Why are you sad? His head tilted ever so slightly to the left, a quizzical look in his eyes.
I have no idea, I thought. There is just so much pain wherever I look. The news of the world. The anger and hatred. The sadness and despair. It gets so overwhelming.
Look at the good you have done. At the kindness you have shared. At the empathy you have shown. You have made this world a better place. His eyes said it all.
It doesn’t feel like much I lamented. It’s just a drop in the bucket. There is so much pain in so many situations.
His gaze penetrated my heart. His whiskers twitched. And his motorboat purr gently rumbled: without you, I wouldn’t be here. I might have been on the streets, hungry, matted, fleabitten. Desperate for a gentle touch and a soft voice, yet met with a stout kick or a tossed rock. Always leery, always scrambling out of danger. But then you came along, giving the time, the energy, the compassion and the resources needed to help someone like me. No one person can fix the world. But if each of us reach out to help, just a little, the world becomes a better place. Thank you for that.
Hey you – you, with the greying muzzle. Can you still hear me? You look a little muddled. I’m over here – on the sofa – can you find me? Don’t fret – if not, I’ll come get you. I’m right here. You smell me, don’t you – your eyes are concerned. Don’t worry, buddy. I am right here every step of the way. We go back quite a ways, don’t we? Some days, things were good, some days, we struggled. But you were always there. When I was irritated, you soothed my nerves. When I was lonely, you snuggled up tight. When I was sulking, you gently pawed my leg. When I thought my world was falling apart, you held me together. I hurt, and you understood. You gave, and then gave some more. No matter how I felt, how I behaved, or what I did, you were there, watching, waiting, ready to comfort. Always accepting. And now you’re aging. Know that I will stand by you. While my heart will break into pieces as your body slowly tires, I will do my best to make every step of the way as comfortable as possible. I promise to watch carefully so you don’t suffer needlessly. And when the time has come, I will hold your paw and soothe your soul as you take your last sleep. We are connected, you and I; physically in this world, spiritually forever after. Thank you for choosing me, I have been honored to be yours.
Packing Circes up with all her belongings, I looked forward to seeing Katherine again. A woman in her 80’s, Katherine had contacted me several years ago when she was looking for a Siamese friend to join her family. An experienced ‘Meezer’ owner, Katherine came highly recommended from the Feline Foundation in Washington where she had originally applied.
The first Siamese we placed with her was my 24th rescue. Cleopatra had come to us from Manhattan, NY when her owner passed away, leaving no provisions for the cat. Luckily for Cleo, a neighbor jumped in when it became apparent the only option was the NYC pound and took Cleo in. The neighbor, discovering that she was highly allergic, contacted us shortly thereafter to see how we could help Cleo.
A mature Meezer of 10, Cleopatra came to us with a woeful wail but a wonderful personality. From the beginning she was a trooper, sharing her stories with us but never once really complaining. The stress of the move and the new environment had resulted in ringworm, a fairly common fungus in rescued cats; this unfortunately meant a 4-6 week isolation in an upstairs bathroom.
Meanwhile, the search continued for a new owner. Cleo became a popular kitty on the Rescue website, where many admirers followed her tale. As luck should have it, Katherine came along at just the right time, and following the 6 week isolation period, we drove Cleo to her new home, accompanied by many internet hurrahs.
Unfortunately, after several years in her new home, Cleo left us for the Rainbow Bridge. Swallowing her sorrow Katherine immediately contacted us, offering to provide a loving home for yet another needy Meezer. As circumstances would have it, Circes had just arrived from a family in Ohio where their child’s asthma forced a rehome. A beautiful wedgehead seal, Circes met all the requirements – loving, lap sitting, needy – they would be a perfect pair.
As I loaded Circes in the car, I remembered the warm, glowing feeling that came over me the first time as I watched Cleo and Katherine instantly form a bond of friendship. As they sat there, arm-in-arm, the tears of happiness fell from everyone’s eyes, and the true meaning of Rescue was more than apparent. The fact that Katherine was willing to open her heart to another needy cat, and on top of that, a mature cat, was a testimonial to her dedication to the many rescued cats looking for good homes.
Although Katherine lived a good two hours from me, I wanted to do this transport myself. Normally, we used members of our Meezer Express, a 900 volunteer-strong transport team that worked together to relay rescue cats between the shelters and their new homes. However, I was anxious to see Katherine again, remembering how touched I was during my last visit several years ago. I had convinced my daughter to come with me; at age 11, I had an ulterior motive wanting her to experience firsthand, as I had, the joy and satisfaction that Rescue can bring.
The two-hour drive passed uneventfully, with Circes complaining initially, but then settling down for remainder of the ride. I firmly believe these cats know much more than we give them credit for, and I had no doubt that Circes realized she was headed to her new home. When we arrived at the apartment, we were greeted in the lobby by Katherine who was so excited she was practically dancing on her toes. With a huge smile on her face, she gave us a quick glance and then looked expectantly at Circes. Circes meowled her hellos in return as we headed upstairs. Circes exited the carrier, did a once around, and immediately jumped on Katherine’s lap to make biscuits. The warmth that flooded me from head to toe – and I could see the same for my daughter, was amazing. Watching the two of them fall in immediate love – it was hard to tell who needed the other one more – we left grinning from ear to ear. This, I told my daughter, is the paycheck of Rescue.
Great author (Diane Chamberlain) who handles a sensitive subject and time frame with grace. The topic is upsetting (prejudice and violence) but it is well done through switchbacks of the present with the past and all centered around a neighborhood and its houses. This is the third five star I have read by Ms. Chamberlain, the others being The Dream Daughter and Necessary Lies. Well done.
Oh my. These are richly good. This recipe hails from Frosted by Bernice Baran. While it has several parts that need to be put together, the end result is well worth it. You start with two deeply chocolate sugar cookies that have just the right amount of chewiness and are a good size. These form the outside of the sandwich cookie. The inside is a Italian Meringue Buttercream mixed with a homemade caramel and some espresso powder and vanilla bean paste mixed in. They are good in the fridge for up to a week and you only need one to make a great dessert! This cookbook is a winner.
Breakfast had been served: next on the agenda – catch that sunbeam. We had all found one, when an uninvited guest peaked his head around the bedroom door. Duke’s ears twitched, but not one to mouse, he kept his quiet. The food bowls had remnants, certainly, although with 12 of us, that was all there was. Mamagayo gave a blink, then went back to her catnap. Sapphire licked her lips, but couldn’t be bothered. Coffee was still in his muddle, and peering in the wrong direction. Seeing no reaction from the crowd he crept closer, inch by inch. With each step he became more assured. Crumbs in several shapes and flavors lay almost within reach. Just a few more inches. His nose twitched hungrily, his beady eyes twinkled. A little bit further, quiet as a mouse …
Leave it to Jasmine to introduce chaos. Careening wildly, she skittered sideways across the room, whacking in every direction with both paws. He scrambled for safety – under the bureau – hoping no one would see him. But the jig was up. Coffee sounded the alarm. Sapphire frumped over to one end of the bureau. Jasmine puddled at the other end. All exits were blocked. There was no escaping- it was only a matter of time.
(I would have helped, but someone had to take notes.)
Too bad we had all just eaten. Waste not, want not we all agreed. And so the delectable tidbit was placed at the very back of the bookcase so it could age properly for future use.
(To Be Continued, when that tidbit is good and ripe)
An interesting no bake recipe from the cookbook “Frosted” by Bernice Baran. And even with no bake, it was a two day ‘bake’, if you will. But oh, how yummy.
You start with a graham cracker crust. Pretty simple. The cheesecake layer is amazing – is it whipping cream, cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice, salt and vanilla bean paste. You beat all this to high intensity. Meantime you make a lemon curd (really lemony) and spread the curd on top of the cheesecake layer – and then you freeze the entire thing overnight. The next day you make a Vanilla Meringue Frosting (basically a 7 minute frosting) and layer that on top of the frozen curd, and toast it with a torch. The result? A super airy and light (these two words are key) but very lemony bar. Definitely five stars!!!!
(Did anyone else cry their eyes out when Rex Harrison sang this to Sophie the seal in the original Dr. Doolittle? One of my most tearful movie moments ever. Age 8 in NYC, I remember it clearly.)
It was 1997 – Siamese Rescue still just a passing thought. Whiskers of all sorts were joining the ranks of those who had moved from old to new house: felines Beeky, Broadway, and Triscuit; woofers Solomon, Scout and Benji. Right after the move came felines Opi, Suki and Duke plus woofers Smutty and Pepper. And not to let a few acres go to waste, along came cottontail Flopsy, Nibbles and Gobbler, the Nubians, and quackers Donald and Jemima (who were short on whiskers but made up for it in feathers).
The woofers needed some work on sibling relationships, and it wasn’t long until Scout ate Flopsy and Pepper ate Donald and Jemima. Solomon munched on a foster child which bought him a ticket to ride; Nibbles and Gobbler escaped one too many times, earning them two seats in the back of a VW bug as they headed to a new home. Meowm worked hard to keep her numbers up – she knew that X + 1 was always better than just plain X. After Suki (strong seal diva female) and Duke (soft dim chocolate goof) failed to fill her need for a smart but snuggly soulmate, Sapphire, Mamagayo, Whitney, Coffee, Blue, Taraatini, Jasmine and Blupert all auditioned for the job. Let me tell you, that upstairs Geezer Ward was a little tight on pillow space. It was a good thing most everyone was a sealpoint; Hubby1 never caught on that when he was home, everyone went by the same name – Meowm’s attempt to whitewash how many of us were actually in the house.
If I were to ask Meowm what the most difficult lesson of rescue was, there would be no doubt as to her reply – while every cat deserves a chance, and in an ideal world there’s a place for everyone, when faced with a limited number of rescue spots, one has to invite cats in that can be adopted back out. This was a fluid number depending on a lot of different things – how many fosters there were, how many adopters were asking, what the bake sales were like, what time of year it was, and so on and so forth. It was muddling my brain to listen to all the criteria that had to be considered every step of the way. And there’s no doubt, Meowm’s heart got the best of her early on. As a consequence, some of us Geezer Ward residents had to find alternate arrangements when the facilities were occupied.
You’ve read about Sapphire (Episode 1) – the one who stayed simply because Meowm hadn’t made it clear to her owner that rehoming was gong to happen. Mamagayo (lucky #13) was ‘older than the wind’, and obviously someone that age had only one last move in her – to the upstairs heated bed. Whitney was next – Hubby1 fell in love with her and he had been such a sport, Meowm had to say yes. (While he did have second thoughts when she peed on him in bed on Valentine’s Day, by then it was too late.) Then there was Coffee who won the ‘most muddled’ award (and came the closest so far to soulmate material); the Blues Brothers – Blue (who was a seal) and Blupert (a blue) (don’t ask me how they secured those names or a spot, but they did); Jasmine (a medical curiousity that never got figured out) and Taraatini – such a crabby seal diva she refused to budge. A good thing that by this point the Rescue Center had been built, because if two is company, 13 was definitely a crowd.
As if this wasn’t enough, Meowm followed some crazy lady’s online advice and signed up to rescue an Italian Greyhound. (HELLO Meowm, did you even READ that they are close to impossible to house train?) She figured the wait list was long and it would be months before she had to say something to Hubby1. But it was her lucky week and within two days she was bumped to the top of the list (rescue experience and all that (HA!)) and before Hubby1 had even been informed not one but two Iggys showed up on her doorstep. Does it surprise anyone to learn there was not a spot left for Hubby1?
By the time Y2000 rolled around, Meowm had roped in some amazingly good Beans – Beans who would not only be adopters but who would morph into all different cogs of the wheels of Siamese Rescue. Fosters, transporters, interviewers, crafters and many others brought their compassion and skills to Team Meezer. A Team that – despite many mishaps yet to be told – would become a family of friends, a community of cat lovers, a history worth repeating – pooling their resources together to save Siamese.
I, for one, remain furever grateful.
Yours truly,
Howard Beakman (follow me and my adventures by subscribing to this blog!)
Sapphire, looking purrfectly at home, was not going anywhere
In Part 1 on this topic, https://siriouslysiri.com/2022/02/06/dont-bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you-part-1/ we discussed some of the reasons that cats nip, or bite, as well as some of the ways to prevent this (sometimes) learned habit. In this post, let’s look at some of the ways to respond to, as well as to discourage, these biting behaviors. Keep in mind, however, that it is very helpful to try to determine the ‘why’ of these behaviors in the event that you or an external force is inadvertently causing the behavior.
While working to understand and ideally remove the cause of the behavior, it’s helpful to have a set response that you give whenever a bite occurs. One that comes naturally to most of us is the word ‘ouch’, and you can use this to your advantage by exaggerating this word in volume, tone, pitch, and length of utterance. To understand why this is effective, let’s backtrack a moment. When cats are kittens, they will romp and wrestle with their siblings; this activity usually accompanied by vocalizations of various sorts. This sibling interaction serves a very useful purpose in that the kitten is learning about both their strength and the effect that their behaviors have on others. There is an action/reaction sequence that occurs, teaching the kitten both what is acceptable and what is painful to another. (Realize, not every kitten has siblings and some kittens may be orphaned or may leave their family too early, so this learning experience may be lost.)
A high pitched, loud and exaggerated ‘OUCH’ will often accomplish the same thing, resulting in an arrest of the biting behavior. Very few cats are biting to be assertively aggressive, so realizing they have actually caused you pain may stop them in their tracks. If the cat is seeking attention (albeit inappropriately), removing yourself from the situation (and therefore the source of attention for the cat) often works as well, although it may not always be possible to do so. In cases where you can’t easily get up and leave the cat, removing the cat from the situation may need to happen – and this should be accomplished by a quick picking up, no cuddling or kind words, and a very quick deposit in another room – kind of like a time-out. (It should go without saying, but I have seen it happen aplenty, that when removing the cat from a situation you are doing so in a professional, business-like manner – there is no baby-talking or holding the cat close to your body or giving any kind of indication of warmth and comfort during this movement.) This time-out (ten minutes tops) must be used consistently so that the cat learns that biting behaviors result in loss of attention.
At this point it is necessary to point out that corporal punishment does not work with cats. Inflicting pain, whether it be a slap or a spank, will only make matters worse. Just like you would not play directly with your cat with your hands, you also don’t use your hands to inflict pain. You are much better served to use a ‘strong teacher voice’ and express how displeased you are about the situation.
Finally, don’t forget about positive reinforcement. When the cat is behaving and interacting appropriately, that’s the time to shower him with praise, with pets, perhaps even treats. Cats are smart creatures and if you provide consistent reinforcement, positive when they are behaving, negative when they are not, they can learn what behaviors are acceptable.
Questions or comments welcomed. We are always happy to try to help with cat misbehaviors in the home – feel free to contact us (vasrc@siameserescue.org) if you need advice. Many inappropriate behaviors can be curbed if addressed early, consistently, and by everyone involved.
