Profiles in Purr-age
I talk a lot about The Kittehs, both here in The Dungeon & elsewhere online, because they’re such a big part of my life. Oh, who am I kidding—they are the bosses of me… The points around which my entire world revolves.. The reason I wake up in the morning… And some days the only thing that brings a smile to my face.
So how would you like to meet them?
I’ll start with my eldest child, since her age ought to earn her perks of some kind. :mat27
Name: Precious
Nicknames: Miss Precious, Elder Kitty, The Divine Miss P, Precious Pumpkin Pie, Phantom Kitty
Likes: long naps on her favorite Snuggie on my bed or in her favorite cubby cube in my closet … eating, often with her fingers … sleeping on Mama’s lap, especially while being brushed … grabbing at dangling strings …
Dislikes: being pestered by the other Kittehs, especially if they get too close while she’s napping … an empty food dish … being asked to eat the same flavor food more than twice in a row … a breeze of any kind …
Origins: The last remaining cat from a litter of five that I rescued almost 18 years ago. Born in the garage/barn of a high school friend, her father was threatening to kill them because they had warbles. :may23 I, of course, raced over & grabbed them all up. :May10 Took them to the veterinarian (in a laundry basket, no less, with them crawling around like squirrels) to have the warbles removed, then needed to nurse them for a couple of weeks, but I had every intention of trying to find other homes for them. Yeah, that never happened. :may16 I’m just sorry that Precious is the only one left.
About: Miss Precious is—as my dad would say—in pretty good shape for the shape that she’s in. She’ll be 18 years old this summer, which is pretty impressive for a cat. So she moves a little slowly, is getting a little skinny, has troubles with her digestion, has trouble aiming when she’s in the litter pan, & is missing one of her long front teeth which occasionally makes her look like Billy Idol when she smiles. But if purring is a sign of contentedness, then she is one happy kitty-cat! She purrs all the time, talks all the time, curls up next to me at night, & has no qualms about biting me in the back of the head while I’m sleeping if her food dish is empty.
What I Like About…: Where do I begin? Miss Precious is the sweetest thing 90% of the time. (She’s only a pain in the butt 10% of the time, & that’s almost always when she’s being finicky about her food.) I love the little hourglass on her nose & here beautiful green eyes. I love the sound of her purr & how much of a talker she is, whether she’s happy or unhappy. I love that she always wants to be near me; she’s fine if I’m not in the room with her, but as soon as I arrive, she wakes up & starts talking or comes to be with me. And I especially love that she’s still around. Her brother died at age 13, & after that I expected Precious to pass away at almost any minute. But she’s like the Energizer Bunny—she just keeps going & going. I’m so proud of her persistence & longevity!
Oh, & I love that hardly anyone else knows she exists. Even when I was attending conferences & left her with a pet-sitter, she never let herself be seen…which is how she earned the nickname “Phantom Kitty.” Only once did my pet-sitter’s little girl see her, & that was by crawling halfway under the bed. She came out calling, “Mom! She’s real—I saw her!” :may32 Miss Precious loves spending time with me, but when it comes to anyone else, she goes into Stealth Mode. :may4
I can’t even remember a time when she hasn’t been in my life, so in case you were wondering—yes, I will be a basket case when she leaves me. I watch her like a hawk, pray for her constantly, & can’t even fathom the thought of her being gone without wanting to crawl under the covers, curl into a fetal position, & sob my heart out. :may38
Comments
12 Comments • Comments Feed
Donna A says:
:may38 Sweet. But don’t cry before you have to. :May37
On May 20, 2014 at 12:34 pm
Heidi says:
I definitely try not to. Every day that she looks at me with those big green eyes & seems perfectly vibrant & happy, I’m happy. :may7
On May 20, 2014 at 12:38 pm
Barba Pomales says:
:may15 soft kitty purr purr purr :May37 ….yep you are a proud parent….
On May 20, 2014 at 4:37 pm
Heidi says:
Oh, yes—very proud & also guilty of singing that song to my kiddos. :may22
On May 20, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Dee says:
Awwww! Miss Precious is beautiful! She is a lovely furbaby.
On May 20, 2014 at 5:42 pm
Heidi says:
Thank you, Dee. Yes, indeed, she is a SWEETHEART! Except when she decides she’s hungry at 4am. :may24 But I cut her *a lot* of slack because of her age…she’s, like, 90-something in human years!…so if she wants it, she gets it. :may36
On May 20, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Hollie says:
What a sweet baby!!!
What exactly is a Warble? and just how does one get rid of them? I have never heard of that!
:may12
On May 20, 2014 at 8:36 pm
Heidi says:
Oh, yikes, it’s kind of gross, so be forewarned…
A warble is basically a maggot that gets inside a kitten’s throat. Being kittens, they chase flies & eat them. Then the fly eggs hatch inside & start eating their way out. It is beyond disgusting! :May37 But not life-threatening the way I was first led to believe. The vet just dug them out or (in once case) had to snip the hole hope a little more to get the warble out, then I had to put ointment on the wounds for a while.
But they healed up perfectly & those cats were the happiest I’ve ever seen!
Btw, Precious was the only girl in the litter *&* the only one who didn’t have a warble. She says, “I’m a lady & ladies *do not* eat insects.” :may2
On May 20, 2014 at 8:51 pm
Hollie says:
Thank you for the warble education!! blechhh.. :may12
Miss P is correct…ladies don’t eat insects…evah! :may14
On May 21, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Mary Kirkland says:
Awww she’s adorable. Love meeting other people’s pets. I post mine all the time. lol
On May 21, 2014 at 9:42 pm
Brooke C says:
Aww, she certainly sounds precious! :may7
I hope you’ll introduce us to the rest of your kitties – I love hearing about other people’s pets! :mat27
On May 23, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Manjar says:
Hi Jarusha!I was looking thgruoh the internet for photobooks for my wedding photography. I love the style of your albums, could you give me a the selection options (size, pages, material) and pricings?My photographer gave me all the digital files so I can send them to you. Thank you and hope to hear from you soon,Monica
On July 30, 2014 at 11:16 am