Puddy Cat's Life Story
October 2004 to November 21st 2019

Click image for enlargement.

In the fall of 2004 our previous senior cat, Lucy, died and Riley was lonely so we went looking for a kitten. We had a Himalayan or a long haired, calico or orange female in mind. Nobody seemed to have one. On October 17th Sheila went to check at a local pet store and found that they had several kittens. On asking for see a female she was given an fluffy orange and white, and a tiny - barely six-week old - short haired tabby.

The orange kitten totally ignored being examined. The other snuggled into her hands as if saying "Get me away from all those big bullies!" The rest is history.

Riley was a big 2 year old. Puddy took one look - hissed - and was the boss from that day on. She stole his toys, chased, and wrestled, and they became fast friends.

(17:10:2004)
By the time Christmas rolled around she was "helping" print the Christmas letters.

(14:12:2004)
If there was a camera in sight she was ready to pose.

That gorgeous coat is called "ticked tabby" and indicates an Abyssinian somewhere in her background. Each coloured hair has white, black, and brown - which made her an equal opportunity shedder!

(21:03:2005)

Her approval was needed for every knitting, weaving, or woodworking project that had its picture taken - a lesson learned quickly from Riley who learned it from Schroeder.

(06:02:2005)

Always active - she loved the laser pointer and could hear it being picked up from across the house

(27:03:2005)
She also like the feather on a stick. When she caught it, it was HERS. she went through several of them.

(09:01:2006)

Being short haired, she was always cold. Her favourite places to be warm (besides Sheila's lap) were on hot air registers and the clothes dryer. She appeared as soon as laundry started and waited impatiently for the first load to go in the dryer. Warm sheets, fresh out of the dryer, were good too.

(28:11:2007)
As indoor cats, "bird TV" was always a favourite - either at the patio door or perched in a window sill.

(16:05:2007)
When the iPad appeared, it was the bane of Pud's life. She put up with knitting, but she resented the amount of time the iPad took attention away from her, and didn't like it leaning on her. At first she tried to always be in the middle, then she went to "boycatting" the lap until it was put down.

(2010)

Still posing - by middle age she had put on some extra weight!

(16:04:2012)
In 2013 we moved from the only home she'd known to a new house in Courtenay. At first she wasn't pleased, but forgave us when she discovered the sunny spot by the south facing patio door - moving sparkles from the "disco" ball were a bonus.

(10:10:2013)

She also approved of the gas heater in the basement, and that the living room fireplace here is closer to floor than the one in Kelowna. You've seen all the photos of her, tummy side up, in the warm places!

(18:10:2013)
In the fall of 2014 Riley died, and just after Christmas we brought Shadow home to keep her company. She didn't initially approve, so it was almost a year later before we caught them sharing a chair, but they eventually got to be friends. She was still the "boss."

(28:11:2015)

Getting on in years, she was still in the middle of everything, like taking down the Christmas decorations.

(04:01:2018)
Posing again - she had lost a little of the weight as she was taking pills to keep her hyperactive thyroid in check.

She was also the best alarm clock in the house - telling us when it was time to get up and making sure we knew when it was time for her supper!

(11:03:2018)

Happily bird watching to the end of her days.

We will miss her daily instructions and warm purr.

(16:11:2019)
Click the Home button below to return to the main button menu.