A Nurse with a Gun

Monday, March 05, 2007

Albert

I don't like cats. When he first started yowling at night under my bedroom window, I threatened to shoot him. Instead, I set a live trap on the porch and caught him. He was about the ugliest cat I had ever seen, with an infected white eyeball protruding from his skull. I was about to relocate him accross town, when my wife decided he needed a friend.

She took him to the vet and had the eye enucleated. I wanted to name him Popeye, but my wife would not allow it. He was dubbed Albert. In the cold, he had a hard time deciding if he would come inside, but he would relent if the temperature dipped below freezing.

At first, I put up with the feline. Over time though, Albert grew on me, and he seemed to favor me over all others. He would hop in my lap when I sat in the porch swing, purr and slobber out the right side of his mouth. In the warmth of sunshine, he would roll, and he loved a tummy scratching. He protected his territory from other tomcats, and he became a fixture on our porch.

About two weeks ago, Albert turned up missing. It has been cold out, and he has disappeared. At first, I thought one of the ladies of the neighborhood had taken him in, as tomcats often have several sources of support. After checking, I learned that was not the case.

He has not returned home. I have not found him despite searching. I only hope he did not get into another cat fight and become blinded. Godspeed Big Al.

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12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you have become a convert to the belief that cats can be good for the soul. Hopefully your cat will return...but if not he will live on in your memory as a pleasant and learning time of life

7:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

He trusted you and, in turn, he got your'e affection. What more could a cat ask for?

7:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sorry Xavier. I hope he turns up.

7:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I know how you feel Xavier, I have lost 6 or 7 cats over the last 12 years and I never realized how attatched to them i was untill they were missing. Where I live, only the coyotes and owls know what happened to them for sure. At least they lived the high life while with my family. I never could bring myself to condemn a cat to a life of strictly indoor exposure.

9:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I remember you saying once on your original site that one of your moderators was a one-eyed cat. Guess that was the guy. I hope he shows up, too. If not, you made the last years of his life a joy.

11:33 PM  
Blogger The Conservative UAW Guy said...

Sorry about your loss.
Pets really are family members.

Hope he turns up soon.

10:52 AM  
Blogger James R. Rummel said...

Good post.

James

5:46 PM  
Blogger Porta's Cat said...

Dang cats!

They are getting to everyone lately!

12:43 PM  
Blogger a faith bigger than fear said...

So sorry for the loss of Albert.

I don't know what it is about cats, or even dogs for that matter, but I know that if something happened to Useless, even with all his antics and wreaking havoc in my home when I'm not around, I would definitley be upset.

Hopefull that one of the neighborhood ladies has taken him in from the cold.

1:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

X,

I hope Albert comes back.

Best Wishes,
Steve

5:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope that he'll turns up. My cat lives with me more then sixteen years, and he's much closer to me then most of my relatives.

6:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I used to think that cats were only good for Kung Pao Cat. Hated em, and didn't want any around my house.

Then, I ran across a yellow tiger kitten at a Wendy's restaurant. Someone had dumped the mom and kittens along a major highway, and he was the only one that had escaped being hit by a car. Knowing that he'd be dead if I left him, I spent three hours and finally captured him.

He is the nicest cat, and completely changed my view on these animals. He sleeps at the foot of my bed at night, and gets along perfectly with my dogs. He's one great cat, and I love him dearly.

5:53 PM  

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