It's good to have interesting pastimes. Like reading. And guitar playing. Cat Lady Ursula enjoys non-fiction such as veterinary text books and classic cook books (James Beard, Julia Child, Jacques Pepin), and mystery novels too. Feline Fella Mike enjoys playing the songs of his youth on both electric and acoustic guitar, mostly the Beatles, Neil Young, Bob Dylan.Then there are pastimes like volunteering at the local animal shelter and fostering homeless kitties. The kind of pastimes that can lead to new friends to keep you company while enjoying your other interesting pastimes... Warm, purring, and grateful friends...
Grateful friends Abby and Jenna have been with Ursula and Mike the longest, adopted from a local shelter. Gerald came next. "We found Gerald as a tiny kitten on a friend's farm and took her home," Ursula tells us.
She continues the story: "About two years ago I started fostering cats and kittens for the Harford County Humane Society (Maryland). George Morris, the orange tabby, was my first foster cat. He was very skinny and his coat was in poor condition. He didn't do well in a shelter environment, so needless to say he grew on us and we adopted him.
"One year and many foster kittens later, Estelle the black kitten came along. I raised her litter of four. The other three were perfect angels and got adopted right away. Estelle is an independent spirit and doesn't like to be carried around. Week after week she resisted adoption until it was clear that she would be ours to keep."
Then there is the story of Sergio, one of 75 dogs seized from a hoarder and then cared for at the shelter where Ursula volunteers. Mike wasn't ready for a dog, wanting to wait until he retired to get one. Ursula continues the story: "The animals had lived in small crates in a filthy house. All the volunteers at the shelter took turns walking the dogs and nursing them back to health. Sergio was the one that stood out to me, because of her terrier pluckiness. She tried hard to hold her own among the mostly bigger dogs. We were not prepared for a dog, I never even had my own dog, but I filled out the paper work for Sergio. My husband couldn't believe it, but he was quickly won over and now the two are inseparable...She's been with us for 3 1/2 years."
May all of YOUR pastimes have such happy endings! Thanks for visiting!
What a lovely family! And I love the background colors of the portrait too. ;-)
ReplyDeleteUrsula forgot a couple of interesting facts. Poor George Morris is so skinny, I believe,because when he was xrayed at the vet they found two beebees and one pellet in his chest. He has been shot three times. He is my purple heart cat.
ReplyDeleteJenna and Abby came from the humane society in Lancaster, PA tho we live in Maryland.
Gerald was going to end up in the belly of some King Snake in Missouri. When we visited my friend on his farm, a dog named Elvis chased Gerald about 20 feet into a tree. Her name is Gerald because the farm is in Gerald, MO.
Abby likes to butt heads with people. Ursula, being German, uses a phrase, dietze Bock, (it means "bonk the Ram") and Abby bonks us every time.
Jenna is an aristocat...I think she is really a Russian Blue...from the Tsar's court.
Blah blah blah... I should stop now. Michael