Shelter Cats and Redemption

Saturday, November 3, 2012. Super Storm Sandy.  There have been so many damn stories about the storm I don't feel the need to add my own take. Needless to say, we survived and only lost power for a day and a half.  Tyler and Tiger, to their credit, barely noticed nor cared that a hurricane wrecked Long Island and that my apartment was a charging station and laundry station for all my friends since I got my power back before most people.  Tyler greeted the vast increase in visitors who came and went with his usual flair, Tiger doing his part as Tyler's ever-faithful assistant, hanging with people and being a gracious co-host. It came, it went, we survived.  Let's eat. This particular early November Saturday was our first weekend to ourselves in several weeks, so I was looking forward to just relaxing with the cats and not being the local power outlet. Just as I settled in for a Saturday afternoon to myself.......I noticed something about Tiger. Something abo...

Tyler and Tiger. Feline symmetry, 2010.

Best friends, forever. 2011.

Tiger would have been 14 today.  Happy Birthday at the Rainbow Bridge, sweetums.  I miss you every day.

Continuing our celebration of all things Tiger the cat, here's a cute video, in two parts, from over 5 years ago, showing how playful Tiger was.....when he wanted to be, and how close he was to Tyler. Enjoy! Part One: Part Two:

I feel asleep with my new cat curled up on my chest.  He was warm, cuddly, and purred the whole night.  I was in heaven.  Despite my love for Tyler, and our inseparable bond, one thing he was not was a lap cat.  I can count on one hand how many times he sat on my lap in nearly 14 years. It was nice to have a cat that liked to cuddle, and did Tiger LOVE to cuddle. I woke up the next morning to evidence that Tiger had eaten and used the litter box.  Both VERY good signs considering how he was just a few hours before at the shelter.  I found him sitting in the window behind my headboard, soaking up some sun and his new view. "Good morning Tiger.  Enjoying your new view?" MEOWOOO.  He arched his back as I scratched it. He seemed MUCH happier.  What a difference a good night's sleep makes. AROOOO ! AROOOO ! Tyler was HOWLING outside the bedroom door.  Whatever was going on without him did NOT meet his approval.  ...

Let's jump ahead a little bit, shall we? Let's talk about.....Tiger.  Tyler's brother from another cat-mother. This month marks what would have been Tiger's 14th birthday. So, I dedicate this post to my favorite orange cat, and the original "sweetums." Isn't his name Tiger? Yes. So why did I call him "sweetums?" I can't pinpoint the actual day I gave him that nickname, but one day I just started calling Tiger sweetums and it stuck.  He was a sweetums.  He was the sweetest most gentle soul I ever came across, he stole my heart and Tyler's as well. Anyway, here's how we met. By the summer of 2008, Tyler had turned 9.  He was still the lovable curmudgeon I always knew, but the first signs of "senior-itis" were starting to creep in.  He had lost maybe half a step, and his once daily "shit fit" runs throughout the apartment with a wild eyed look had dropped to every other day.  By this point he had rea...