The Bobbcat Ranch
by Left
My Mom is always talking about the Bobbcat Ranch,
so I decided to check it out and see what all the fuss is about. I picked
up the phone and called the Ranch, asking to speak to Faith. The voice
on the other end said "Hello Left, you handsome fellow. I am thrilled
that you asked me for an interview. Purrrrr..."
Well, I hadn't expected that reaction, so I said, "If I asked you
to introduce yourself to the Zine audience, what would you say?"
There was a long pause, and then the voice on the other end said."Welp,
my full name is Faith Marie but those close to me call me Faithy. I
got my name because I was born on Good Friday. I'm a lady feral who
smurgled my way into my humans home, and heart, when I was a kitten.
I am a short haired cat of many colors, mainly brown, white and tan."
she added with a chuckle.
"Hummm, a cat of many colors, well that does sound interesting,
tell me Faithy, how did the Bobbcat Ranch came into existance?"
I asked, my curiosity has now been aroused by this interesting creature.
"The way Meowmie tells it," said the lovely voice on the phone,
"there was only one feline who owned them when they moved here
14 years ago. Her name was Annie and she was one of the early CLAW cats.
Then Meowmie found 2 female ferals hanging out in the back yard and
she started to feed them. Whoops! Next thing she knew, there were more
cats then she could count living out there, with mamma cats giving birth
to big litters and all the queens taking turns kitten-sitting and it
got overwhelming for Meowmie. The neighbors were not thrilled either.
Meowmie found a great human organization called PAWS and they helped
trap all the kitties, and found homes for most of them, except for the
ones mom wanted back who now live in the yard. We call them the outside
kitties."
"The ones outside now were already adults and they were too wild
to like indoor life, but they are sweet to Meowmie. You have to get
ferals when they are kittens to get them human friendly, or they will
never be house cats. I was one of the kittens born out there before
the big trap event happened, so I was already inside by that time. All
my house mates were born outside. There are 7 of us all together, and
the name Bobb Cat Ranch just fit.
I know it isn't nice to ask a female her age, so instead, I asked her
how long had she lived at the Bobbcat Ranch? "I was born in the
back yard with 3 siblings a little over 10 years ago. So, I've always
been a Bobb Cat. I was never afraid, and would go inside the house and
sniff everything, the humans fell in love with me so I got to stay inside.
Faith I know you mentioned that you belonged to CLAW, but do you belong
to any groups now that Claw is closed? "Well now, I am a member
of Petsburgh, the Back Fence Cat Club, I get to show off my photos in
Henri's Fabulous Feline Fotographers group each month, but the group
that is my second family is not actually a club, but a bunch of forever
friends called the Sneaky Paws. The Sneaky Paws have been together since
early CLAW, and as original members journey to Rainbow Bridge, a housemate
or sibling takes the open spot and so I got in when Penny made her journey.
I love everyone in that group, Faith said with a smile.
It is my understanding that everyone has a favorite
toy, what is your favorite toy Faith? "I am too stubborn to play
with toys, but I do so love to take a run and tackle the scratching
post in the living room. I pretend it is one of my pesky housemates
and then it is a joy to attack."
Everyone always asks this question when they do an interview, so I am
going to ask it too, Faith how did you find your forever home? "Oh
that is easy enough to answer," said Faith, "I lucked out
and got born in the back yard. Many, many feral kittens never make it
to adulthood and never find a forever home, but my sisfur, Pretty, and
I are two of the lucky ones.""
"Do you have a wink Faithy?" I asked. "Haha! Left! Who
would want a goof ball like me? Nope, no one has ever even asked me
for a date. Well, Penny's old wink, Murph, escorts me sometimes to events
but I am sweet 10 and never been kissed". At first I laughed, then
suddenly it dawned on me that I am in the same boat, so I replied, "Don't
feel bad Faithy, I am not doing very well in the dating department myself."
I decided that it would be safer to change the subject, I next said,
"Faith Tell me about your hobbies, and what is your human's hobbies."
Faith thought about it for a minute and replied. "We try to keep
Mom so busy that she doesn't have time for hobbies, but when she gets
a little time, she reads or plays with her DS, or Pogos online, or thinks
of new things to add to the outside shelters. She wants to take up painting
and has gotten all the artist stuffs, but she still hasn't started painting
yet...sigh."
What state do you live in Faith, tell me where you would like to live
if you could move" I asked the cat of many colors. "I live
in the state named for my departed housemate, Penny. I live in Pennysylvania.
I always wondered how she got them to name a state after her. It's fine
in spring, summer and fall, but in the winter it is no fun at all. Everyone
is stuck inside, including Meowmie, because she doesn't drive, and we
all get grumpy, and cranky, and bored. I hear the humans talk about
moving now and then, and in the country is all they can come up with.
Some place where it is warm all year would be heaven .... Hmm, you live
where it is warm all year don't you Left? Do you have a wink?"
After I stopped choking and stuttering, my ears returned to their natural
pink and the shock wore off, I told Faithy that indeed I did live in
a place where it is warm all year long, but forgot to tell her that
I too, was a single cat.
So Faithy, we have talked about how you got your
name, and a little about the Bobbcat Ranch, but do you have any last
minute advice for the youngsters out there? "Yes," said Faith,
"appreciate what you have and don't envy the kitties living outside.
It is a hard life, many get run over by cars, or starve, or the weather
gets too bad for them, so when you see them out your windows, say a
purr for them and go back and enjoy the loving home you have."
and with that bit of advise, Faith said goodybe and went back to her
work.
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