a harness! Me? No harness necessary-I like to stick with Mum!

By Allison from www.schenectadyspca.org