We just called him Basker, or Bunny, depending.
On moving to Los Angeles, we discovered that the fabulous Man O War needed a companion, now that the apartment wasn’t filled with people coming and going. There’s a place just off Venice Boulevard called Pet Pride that keeps cats. They have about 200 at any time, though many are not up for adoption due to health or behavioral problems. All the cats are adults, since the rule is that you must have had your cat at least a year before Pet Pride will let you leave it with them. That’s one way of limiting the new cats, by refusing random strays, which is sad for the strays but the place would just go under otherwise - too many cats, not enough adoptions. Last time I was there they must have relaxed this rule, because there were some younger ones.
Even after getting a cat, sometimes we’d go down there on the weekend, just to spend an hour or two petting and brushing and giving attention. Their collars were coded - blue for boys, pink for girls, white for the declawed (PP makes you promise not to declaw). I wish they had a fourth color, for those not up for adoption, so you don’t make up your mind for one it turns out you can’t have.
Out of the milling cats, many clamoring for petting and brushing and being taken home, others curled up sleeping, others just sitting around bored and resigned to their lot, there were a lot of candidates. Among the white-collars, we picked a large, very skinny, middle-aged, orange one. Bunny. Baskerville was my idea (hey, Man O War had been Bing in a past life). Orange was Tim’s addition. Like we might get this one confused with some other Bunny Baskerville in the neighborhood.
So Bunny came home with us, and was great friends with Man O War.
Only, he never did eat much. We discovered too late that was due to the woeful state of his back teeth, and sadly he died of an infection soon after. Unlucky cat number 13 in my life. Check your cats’ teeth!
On moving to Los Angeles, we discovered that the fabulous Man O War needed a companion, now that the apartment wasn’t filled with people coming and going. There’s a place just off Venice Boulevard called Pet Pride that keeps cats. They have about 200 at any time, though many are not up for adoption due to health or behavioral problems. All the cats are adults, since the rule is that you must have had your cat at least a year before Pet Pride will let you leave it with them. That’s one way of limiting the new cats, by refusing random strays, which is sad for the strays but the place would just go under otherwise - too many cats, not enough adoptions. Last time I was there they must have relaxed this rule, because there were some younger ones.
Even after getting a cat, sometimes we’d go down there on the weekend, just to spend an hour or two petting and brushing and giving attention. Their collars were coded - blue for boys, pink for girls, white for the declawed (PP makes you promise not to declaw). I wish they had a fourth color, for those not up for adoption, so you don’t make up your mind for one it turns out you can’t have.
Out of the milling cats, many clamoring for petting and brushing and being taken home, others curled up sleeping, others just sitting around bored and resigned to their lot, there were a lot of candidates. Among the white-collars, we picked a large, very skinny, middle-aged, orange one. Bunny. Baskerville was my idea (hey, Man O War had been Bing in a past life). Orange was Tim’s addition. Like we might get this one confused with some other Bunny Baskerville in the neighborhood.
So Bunny came home with us, and was great friends with Man O War.
Only, he never did eat much. We discovered too late that was due to the woeful state of his back teeth, and sadly he died of an infection soon after. Unlucky cat number 13 in my life. Check your cats’ teeth!
3 comments:
Poor Orange Bunny Baskerville Kitty! I'll bet Man O War was sorry that she was gone as well...
People's teeth can lead to heart problems, right? Didn't I hear that?
nanu- my coolest kids get hooked up with the local shelter and care for the cats and dogs. they are so happy when they get promoted to walking or grooming. orange bunny baskerville - great name, great energy!!! steven
That is a beautiful photo. I am so sorry to hear about Bunny. We have always had cats and it is hard when one passes away. It never gets any easier.
I know Bunny is sitting on a high plateua where the catnip grows out in the Catskills mountains.
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