Phoebe's Gallery of Friends

proudly presents

Bonnie's Babies

Taj, my first, was adopted from North Shore Animal League when he was just 8 wks old in July, 1978. He was a seal pt Siamese who remained my best friend until his recent passing in June at the age of 21 yrs old. Taj was so smart, brave and loyal. He thought he was a dog and would fetch balls and greet me at the door every day of his life. He actually spoke to me, calling me "Maw". He had several different sounds and I swear he could talk as clear as a bell. Every night, he would snuggle in bed with me, sleeping on top of my shoulder with his paw over my chest. His purr was so loud. He was a joy to wake up to. He suffered from chronic arthritis which developed when he was about 17 and bravely fought CRF which developed at 18. Earlier in his life, at 3 yrs old, Taj had survived death after hiding in my clothes dryer after I inadvertently neglected to secure the door. I turned the machine back on to complete the cycle without knowing he had snuck inside. After a couple of minutes, I heard the thumping and to my horror, there he was, in between the dry towels. I wrapped him in a towel and raced to the shower, hoping the cold water would lower his body temp. Then, with Taj in my arms, I raced to the vet. Although it was touch and go for awhile, Taj survived with a scarred ear and asthma. I stopped feeling guilty about this incident when Taj turned 21 on June 5, 1999. Although he bravely fought the CRF, his muscles had deteriorated to the point where I had no choice other than to help him cross the Bridge on June 23, 1999.

Taj is survived by his soul mate Jazzmine who is at least 18 years old and battling CRF since her diagnosis just after Taj's death. She is also a seal pt Siamese although I didn't know it at the time I rescued her straight from the jaws of death in 1981. She had been found in the basement of an apartment house, badly beaten. Some kids had thrown her down the trash chute after tormenting her. She was brought into the vet clinic with a broken hind leg, ear mites, mange, worms, etc , but when the person who brought her in never returned, the vet was preparing to euthanize her. My sister who worked there stopped him as he was preparing the needle and said I was adopting her (without my knowledge!). So, a week or so later, Jazzmine arrived, all 4 lbs of her with a huge cast where they had pinned her leg. Taj and Jazz fell in love immediately and there was no question that Jazzmine was staying. It actually took years for her to warm up to humans, but with Taj's guidance she eventually learned to trust. She went into a deep depression following Taj's death, refusing to eat, sleep in her bed or cat napper and would just stare at blank empty walls. I was back and forth to the vet with her on a weekly basis as she became impacted, developed an URI, etc. After three weeks of watching her stare at blank walls, I decided that I needed another companion for her immediately. The vet had a feral kitten who needed a home. He was only 10 wks old and had been trapped with his mom and littermates 3 wks earlier. Apparently his first home didn't work out. The adopters claimed this little kitty had growled at their kids and tried to bite. Anyway, I looked at this little tiger kitty during one of my visits with Jazzmine and showed him to Jazz through the cage. The vet assistant took him from the cage and put his face up to Jazz. She hissed. He tried to lick her. I took him home July 4, 1999.

Caesar (the brat cat as I call him) brought new life to Jazzmine. A few days after his arrival, Jazzmine gradually turned away from the blank walls and started checking out the kitten, using his little litter box and sleeping his little bed. And she became more interested in me too, probably out of jealousy. They love each other. Caesar is relentless in pursuing her. He kneads her, grooms her, purrs and rubs against her. However, a healthy, vibrant kitten can be a shock to an older cat as well as a blessing. He started chasing Jazzmine all over the house, and I became worried that he was getting to be "too much" for an 18 year old geezer meezer with CRF who was now on a variety of meds. Since there was no question about returning him to a homeless state, my only option was to adopt an older male who might put the kitten in his place and teach him some manners. That cat was or, is, Simba.

Simba is a big and beautiful seal point Ragdoll (almost 2 yrs old). He was abandoned by his former owner who couldn't care for him anymore because of personal difficulties. He went from a no kill shelter to a Tennessee foster mom affiliated with the SICC a Siamese rescue organization. I came across his photo on their web site in August and just had to have him. For me, it was love at first sight when I retrieved him from LaGuadia Airport and took him from his carrier. Although he has only been here for less than 3 months, he is so well integrated. He is simply a love muffin.

My household has changed radically in such a short time. For years, I was the caretaker of two older Siamese cats who were completely in sync with each other. When Taj died, I mourned the beauty of their relationship as much as I mourned him. But, I am now truly blessed with 3 very different kitties at different stages of their life who get along surprisingly well in such a short period of time. They act as if they were lifelong friends. The older two absolutely adore the kitten who is now 6 months old. I have attached some photos because words cannot describe how well they all get along. Imagine seeing all three snuggled together in a cat napper, or the kitten trying to imitate Simba when he does his ragdoll rollover floppies on the floor. I can truly attest to the fact that shelter kitties are the best. Bonnie