Whiskey: The Scaredy Cat
-By Ellen Williams

About 10 months ago my husband and I had to put our old cat Malaya down due to illness and old age. Knowing how much this upset me, being the animal lover that I am, my husband when out and bought me another cat. When I first saw this cat I really did not want him as it was too soon after Malaya! Whiskey was already fairly large at the age of 3 months. Gerry brought him to me in a cage and the kitten was crying and crying. He cried all the way home to the village where we live and the drive took an hour. Imagine being in a truck with a crying cat for an hour. You could say that I was almost ready to kill this cat before we even got him home!

Upon arriving home, this cat when let out of the cage, ran all over the house looking for a place to hide. He found one in amongst all the water pipes. His hiding did not bother me at first because I know that cats and sometimes even dogs are frightened when placed in a new environment.

I needed a name for this kitten and could not think of anything to call it. He did not come out of hiding for over a week so I did not have a chance to watch him and see what kind of nature he had. Gerry and I were sitting in the living room one evening having a drink when the subject of a name for this little thing came up again. Up to this time I had been calling him Kitty and Gerry said I really must give him a proper name. As I was drinking a Whiskey Sour at the time and I could think of nothing to call him Gerry said "Oh for Pete’s sake just call him Whiskey" and that is how Whiskey got his name.

After about 10 days I was finally able to coax Whiskey out his hiding place long enough too catch him and pick him up. Our dog Finn became very jealous and wanted to come into my lap as well. Meanwhile Whiskey fought to get away but surprisingly enough he did not scratch me during his struggle! It is now 10 months later and Whiskey has joined us in the bed at night, in fact, he gets to the bed before I do. As soon as he sees me turning out lights and turning off the TV, he knows that it is bed time and he runs for the bed. Each night he climbs into my arms and cuddles for about an hour and then off he goes to prowl the house for the night. He has turned into a mouser!

I think Whiskey had been mistreated during the short months of his life before Gerry brought him too me because whenever someone comes to the house he will run and hide again. In all the time we have had him only two of our friends have ever seen him. Whiskey just disappears when people come and does not come out again until they are gone. Finn and he get along now but just barely. The dog chases him occasionally, but they both can be in my lap at the same time now without fighting which I like a lot. Whiskey will not tolerate being taken outside in fact, he fights like the devil to get back indoors if I try to take him outside. There have been times when I take Finn (the dog) over to the groomers and decide to leave her there for the night and when I do this Whiskey roams the house looking for her and crying. This surprises me as they just barely get along. When I bring Finn home the next day, Whiskey stops crying and tries to cuddly up to Finn but Finn will have no part of that!

I started out not wanting this cat but now I would not give him up for anything in the world. He has become a very major part of the household even if he does run and hide when people come. I only wish I knew what had happened to him to make him so afraid of people and maybe then I could help him more.

FINN THE DOG

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