Love for cats; my dear Pookie
As a little girl, I've already gotten crazy about cats. A life without cats I simply can't imagine. I used to go to the horses with my grandfather. The riding stables and racetrack were located on a forest and it was a nice place for the cats to stay. They enjoyed their freedom and independence to the fullest, at the same time they were taken care of. I took every moment to play with the kittens and cuddle (as far as possible). You can imagine that the cats that lived there were not cozy house kittens. Nevertheless, they were pretty friendly. This will have been thanks in part to the dear gentleman (may he rest in peace) who always came to bring good food for them.
At some point kittens were born. I was instantly in love. So sweet and small, with coats so tender and soft.. Every day I went to them, and then spend hours with them in the stable, among the fresh straw. As they got bigger, they started playing more actively, scrambling over me, messing with each other. The most funny were the moments when they realized that the crazy thing that swinging back and forth turned out to be their own tail.
As the little ones got older, I was asked if I wanted a kitten. Yes, of course I wanted to, I'd love to even! But of course that had to be consulted with the home front (my parents). Full of good must, joy and an overdose of enthusiasm I left home. The topic of cats was discussed extensively with me, because of course there is a lot to do when you want to take care of a cat (or any animal). It is a great responsibility where a living creature depends on your good care. In addition to the fact that a kitten is very sweet and cute, you have to take into account that a kitten naturally grows into a full-fledged cat/cat. Which automatically means they don't stay so small and cuddly. In addition, you will have to take care of food, drinks, attributes with which the cat can play (or lose its energy), daily cleaning of the litter box and the corresponding medical care. A cat also needs its daily amount of attention and love. The way in which this is done in practice varies per cat. This has to do with the fact that cats have a peculiar character and like us humans they are each unique. I will pay more attention to this topic in another blog.
Back to the information I received about. cats. Everything was discussed well, taking care of, responsibility and of course not to forget that when you take a kitten (so from an early age), you will be bound to this special animal for an average of the next 14 years (and if you're lucky even longer). For us, that's just a part of our life, for the cat this is all his life. In the end, we all decided to go for it. Only “requirement" was that I take the black kitten, because he appealed to us most. Does the color at the bottom of the line? No, certainly not. De cats die wij hebben gehad waren allemaal verschillend qua kleuren. En ook de cats die momenteel mijn leven verrijken variëren stuk voor stuk.
Toen was daar het grote moment. We went to pick up my very first own kitten. His coat was mostly black, his chin and chest were white, like his paws.. However, just before we came to pick him up, he got acquainted in an unfortunate way with one of the horses, who had stood on one of his feet. His foot was very wounded and so we started immediately with an emergency to the vet. We took good care of him and his paw is well healed. Eventually this paw was black with 1 white toe, super cute. “He" got the name Poekie, He grew well, he liked to eat very much, especially the Gourmet gold pate. Within no time he developed into a tough but affectionate and above all sweet hangover. Eat, drag, play > repeat. Ondanks dat cats van nature jagers zijn, leek dit instinct bij Poekie minder tot uiting te komen. Once upon a time, there was a pigeon in the garden about 2 meters away from Poekie. He saw him, but kept lazing around and enjoying the sun. He wasn't exactly going to make any effort to get up. When I went out the door, he always walked everywhere. Just a message at the store, sir walked along. When I went to school in the morning, he walked all the way up to school. Then he went on the road and back home. When I went home to eat at noon, he was already at home waiting. One time I misjudged him, I had lifted him up and walked with him in my arms, but what I did not realize was that at some point he did not want to be carried anymore. Of course, this resulted in him suddenly making a move to jump out of my arms. His nails touched my face, just under my eyes. I remember when I was very shocked by this, crying with fear, and with misunderstanding, I shouted that he didn't have to come home that night, because at that age I didn't understand why he suddenly acted like this. But once again at home, I quickly realized that I was not mad at him and that I did not want to miss him for any gold. Soon everything was cake and egg. A cat often gives in advance signals to which you can see what, for example, his mood is. This was a wise lesson for me, respect the limits of your cat.
