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| Cooper , 2 months after grooming |
Cooper, Cat of Character and Distinction
I
first met Cooper the cat when I went to visit my son Russ and his
wife Janice when they were living in Toronto about 1998. He was then
about a year old , a beautiful long haired white cat with startling
blue eyes,He was very lovable and playful, quite at home with the
other cats in the house. He had one problem. He was totally deaf.
That didn't matter to him. He didn't know and everyone else managed
with signs and looks to figure out how to communicate with him. It
worked fine.
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| Cooper watching TV |
It
was much later on that I saw Cooper again. Janice had now moved back
to Dallas and had learned she had cancer. She asked me if I could do
two things: Paint portraits of her 5 cats and if and when the time
came and she passed on, take care of her cats. She really loved those
cats and wanted to know they would be safe.
So
after a little soul searching I agreed .I painted all the cats and
agreed that even though I might not be able to have all the cats live
with me, I would help get them new homes.
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| My painting of Cooper |
Sadly
all the treatments for cancer did not work, and in October 2011
Cooper came to live with me. Janice passed on at the end of that
year.
He
came in without any trepidation into a house of old female cats and
immediately started showing them who was boss. Likewise with the
dogs. For a cat who had never been around dogs he took no more notice
of them than he did the cats as long as they kept away from his food.
He was in a badly matted state and his lovely white fur was tangled
and dirty. The groomer took one look and said ,” That can't be
combed out he will have to be shaved down.”It took a whole day to
do it and he came back home looking like a little lion cub with a
ruff around his head and fluffy bits left around his feet . Quite
cute but now he felt a lot better and could run and jump and was
ready to join in family life.A much happier cat.
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| Sleeping in the sun |
Our
cats live inside and outside but mostly inside these days as they get
older. They come and go as they like using the doggy door. Strangely
enough Cooper after 15 months still hasn't figured out that door. He
sits watching every other pet go through it but makes no attempt to
follow.
He
does loves to be outside. I take him out most days and let him wander
around. He smells the plants , and munches on the grasses and stays
in the garden. If he strays too far, I always yell at him , which has
no effect because he is deaf. I always forget. It's an automatic
thing you do I expect.
He
makes his needs known by this very plaintive crying. If he wants a
door opened , I hear "meow, meow, meow" , until I get up to open it.
His
favorite place is in my lap when I am watching television . He
settles right down and is the best lap cat ever. He seems even more active
now that when he first came to live with us which is really amazing
for a cat who is close to 16 years old.
So
please ,if you can and someone asks you to help with an old cat,
remember they too can have lots of love and life left.
