|
 |
| 
|
| Name: |
Jersey, Holstein
|
Age: |
Seven and a half years old
|
| Gender: |
male, Female
|
Kind: |
Domestic Shorthair
|
| Home: |
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
|
Introducing Holstein and Jersey, my two Wisconsin Kitties
The two kittens I was blessed to adopt from Chasing Daylight Animal Shelter (CDAS) located in Tomah, Wisconsin on December 8, 2013 had rough starts in life. Lapsa was less than a month-old when she was discovered in a barn with her feral mother and two dead siblings, covered in fleas, sick, and starving and taken to CDAS. Teton, along with his mother, three sisters, and two brothers, was taken by police from a house where they lived with very little food and water provided by illegal drug manufacturers who lived there.
The emaciated and ill mother and her six babies were delivered to CDAS and the excellent staff and local veterinarians brought them all to excellent health. The cats spent the rest of the Summer and Fall and Winter in complete safety and covered with love and all, including the mother of the six kittens, ended up being adopted.
October 7, 2013 was a very sad day. My dear Newton, an all-black cat that I adopted when she was a tiny kitten on December 27, 1999 at Animal Control, Great Lakes Naval Base, Illinois, died suddenly, close to her 14th birthday. She was my special girl. Loved her so much. After grieving her for two months and one day, I drove over to the well-known animal shelter located just south of town hoping to adopt another all-black kitten AND also an all-white kitten IF they had them available, knowing that was not likely to happen.
Anyway, I walked to into the shelter and introduced myself and the incredible director of the world's best animal shelter a nice lady named Gina, took me to a large room that they called JUNGLE LAND.
Dozens of kittens and adult cats roamed free in this room packed with cat trees, cat toys, water bowls with fountains, and food dishes. The very first cat that I noticed as I walked in was a four-and-a-half-month-old male brown tabby. He was perched on a wooden pedestal and reached out at me with his left paw (I later learned that 80% of male cats are left-handed). I picked him up and he was so affectionate. I carried him over to Gina and asked what cats he got along with and she smiled and replied, "Teton gets along with everyone." I put him down and watched him go around the room playing with other cats and told Gina that I wanted to adopt him and also another kitten.
Almost adopted an orange kitten to go home with me and Teton, but noticed Teton playing and napping with a five-and-a-half-month-old female tortoiseshell kitten and informed Gina that I wanted to take her home instead of the orange kitten. Her name was Lapsa and I was told that she and Teton spent a lot of time together. They were close to the same age, from different litters, and were filled with love for each other and were super affectionate to me when I held them.
What is funny now, all of these years later, is how I remember that Holstein (the former Lapsa) was actually larger than Jersey (the former Teton) at the time. That changed quickly though, as they grew up. Holstein is now a petite, pretty girl about 7.8 lbs. and Jersey is a big handsome man cat at around 14.6 lbs.
was in the Army and was preparing to retire soon and move back to Ohio and, since I had adopted these two precious cats in Wisconsin, I wanted to give them new names that would remind me of where I had been blessed to meet them. So, with Wisconsin being well-known as The Dairy State, I named Lapsa Holstein and Teton's new name was Jersey.
Took Jersey and Holstein home and they immediately took over our little apartment and 99% of my grief from losing my special girl, Newton, two months earlier disappeared.
Holstein and Jersey are both seven-and-a-half-years-old now and they give me constant joy. I was so blessed to be led to these two precious ones and adopt them.
Roger Blakely is a retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Four and is the author of The Artemus Newton Thrillers available at Amazon in Paperback and eBook formats and resides with Holstein and Jersey in Fairborn, Ohio.
|
Talk about Jersey and Holstein in Pet Talk!
|
|
|
|
