Cat TV #2 Oliver "The Verminator"

Let us see? I wonder how this place would be to homestead (built in 1892)? Mouse habitat looks pretty good! Wonder how the owner is to live with? Think I will just have to check it out. And so a young cat with a limping hind leg ventured into this new horizon and finds that there is also another cat residing here. A little older and not as aggressive as one would think. No problem, I can still raid the food dish and stay out of the way, he says to himself. Oh oh! Where did that big black (neighbor's cat King) cat come from?! He is scary! Last night it sounded like he munched on someone pretty bad! I will just have to steer clear of him. He must be a neighbor's cat. Hey, the food dish is not on the deck but I smell something on the back porch and the door is open. Let's check it out, quietly, with no one to see me. Just a little closer, a little closer, rats! I am caught and this lady has me in her arms! What is a cat to do? She is closing the door and now she is handing me something that really smells good. This may not be so bad after all. Think I will just cool it for a while.

Well to make a long story short, a new cat has just been recruited by Mom. What do we call this cat, Mom said to herself? The morning news had something about that Iran Contra Trial and who is on trial, Oliver North? So cat, your name is now Oliver and you are about to have a boot camp physical, get your needed vaccinations, get fixed, and we will check out that rear gimpy leg. Any one residing on this turf will have responsibilities and must be fit.

After that informal adoption (it is questionable by whom?), Oliver lived a quiet life (except for King, the neighbor cat) of mousing and eating, and he usually spent most of his time outside. This went on for approximately five years and then Mom became ill and for about six months, Oliver turned into a caregiver. His duties included being close, under foot and out of the way especially when visitors came to visit. For some reason all the furniture was rearranged to make room for a bed in the dining room area. There were times of visitation that were marked with reserved conversation, business like happenings, adjustment to the new arrangement and the need to go on living, laughter, prayer, more visitors, laughter, rest, more prayer, quiet times of reflection, more laughter, routine, getting outside, feeling the warm sun, hot sun, more intense struggle, resignation, tiredness, happy laughter, dimming laughter, quiet rest, bitter sweet joy and relief. Mom went home to be with the Lord 23 minutes into September 11, 2003 and we found grief and joy in that. And Oliver was adopted into another family with a dog this time and another cat! But knowing the resiliency of Oliver we knew that he would do just fine.


And here he branched out in his job description, one being that of office file investigator requiring abilities to jump high levels, squeeze into tight places, can have no claustrophobia, and possesses good powers of observation. This he did with enthusiasm as he did performing other duties as assigned including office clean up requiring abilities to work in higher places, with minimal disturbance to desk arrangement, and abilities to wipe things clean. He also performed in house planter management not pictured here because of my inability to insert pictures without blowing up the whole composition! And when the day is done, there is nothing like easing back into some folded bed spreads and viewing an outdoor TV program with birds singing in it.

So what did I reaffirm or learn from this exercise?

• In blogging, don't take it seriously because it may just undo all the previous stress prevention measures needed when one blows up a composition.
• SAVE AS DRAFT frequently so one has something to go back to when the first take home message occurs.
• Blogging can be a time sink so only participate in it taking a break from some other essential task.
• Love your animals because they are probably increasing your life span. Only take another when you commit to loving it until death do you part.
• Home hospice is a wonderful caring experience. Be willing to participate in it for your loved ones.
• Insignificant features usually make minimal experiences significant.

PS: I forgot to tell how Oliver got the name Verminator. He moved (in his second home) into a target enriched environment with many mice per square acre around the house. He can bag up to 5 or 6 per day and deposit them near the front of the house. Well, along the front of the property runs a two lane county road that commands enough road kill to warrant a clean up crew (like ravens, crows, and turkey vultures). Oliver's prowess or performance has been so good that this road cleanup crew now stops at our house for a quick meal. and usually I do not have to do the dirty cleanup. Actually Oliver does cleanup some of his trophies but I do discourage this practice. Once I put on a boot in the morning and felt something squirm down next to my toes. Alarmed, I hurriedly took my boot off. Out crawled a mushed lizard one of our previous cats had recruited. There is a lessen in this also.