Monday, July 25, 2011

#201-AN UNLIKELY HERO

My mother, God rest her soul, had a number of interesting interactions with MY pets over the years.  Here is one of the stories.

In 1963 I was living with my parents in Palm Desert, California.  My first husband, and the father of my son, had just bailed on us and I came home to have our baby.

Ugly sitting on the deck by the pool.
I brought with me an unusual cat which I named Ugly.  She was a small irascible kitten when I found her and was extremely emaciated.  Her head and paws were much larger than the rest of her body which gave her a strange look.  Plus, she was a weird multi color (which, I found later, to be called tortoise shell) and had a short tail, (with a crook at the end) hence the name Ugly.  This cat NEVER uttered a single meow! Instead she would chatter like a squirrel!  She even had a  strange habit of flinging herself from trees as if she imagined herself to be a flying squirrel.  She was so in tune with me that she started labor when I did.  In fact, I had to deliver her 3 kittens before I went to the hospital myself.

This story happened around June of that year when my parents were having a swimming pool built in their back yard.  The pool crew had dug a gigantic hole in which to burry their debris.  It was about eight foot deep and several yards from the pool.  We all knew it was there and was very careful to skirt the pit during the day (key phrase).

One night Mom was out back doing some yard work.  You see, it was during the summer and day time temperatures were extremely hot d (and barely tolerable at night).  The yard had been landscaped with flood lights on various shrubs and trees (another key phrase).   The lighting cast a shadow across the area of the pit (see where this is going?).  As Mom cut across the yard she stepped off into hell!

I was in the front room which had a large picture window looking out onto the back porch and beautifully landscaped back yard.  The sound from the television and air conditioning made it impossible to hear anything from outside the house.   I sat comfortably, sipping iced tea (and probably watching Red Skelton on TV),  as Mom was hollering her lungs out .  The only one who came to her call was my cat, Ugly, and her three kittens (Larry, Moe, and Curly).   Ugly would appear at the edge of the hole,  peer down, chatter, and then disappear while her kittens ran around and around the edge knocking sand/dirt/gravel down onto Mom.  Ugly, would return periodically, chatter a message, and then disappear again.

Now from my vantage point I could see Ugly come to the sliding screen door and paw the screen, then she would disappear.  A few minutes later she would come to the screen door again and rattle it even harder.  This went on for quite a while and each time she would get more aggressive with the screen door.  Finally, she plastered herself two feet off the porch floor, in the middle of the screen and shook it like a crazed monkey on meth.

Finally, I got up to see what was going on.  When I opened the glass door Ugly took off, chattering up a storm as she darted off the back porch.  I stood there watching her disappear into the dark.  I was curious about her behavior but, not curious enough to step into the blistering heat.  Then, as I was closing the door I head a little sound and my mother's voice shakily uttering, "Hhhheeeelllllllpp!

 I ran out  into the scorched night and Ugly came up to greet me then took off again.  When I realized what had happened, I said, "Hang on Mom I need to get a light and ladder."  I reversed myself to the garage for a ladder and a flashlight.  Upon returning I gazed down upon a beleaguered, dirty, (no, muddy from the sweat) mother who still had a little spunk left in her as she said, “Well, hell!  "It’s about time you got out here!"

Ugly, sitting in the front room.
And, yes kit looks a lot like her.




Mom was OK, and what interested us the most was how the actions of my cat, Ugly, brought me to my mother’s rescue.  You see, it was not uncommon for my mother to stay out past midnight working in the yard.  In just a few more minutes I would have gone to bed and probably never found her until morning.   Who would have thought that a cat could deliberately communicate the need for help.

PS:  And you might as well say it, because I know you were thinking it.  Yes, I take after my mother.


Also, my regular followers are probably thinking that Kit looks a great deal like Ugly.....Yep, sure does!






Next Monday = #202 - ALL FIRED UP!
And be sure to see my favorite story on Aug. 29th 
kt 7/2011


17 comments:

  1. Ugly was on smart cat! That is such a cool story. I LOVE kitties ;)

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  2. I meant "one" not "on" LMAO! I could take a few lessons from Ugly ;)

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  3. Animals are amazing. My dogs wake me up sometimes in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. We have concluded that it is usually because my blood sugar is low. At least it seems that every time they wake me my blood sugar is low and when they let me sleep the night it is fine. Weird. I'm so glad you posted today. how is your father?

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  4. I had no idea the cats did such things. That's truly fascinating. Good thing Ugly was there to help your mom.

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  5. That was one smart cat! :) We should all be so lucky to have a cat like Ugly!

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  6. Ugly was one amazing cat! Like Melynda's "alarm clock" dog, some animals are here for a reason.

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  7. What a great story! The hero cat (the Lassie parallel was amazing, only your mother was in a hole instead of a well) and your accident prone mother make for a great team. I just can't imagine a company getting away with digging a garbage pit in someone's yard today!

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  8. Ugly was a hero and you and your mom were both quite amazing. I love this story the best because it is about my neck of the woods!

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  9. Hey woman! Thanks for stopping by. Fishducky is a card. I hope she gets to know you because honestly she has me rolling constantly.She refuses to have a blog although we have all requested her to start one,She prefers to just read and be the comment queen. At which she excels so who am I to complain.
    As for my surgeries, they have been numerous and I am mostly used to them but sometimes it gets to me. This one in particular is hard for me to deal with. They are removing the lens in my eye and replacing it in hopes to keep the pressure down. If that doesn't work then they will put a stint in my eye, if that doesn't work then they will have to remove the eye. That's the part that is freaking me out a little. Although i would make the cutest little pirate ever (note the sarcasm) I would prefer it not to be a part of my daily life. lol
    So the surgery has been rescheduled for next thurs the 4th because they have to build me a lens that matches the left eye so I don't look like a complete tard, or I guess quasimoto. That would not be good. Thanks for praying for me and if you think about it I'd appreciate it if you continued.
    I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I know that it's hard, but if he is ready maybe he'll be happier up in heaven. At least that's how I look at these things when I have to deal with lose..Thinking of you and praying for you. Melynda

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  10. I'm trying to imagine a cat that sounds like a squirrel. Ugly might be ugly, but turned out to be pretty smart! Yours is the third blog I've read this month that has had a reference to Red Skelton! For some reason I've been missing your blog in my blog roll. Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary in blogging!

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  11. FISHDUCKY... ... ... WHEN THAT HAPPENS IT IS BECAUSE I MESSED UP AND ACCIDENTALLY POSTED ONE BEFORE ITS TIME. "OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES" IS SUPPOSED TO GO UP ON MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY (AUGUST 29TH). YOU SEE, ON BLOGGER, A PERSON CAN SCHEDULE SEVERAL POSTS FOR MONTHS AT A TIME. THAT IS GOOD FOR ME BECAUSE SOMETIMES I'M IN THE MOOD TO WRITE AND SOMETIMES I'M IN THE MOOD TO WATCH OLD RED SKELTON SHOWS. RED USED TO LIVE DOWN THE ROAD FROM ME (WHEN I LIVED IN CATHEDRAL CITY EONS AGO) AND I ADORED HIM. HE WOULD THROW A BIRTHDAY PARTY ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND INVITE ALL THE KIDS IN THE AREA. HE WAS THE ENTERTAINMENT. MY SON AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE PARTIES. HE WAS THE SWEETEST OLD MAN I HAVE EVER MET..............kt

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  12. What a wonderful story! And what an amazing cat. I laughed at the thought of you postponing your own delivery to help the cat. Maybe she thought she owed you. :-)

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  13. Hello you. Glad you stopped over! She is a sweet little thing and so much fun! I had a blast with her at the garage sales.

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  14. Thanks for stopping over!!! I keep checking your blog to see if you have posted!!! I miss reading your frequent posts!!!! Glad to hear things are slightly less hectic, but sorry to hear about your dad!! Will pray for him!!!

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  15. what a smart cat. The name made me laugh :D I love weird names for animals. My cat is a Martini :)

    animals are smart... I love this story :)

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  16. I love animal stories...and this one was so neat. I wonder...it isn't possible that your cat could have been part squirrel? Naw! Just a thought.
    You tell a great story! :) What would we do without out animals?!

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  17. I came here by way of Jumble Mash. August 29th is a very good day... It's my birthday, too!

    Loved you cat story. What a hero she was! I'm a cat lover, too but we can't have one because my son-in-law is deathly allergic to them. So, we have a little yorkie named Maisey.

    enjoyed reading your blog. did you ever find out where JM's dad went? haven't heard from him in ages.

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