Sunday 17 June 2012

dad's day

As most of you out there know, today is Father's Day.  The day when we celebrate our dads.

I'm a pretty lucky cat 'cause I actually know who my biological dad is.  Lots of cats out there have never even met their biological fathers.  I've not only met mine but I live with him.  That's right...  I do!  I live with my dad, Jacob, along with the rest of my family. 

This fact is especially surprising since I was a feral kitty...  born in the neighbours' wood pile.  But you see, my peeps had seen my dad wandering around the subdivision before I was born.  They suspected he had been abandoned but weren't sure at first.  Eventually, they clued in.  Not before he knocked up my mama though.  Although...  I suppose that's kind of a good thing 'cause...  the result of the whole affair was me!

Once my peeps came to their senses, they invited my dad to come live inside.  He doesn't talk much about those days but the peeps say he couldn't have been a feral kitty as he was pretty easy to get in...  unlike me!  Imagine his surprise that first day when he was popped in a carrier and taken to the doctor for you-know-what.  Yup, he's lucky to have me as a son 'cause there's no more of that of behaviour going on now, if you know what I mean.

Some of you might be wondering how the peeps know for sure that Jacob is my dad.  Well, they're pretty sure he was the only older boy cat wandering around the neighbourhood at that time.  Also, there's the family resemblance.  Personally, I take after my mama with my heart shaped face, but my sister Constance looks a lot like our dad.  They've got the same nose.  Lots of people have said so...  not just my personal peeps.  And although my brother Desdemona was a sterling silver tabby like me, and my dad is orange and white, my sisters are both calico.  I'm pretty sure they get their orange from our dad.  And I do have to admit that around the eyes, my dad and I look a little alike.  So you see, it's pretty much a certainty that we're 'family' family...  if you know what I mean.

But my luck with dads doesn't end there.  Growing up, I sort of had a second dad too.  You see, I had an older brother, Callista.  Yes, yes...  another boy with a girls' name.  Those peeps of mine.  When will they ever learn?  Same old story...  gave him his name before getting close enough to see the important details.  They said, he was a long-legged beauty like a runway model and so they thought he must be a girl.  But you know my peeps...  wrong again!

Anywho...  Callista was a year older than my sibs and me but he was still hanging around with our mama.  They were really close.  He was a mama's boy, all right.  But he was way more than just a pretty face.  He was super nice, too.  Good to us kittens, and everything.  In fact, he helped our mama raise us.  Good thing too, 'cause our real dad was...  I kind of have to say it...  a bit of a dead-beat as far as dads go.  Never lifted a paw to help out our mama.  I remember all this stuff, you know.

When we were younger, there were two really comfy chairs on the veranda.  At first, when we were really little, all four of us babies would cuddle up on those chairs with our mama.  I'm not quite sure how she got us all up there, but she managed.  Probably the ol' scruff of the neck routine.

Then, as we got bigger, we couldn't all fit on one chair with our mama so...  two of us would sleep with our mama on one chair and the other two would sleep with our older brother Callista in the other.  The peeps say it was one of the most adorable things ever.  We did it all the time and they would watch us from inside the living room, oohing and ahhing about the whole pretty picture.

Unfortunately, my brother was even more feral than me.  He never managed to learn to really trust the peeps.  Eventually, he would come into the house to eat and even sleep on a chair or even a bed!  But the peeps were never able to touch him.  If he had the slightest notion someone was gonna touch him he would freak out like you've never seen a cat freak before.  And believe me...  my peeps have seen cats freak.  You remember my Auntie Primrose?  If my brother was sitting on a chair and a peep wanted to get past him, they would have to walk with their back to him so that Kisty knew they weren't gonna try anything funny.  Kisty was very wary of peeps and their ulterior motives and whatnot.

This went on for many years until two years ago, my brother went to Heaven.  The life of a feral kitty is a pretty rough one, you know.  My peeps did their best but Kisty was just never gonna accept being an indoor kitty like me.  But he had food in his tummy and a warm place to sleep at night of which he often did take advantage.  And I'm pretty sure that he knew...  deep down...  that the peeps really loved him...  even if they were peeps!  He was just born to be free, I guess.  Free and a little bit wild...  and one heck of a second dad to my sibs and me.

HAPPY DAD'S DAY, JACOB & CALLISTA!!!

34 comments:

  1. What a great tribute to your dad and second dad !!!
    Here in Sweden we don´t celebrate Fathers Day untill 11 november.

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  2. That's a great story, Nerissa! You're very lucky to know your dad and your brother. We're glad you learned to trust humans and become an indoor cat. But it sounds like Jacob had a good life on the outside, but we know outside life is harder than inside life. Happy Dad's Day to them!

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  3. What a great post about your Dad and your other Dad. It is interesting how some feral cats can get used to be in a house and some just cannot. I have two females here that will not get over be feral. I can touch them but that is as far as it goes. And there is one that I cannot touch at all. Anyway, that is great post and we really enjoyed reading it.

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  4. You had a dad. ::sniff:: and a mom. ::sniff::
    Even with a dead-beat dad, you had a pretty cool brofer who took over. That's, that's sooooo lucky.
    I ::sniff:: ::sniff:: have a mommy bean. Nobody else.
    But hey, she's not a bad mom.
    Well, she tries.
    I love your dad story. Like I said, you are sooooo lucky. You had a brofer who was like a second (and better at it) dad.

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  5. You sure do have very special Dads!!! Happy Father's Day to Dads everywhere!!!

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  6. How great to know who your dad is! Life as a feral is really tough. Callista was lucky to have peeps who looked out for him, even if he didn't learn to trust them enough to let them touch him.
    Happy Father's Day, Jacob & Callista!

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  7. Happy CatDad(s) Day! And we Do mean CAT Dad!

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  8. Meowza you iz a lucky kitteh in so many ways! Happy Father's Day to all your dads. Purrs, Pandy

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  9. Happy Fathers Day to yer CatDad, Nerissa! None of us here know annything about OUR real dads...!

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  10. Happy Father's Day to your dad and brother!

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  11. Have a wonderful Fathers Day :)xx

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  12. That is a lovely story. Happy Father's Day to Jacob and Callista.

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  13. You are so lucky Nerissa...I have NO idea what my roots are...and you really did your Dad and your big bro' a good one with this post...furry nice!

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  14. Happy Father's Day to your Daddy!

    The Florida Furkids and Lexi

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  15. Happy Father's Day to your Dad Cat and Nerissa, mom and I both thoroughly enjoyed this informative bloggie. Thank you for it. We loved learning more about you.

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  16. Pawsome to meet you! And how lucky you are to know your Dad Cat. Fantastic story. Happy Father's Day to your Dad Cat!

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  17. Happy Father's Day to your Dad (and Big Bro too). I nefur knew my dad (you know how men are) but I had a nice Mom though I got snatched away from her to come live with this Human--well, as you say, the life of a feral is tough, so I guess I am better off with three squares and some nice beddies!

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  18. Great to meet you lovely kitties. I hope your show your parents Shenanigans Sunday soon :)

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  19. I bet there are some issues in your place what with having a brother called Desdemona and all!! What are your sisters called? Butch and Sundance? Must be great to be able to fool folks though lol Happy Dad's day :)

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    1. Ummmm.... two of them are Mason and Tobias. But do you know what? Tobias mean "God is good" and that's what He was when He helped Tobias find this house. She was a feral kitty, too.

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  20. How fortunate you are to know two daddies! And I'm sad to hear Callista's story, but happy to know he was loved and cared for while with you.

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  21. What a super story about your "Dads" Nerissa....you're lucky to know your Dad and live with him and to have Calista for a "second" Dad too. I'll never know WHAT either of my parents looked like but chances are at lease one of them was ginger! I enjoyed hearing about your family - and your take on how hard feral life can be. Some of us have been super lucky to have peeps who adopted us or found us or let us into their lives in ANY way.

    Kitty hugs, Your Friend Sammy

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  22. Awww me and Charlie love learning and reading about your two amazing dads, Jacob and angel Callista! Great to know too that your peeps looked out for them too! take care
    x

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  23. It's nice that you know who your dad is. Kizzie certainly never met her dad, so we were touched to read your story.

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  24. It's interesting to learn more about our pals. That is a lovely and bittersweet story.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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  25. Love your stories. Feral kitties can have a short life, but they are happy when peeps look out for them and let them live as they choose (after that operation of course!). I had two girls, a mother and daughter living in a little house on my deck for 12 years. They're gone to the bridge now, but many mornings I forget and look out the back door for them. sigh.

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  26. We giggled that your peeps couldn't tell the difference between the boys and girls and gave the boys girl names ! Where did they learn about the birds and the bees?!! Teeheehee :)
    We are glad that Kisty had your peeps to look after him. He sounds like he had a heart of gold :)

    the critters in The Cottage xo

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  27. great Post! Thnx Narissa! Wes don't has very many ferals around here. The village we lives in does catch and release and our feral population is small now. There is one though. He has been around forever. And he sleeps in a special spot on our neighbor's porch. It must be cool to knows your Daddy!
    Kisses
    Nellie

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  28. Were Kisty and Auntie Primrose mancats too? Thanks for sharing all the stories. We hope all the dads and cat dads had a good day yesterday.

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    1. Sorry... Kisty is what the peeps called Callista, for short. Callista, the mancat. Auntie Primrose is a girl. She's a tortie! And she's fifteen years old!!! purrs

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  29. You know what, Nerissa. I loves all your names. It's kinda fun to confuse the Humans, hahameow! I mean, what makes a name 'girly' anyways???

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  30. Hey Nerissa

    Love your post - it's PAWESOME!!

    Cathrine

    www.cathrine-garnell.blogspot.co.uk

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  31. Hey, Nerissa, you're pretty good with the Shakespeare, there ;-)

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I love hearin' from my pals. I really, REALLY do. PURRS.