A few years around, a few weeks before Christmas, a friend called me. My kids and I were out eating dinner and they were a bit perplexed: why didn’t I answer my phone? Well, I was pretty certain why she rang: some terrible neighbors of hers renting the house across from her had left their pregnant cat to fend for herself. Most of the abandoned family members were adopted, thankfully – but one kitten managed to elude any captors. Finally, hunger drove him to seek out my underdog (sorry, felines everywhere!) loving friend. Allergic to cats herself, knowing I would be an easy mark, she kept calling until my kids and I cut dinner short. We left her house with this filthy but adorable tabby kitten.
Easy mark, I said? Well, yeah…this made our seventh cat. Seventh! Happy frickin’ holidays, my ass….Here I had been hoping for a fabulous bottle of wine from her and her partner’s excellent collection; instead, here I was, covered in grime, carting home this insanely energetic fur-ball. My friend had managed to push me over the edge into “crazy cat lady” territory – seven cats, people! – but – I admit — this kitten endeared himself to me, the two-legged children, and to the rest of the pussy posse who allow my kids and me to attend to their needs.
Not too many days later, this latest addition to our household watched with great interest when my kids and I put up our Christmas tree. I always buy a live tree. Originally from the Northeast, I equate the holidays with the scent of pine trees, and a live tree is a “must-have” in our home every year. We filled up the tree stand with water and my daughter scattered a few presents under the tree for a festive touch. We planned to wait to decorate it until the next day and she thought the greenery looked a bit too “Charlie Brown Christmas” with no lights and no decorations yet.
Decorating the tree the next day took second place to finding the new tabby inhabiting our space, however. All of our cats are indoor cats, free to roam our screened-in lanai, but otherwise buffered from the perils of the real world. My daughter was in tears, thinking that this kitten, lost and then found, had somehow managed to slip out, maybe when I left for groceries earlier that day. We looked everywhere for this kitten….
Except up the tree. I had opened a can of tuna fish, hoping to coax the poor little kitty out from wherever he cowered, thinking maybe one of my other cats had decided to be less than hospitable after all. Oh no…the cocky little shit came shooting down that tree as soon as the pungent scent of the canned fish hit the air, his wet tail dripping water from the tree stand, leaving a trail of pine needles in his path of destructions across gifts, a couch, and a couple of chairs as he bounced to a halt in front of me, rubbing against my legs, waiting for me to put the plate of tuna down.
I was concerned about putting up lights and ornaments, imagining the mess awaiting me every day after we, the human contingency, arrived home, not the least concern the possibility of deep-fried kitten if this feline dynamo bit a string of lights. You’d think I’d have some experience with this after a life-time of sharing my home with cats, but this kitten was the first cat who ever lived with me who actually had the audacity to climb the Christmas tree. My kids solved the problem: they decorated the tree with no more than edible candy canes, allowing the unholy terror free rein to climb the tree at will; and we resigning ourselves to mopping and vacuuming pine needles every day. We stacked presents in a closet, away from this foreign invasion turning our home upside down that holiday season. We also gave him a new moniker: Sherman Tank.
We lost the Sherman Tank not too long after the New Year turned to some retro-virus he picked up in his rough early months. After I returned to reason – tracking down the people who left him to his fate and running them over once or twice was neither one of my more executable plans nor in the spirit of the season – we decided instead to love the rest of the pussy posse all the more, to donate more to the shelters that care for all the Sherman Tanks out there – and to commemorate our one holiday with this rambunctious kitten the best way we knew how: every year or two, we decorate our tree with nothing but candy canes – and then shake them off a couple times each day.
Happy Holidays, everyone –
Maria-Claire
I enjoyed your story! That is so sweet that every few years you decorate your tree to remember your poor kitty! I had a kitten that did the same thing to a artificial tree. She actually broke some of the branches. We couldn’t keep her out of it so left her alone. You are brave for having 6. I have 1 dog and 1 cat and thats enough. lol christina_92 at yahoo.com
Thanks, Christy! The Tank had as much energy as three of my other cats– they’re easy compared to that little spitfire! We miss him but are happy we had some time with him, anyway.
Such a sweet story. Its great that your family would give him a home. My kids are always bringing home furry critters. It drives my husband nuts! lol Happy holidays to you all!
tonyapeterson35(at)yahoo(dot)com
Easy mark or not you sound like a wonderful cat Mom. I am happy the Tank got to spend the holidays with someone special.
Awww, thank you, Debbie. We consider ourselves the lucky ones!
Loved the post and glad that the kitty found a loving home and family to be with before he passed on. We lost our cat about a couple of weeks ago too. We had him for about 6 years. My daughter saved him from some boys kicking him around. We took him to the vet and had to spend quite a bit saving him. At least we got to spend time with him.
So sorry to hear that, Kimmy — but how great that your daughter and you rescued one too! At least we have the little beggars for a little while. Many holiday blessings for you and yours!
What a lovely X’mas memory. I don’t have cats, but I do have one cheecky Chihuahua who likes to cock his leg up the side of our tree! And because of him, we can NOT leave presents under the tree!
Oh, J.C! Now there’s a mental image! How funny! I haven’t had a dog living with me for years, and I’d forgotten how one of the canine clan may treat a live tree! Yikes…;) So great how everyone leaving a message here has some holiday adjustment they’ve made for their four-legged babies
Thanks for sharing that with us. A memorable Christmas to be sure. Too bad you didn’t find the family that left him.
Happy Holidays.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Thanks, Carol (and what a perfect name for the holidays!). We decided “their loss, our gain.” He was a character, that Tank! Our remaining five are much more sedate again without him to instigate mischief
Oh, Maria-Claire!
I didn’t expect such a sad ending to this tale. Cats that begin their lives by being abandoned are definitely more fragile, though – both physically and emotionally. At least you can comfort yourself with the notion that Sherman has some fabulous months in your family.
Holiday hugs to you!
Warmly,
Lisabet
Once we recouped from losing the Tank, we saw his time with us as less sad and more a reminder that the holidays are about fun and joy in the moment. No more worrying about the “perfect” decorations after having that fireball around!
Our cat thinks he must use the christmas tree as a scratching post. He’s a pill. We have a bet going as to how many times he knocks the tree down. So far he hasn’t, but i swear.
Oh, Wendi…you just know he’s gonna channel Sherman Tank and THIS IS THE YEAR! DOWN goes your tree! Be prepared, darlin’! — and I accept FULL responsibility
Haha….my kitty Tucker loves playing in the Christmas tree too!!
Tucker understands the joy of the season, Michelle
What a sweet yet sad story. I too despise people that can’t properly take care of their pets and admire your restraint in not truly running them over. Happy Holidays to you and your pets.
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
Yeah, J, I agree: people who neglect their pets suck — and NOT in the fun way! We were just happy to have this little dynamo with us even for a brief time. Their loss — our gain!
what a great story, i have a puppy that i have to gate off from the tree every year because he think that if it is hanging from the bottom it is a toy to play with.
trvlagnt1t@yahoo.com
Puppies would climb that tree if they could as well, I think
Thanks for stopping by, Tammy!
Aww. What a sweet story. Im a sucker for animals too. Im always saving helpless animals. We have 2 cats and 6 dogs. lol I love the name of your cat. Its awesome that you took him in for what little time he had left. Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for stopping by, Shadow! Always happy to meet another sucker for the four-legged hard-luck cases
Oh, I enjoyed that post; it was a great and fun read.
Thanks, Tracey! That was a fun holiday with the wild one!
I gave up on a tree after having kitties knock it over & destroy it within a couple of days. Now I 4 ft tree that is flat on the back & hangs up HIGH on the wall.
Michelle B aka koshkalady(koshka- Russian for cat)
purrpurrkoshkamb(at)aol(dot)com
Hi, Michelle! I recognize the word “koshka!” I have some NASA buddies who worked on the ISS at the very start in 1996-1998 and they are quite fluent in Russian. That word came up in reference to me on more than one occasion!
Awe, Sherman sounds like a great cat & I love the periodic memorial of a tree with just candy canes. I can just see someone giving the tree a shake & scattering the candy canes all over the floor, with the pine needles. I’ve never had a cat climb my tree, but I did have one that required me to hang only non-breakables on the lower levels for several years.
drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com
Kathryn, isn’t is just astounding (and wonderful!) the lengths to which so many of us go to keep the fiends safe and happy??
My family is convinced I’m going to become a cat lady. I did have 4 at one point, but one was almost 17 so I knew it wouldn’t be 4 for long. (She lasted to 18 1/2).
I no longer decorate for the holidays (no kids) because it was either dangerous to the cats or the tree, over the years they tumbled them over about twice a season due to my cats finding their inner “outdoors” cat.
I had a one-eyed rescue cat — we named him Uno
– who lived to 20. I spent most of my adult years to date with that cat! Funny the things we do to accommodate the little monsters, huh?
What a lovely story! As a cat lover myself, I really appreciate how you and you children went our of your way to accommodate this lovely kitten. And thanks for sharing such a delightful story!
K D Grace
Thanks, K D. My two major weaknesses: cats and men in uniform
Aw, what a cute story. I’m a sucker for an animal in distress myself!I’m glad the little tank found a loving home to spend a little time with before he made his way to kitty heaven.
Victoria Blisse recently posted..Friends Friday Blissemas with KD Grace!
If I make it to heaven, V, I am certain the Pearly Gates will open to reveal an enormous litter box and all the felines who ever lived with me — and I’ll be happy!