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"If
man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man, but it
would deteriorate the cat." -
Mark Twain, 1894
Cat of The Second Quarter
of 1999:
Our Cat of The Quarter
for the second quarter of 1999, is Char,
a gentle blue-gray shorthaired mixed breed. Her exact age is
not known, but she's somewhere in the 10 to 12 year range.
Char's,
place of birth will always remain a mystery. Char
was quite young when she
and her mother, Chessie, were
found living in a forest near a farm. Occasionally one or the
other would stop by for a snack, but it was a month or so before
they began appearing regularly at the farmhouse together. It
wasn't long until they moved in.
Char
was an exceptionally small cat who was somewhat on the lethargic
side. Then a few years after she arrived, she suddenly began
losing weight at an alarming rate. While it was first thought
that her days were numbered, this turned out not to be the
case. Instead, she was diagnosed as a diabetic and once the
optimal insulin dosage was determined, she regained all the weight
she had lost and continued to grow. She's never had a sick day
since.
During the months that followed, Char
gained about 40 percent in size and weight--not just getting
heavier, but growing longer as well. And rather than being her
old lethargic self, she became as active as a kitten.
Char never
seems to mind the two insulin shots she gets each day. In fact
she hardly even notices them. Perhaps she's heard about the
Oregon cat, Mickey,
another diabetic who lived a healthy, happy and active life for over
18 years.
Char
is pretty much an indoor cat, although she does like to spend some
time on the back porch when the weather is nice. She's an
easygoing cat and enjoys the company of her feline companions.
She doesn't like to brag, but she's got better mousing skills than
any of her friends. This is probably because, although
she still likes to run and play, she has a natural talent for
conducting extended surveillance operations.
While Char
is an elegant lady with a friendly and gentle nature, she's nobody's
pushover either. She can be tough when she has too. She
sees no reason why she should share her meals with other cats who
have their own dishes. Even Norman,
a big black cat twice Char's
size, has learned to
leave Char
alone at dinnertime.
Although she enjoys socializing with all her companions, Char's
best friend and mentor is
the wise old cat, Mittens.
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