OK, OK, my name is Ping
Pong. I'll never forgive the humans I adopted for
calling me such a ridiculous name. Why couldn't
they call me something a little more dignified like
"Caesar" or "Thor"? My
cat friends
still don't know about this and I don't plan on
telling them either.
I was separated
from my mother at an early age and abandoned
in the woods. I can't remember much about those years except
the constant pursuit of food and warmth. On occasion, I'd hang
around human homes looking for scraps of food. There was one
place I eventually began to frequent as I consistently was
attracted to the aromas of food being cooked outside. I later
learned this to be the domain of the Cookout
Kings. Although
these people were often loud and smelly, they never failed to
toss me something to eat. They seemed friendly enough, but I
kept my distance. In the winter I'd sneak up on their porch at
night for at least partial shelter from the cold. One morning, one
of the them came out and gently gestured me inside. I was so
cold and hungry, I had to take the chance. Inside there were not
only more friendly humans, but a virtual buffet of good things to
eat. It was at this point I figured I'd stay. |
One of the places I'm NOT supposed
to be, is on the dining room table.
|
I was pretty beat up and had infected wounds from
fighting other cats and animals. My new friends
took me to this horrible place where people with white coats stuck me with needles
and scared the
hell out me. Now I realize this place was one that cured sick animals. I suppose
I'm thankful for that
but am still angry about being brought back later to have my balls cut off.
My designated feeding area
|
Anyway, life around
the house is really quite pleasant. I sleep
anywhere I want and they even made me a scratching post,
although I still enjoy using the furniture. Being street-smart, my
cohabitants let me come and go as I please. I learned earlier
that the giant animals people call "cars",
attack me whenever
I try to cross the road. While inside, they make me use this
funny little box with weird sand in it to relieve myself. If I choose
to go elsewhere, they make these loud, irritating noises that
seem to be directed at me. So now I just use the frickin box
but sometimes kick the sand out on the floor to get back
at them. |
There's always plenty of food and water in my dish but
I always act hungry in hopes of getting some
human food, which far surpasses the stuff
they give me. I prefer my water from the big white
bowl in the other room but sometimes
there's a cover on it. When I'm outside, I take
great pleasure in pursuing, capturing
and playing with small animals. Unfortunately,
they eventually stop moving, so I either eat them
or leave them at the back door.
My major dislikes are dogs,
thunder and vacuum cleaners. Some
of my favorite things are sleeping with my human friends, lying in
the sunlight, purring, night-hunting, and table scraps. Once in a
while they give me catnip. This is great fun, but it seems to amuse
my humans more than me. I just end up passing out and feeling
like crap the next day.
Yep, life's pretty good. As long as my human friends remember
who's boss around here, everything will be just fine.
Meowingly Yours, Ping Pong
 |
ZZZZZZ----ZZZZZZ----ZZZZZ
|
A Message from my Translator: Thousands of our domesticated,
animal friends are abandoned,
abused or needlessly killed every year. If you ever confront a stray, please
extend your heart
and try to help him out. The rewards can change your life. If the animal appears
sick or
dangerous, it may be best to contact your local animal rescue. If you're interested
in adopting
a pet or helping out in any way, please check out the following links. These links
are
particular to the area I live in. For your own local animal rescue establishment,
check your
phone book, your town or city government or type in "animal rescue"
(followed by your state
and city) into any reliable search engine (i.e. www.google.com
). Thank You, Steve Branch
Ping Pong died June 15, 2005.
As is common with many older cats, his kidneys were failing. We finally
perceived his discomfort to be greater than his zest for life, and had him euthanized. He
was a great friend and companion. We truly loved him and will miss him dearly.
Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire
http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/rescueleague.html
Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire - Donations and Support
http://members.petfinder.org/~NH03/donate-online.html
Goffstown Animal Hospital
http://www.goffstownanimalhospital.com
Salem Animal Rescue League (NH) http://www.sarl-nh.org
(Thx Brian & Bev)
(UTAH) Best Friends Animal Society - the
nation's largest santuary for abused and abandoned animals
http://www.bestfriends.org |
