Feathers Fur and Fins part 3.

We moved to Hilton, into an old vintage house, with big rooms, a fire place and a big backyard. Ebony, now older but still small in stature, had become part of the family. She had a wild look in those yellow eyes and enjoyed racing through the house chasing feet. It wasn’t long until another little fur ball joined the family too. She came into our world one stormy night, amidst thunder and heavy rain. After the storm had past, I was assessing the damage in the rear garden when I saw a very distressed cat trying desperately to squash herself down between the fence and the garage wall. She was crying, reaching in desperation for something that she knew was down there. I approached slowly, but as soon as she became aware of me, she bolted, over the fence and away. Curious as to what it was she was trying to reach I craned my neck too look into the small space between the structures and could only see leaves and spiders webs. I used a broom handle to prod the foliage a bit and then I heard it, the faintest mew. After a little more movement of the debris I managed to push the messy bundle of twigs and rubbish to within my reach. I slowly wrapped a tea towel that I had pulled from the line around my hand and gathered up the squirmy bundle, after a quick wipe down, there she was, not more than 4 weeks old eyes still tightly shut... a smokey grey, with a white tip on her nose.

It took many a day to get her healthy and there were times I though the little grey smudge would not pull through, after 4 hourly feeds, many a warm bath to remove the fleas, she slowly started to fatten up, and even though I checked regularly to see if her mum had returned, we never saw her again.

I named her Kitt Katt, she was a very odd little thing, Ebony accepted her with a turned up nose and a look of annoyance but the two ended up being best of friends.

Kitt Katt was a smoky grey, long haired blue eyes wonder, she had a fondness for ear wax, (yes, you heard right) and loved to suckle on your arm even as an adult (A throw back I think to being abandoned at such an early age.)

She was a stronger spirit then Ebony too and constantly wandered and explored the neighbourhood. She lost a few lives, taking on cars, and the odd dog. She was truely fearless. It was around the same time Keltic entered my life, he was a Border collie kelpie x with a hint of staffy.

He was given to us from a friend, as the runt of his litter of 13. AJ brought him home one day, in his arms, and as soon as I saw him my heart melted. He looked like a little bear, and that first night he slept in my arms, his head upon my chest.

Keltic was my boy, he was my first child; I doted on him, and spoilt him rotten. AJ liked him, but the bond was not as tight. As Keltic grew he bonded to me, and saw me as his matriarch, and was my protector when AJ worked the night. I realize now how much I depended on him and how much he meant to me. He looked like a black wolf, with brindle on his flanks, he was so majestic and still scary to those who didn’t know him...He used to sit by me in the lounge room and grown when someone came to the door. I remember one night I had gone to bed, and AJ was working back, when he finally came home, he came into the bedroom, got into his PJs and went to pull the blanket back. Keltic was asleep on the bottom of the bed at my feet. As AJ started to get into the bed, Keltic started to growl, a low growl at first. But it was audible. AJ growled at him, and Keltics defences kicked in.  He bailed him up and I had to put my hand on his head and hush him. That was the first time I noticed how much he was my dog. And from that day, the relationship between him and AJ was strained.

Keltic was with me for 18 years, he saw many a pet come and go, he also was my children’s protector, and slept under the cot and walked next to the pram for both my son and daughter. He also had a fondness for playing ball and would fetch until exhaustion. He did have a game that was reserved for him and AJ only. It was called Pastey; AJ would pick up a tennis ball and aim it at Keltic, instantly he would be up, in full flight and screaming around the yard. Watching AJ and where he was, and dodging and weaving waiting for the ball to come his way. The object of this game was for AJ to hit Keltic with the ball. (Which I might add never happened because out of the two of them, Keltic was the more agile and swift). But Keltic loved the game; he had a wild look in his eyes when he saw AJ set up to play.

We moved to Willetton not long before the birth of my son, Keltic, Kitt katt and Ebony in tow, this house was bigger, and the yard was more dog friendly. As our last real estate agent had a thing about dogs.

This also was when the animal members of the family changed yet again, one left with tragedy, one joined when we needed her. And others well, they just kept on showing us their love.

But Ill share those stories next time.