REMEMBERING PURRECIOUS TIGGY, BCU*
(c)Susan E Dykhuis
Best Cat in Universe*
b.17.08.1985 d.05.09.2000

"Tiggy The Cat on a Hot Tin Stove" photo(c)Susan E Dykhuis


When Mark was 10 going on 11 in 1985, he met Tiggy on a Saturday night in the lobby of his Bubby's apartment building on Bourret Street (named for Mayor Joseph Bourret, 3rd Mayor of Montreal in office 1842–1844.

Tiggy and a beautiful snow white sibling were there with a little girl who was crying her heart and eyes out. This was Saturday, August 21th 1985, exactly one week before Mark's 11th birthday. The golden-haired girl was crying because if the kittens weren't adopted by Monday they would be brought to SPCA ...

Tiggy was a tiny, five-week old version of his Mummy cat. He and Mark played in the lobby with Tiggy climbing up Mark's leg right to his shoulder and that was the instant Mark fell in love. He asked if we could adopt this little five-week old kitten. I love cats -- it was a no-brainer. I told Mark the darling kitten would be his 11th Birthday gift.




Tiggy came home that very night where he co-ruled the Apartment Palace and later The Palace where Murray and I live with our gentle pawed rulers, the cats Norman, Felix and Baby-Rascal.

A week or so later I asked the little blond girl's mother if the other kitten went to the SPCA. She said it had not as another person in the apartment building adopted the kitten.

Today, August 17th 2011 our Tiggy AKA Tiggster, BCU, Angel plus other endearments would be 26 years old! He was a lovely darling and I will miss him to my last breath.

Bobby the Beagle was 6 years old when Tiggy arrived. She promptly 'mothered' Tiggy and took very good care of her strange, feline-like puppy.

Many pet loves in my life, all remembered with great fondness and all alive in my heart.

Tiggy, I still can feel you in the crook of my arm as I fall asleep...Play well at Rainbow Bridge with your buddies, Bobby the dog, and your feline co-rulers of The Palace, Princess, Paddy-Paws and Sasha.


Your =^..^=Mummy aka Susan

Right now a beautiful, very young cat whom I call Ivory lives in the bachelor apartment bathroom and the bathtub there is The Nursery. Her two black kittens whom I've named Licorice and Raven were born on August 5th...so cute. She and her kittens will need good homes when the kittens are 8 to ten weeks old. I love her and it will be hard to part with her.

Rainbow Bridge by Paul C. Dahm
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html

Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here,
that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all our special friends
so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor.
Those who are hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again,
just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing;
they miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.

The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers.
Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

YOU have been spotted and when you and your special friend finally meet,
you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.
The happy kisses rain upon your face. Your hands again caress the beloved head,
and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet,
so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

[Note: "The Rainbow Bridge" is usually wrongly attributed as "Author Unknown," but the author is indeed known. If you use it, please attribute it to Paul C. Dahm.]

REMEMBERING PURRECIOUS TIGGY, BCU*
(c)Susan E Dykhuis
Best Cat in Universe*
b.17.08.1985 d.05.09.2000

"Tiggy The Cat on a Hot Tin Stove"(c))Susan E Dykhuis

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Thinking about what I Eat or Life is Sacred
(c)Susan Elizabeth Dykhuis - 12 August 2011
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Eating animals has bothered me from an early age. Wearing fur is and never will be an option in my life.

I am back to ovo-lacto-veggie diet but one of my sisters is now Vegan. Congratulations to Carol on that.

Carol at one point sent me information which led me to this blog:
http://happyherbivore which you can find on Facebook.

Within the FAQ of the blog is this page:
http://happyherbivore.com/2010/02/top-10-go-vegan-tips

Imho, advice is good and must say, the recipes tried are yummy.

I'm going to make Portobello Steak for me next time I BBQ a steak for Murray. http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/balsamic-portobellos/

Was asked by two different people these questions:

"Why are there no "straight parades?"
"Why do Vegans tell others all about it?"

Been thinking about those questions and have decided on my own answers:

Q: "Why are there no "straight parades?"
A: Straight People have, throughout human history, not had to even think about that because Straight People are the global majority and for the most part, made up all the rules vis-a-vis what is the sexual norm. They defined it as male/female sexual interaction.

The minority people, the Gay people, had to fight hard battles just to be
(a) true to themselves
(b) protected with the same laws as Straights in Democratic societies and
(c) have a major up-hill battle in societies that are theocracies.

Theocracies are a form of government in which a state is understood as governed by immediate divine guidance provided to ruling clergy or other ruling officials.

"Coming Out", "Gay Pride" and Gay Pride Parades were and are necessary tools to get the majority, the Straights, to respect the right of every person to be true to oneself.

My beloved late Mother was way ahead of her generation in accepting and defending the right of the person to be oneself without "hiding in the closet". One of the many things I admired about my Mother...

Q: "Why do Vegans tell others all about it?"
A: Choosing to be Vegetarian or Vegan generally happens when a person re-evaluates why some non-human animals are raised simply to be slaughtered for food. One wonders how the decisions came about to protect certain animals and kill others.

A person thus reasons:
if one respects and loves animal, then:
how can one choose to love and protect a pet rabbit, cat, dog, bird, horse, goldfish, duck and yet say to cows, pigs, sheep, chickens:
You are not pet quality thus you are food.

Most likely many who love cats, dogs, bunnies, ducks et cetera would rather die than eat an animal one has deemed "companion pet". That got many thinking about this, and step by step, some eliminate eating red meat; others eliminate the consumption of all living creatures.

It is a progressive change which brings the minority aka the vegan to the final step:

I will not consume/use/wear any product from or tested on animals
(aquatic, avian, warm-blooded)
nor any product that involves other lives, thus:
not the eggs, not the milk, not the cheese, not the ice cream
not anything derived from them including to name a few:
fur,leather, ivory from tusks, comestics or cleaners tested on animals

Those who are Vegetarian (various degrees) or Vegan are a minuscule part of the 6.94 BILLION humans on Planet Earth have made a good choice. Planet Earth has only so much to give and once all used up, well, do we have another Planet available where we can all move?

My view is we humans globally must make another hard but necessary choice:
Very serious human population control to bring our numbers down to, say,
TWO BILLION.

In 1350 c.e. our numbers were a very manageable 300 million.

And to think we humans continue damming rivers for electrical power, culling various species because we deem them pests or population out of control -- complain about squirrels, skunks, raccoons who invade our (? !!) property: how many of us wonder before our neighbourhood was built, who the previous owner/residents were?

And yet in spite of all of the eco-damage we've done, we still do profess to be the "intelligent" species ... rof lol

Imho, being any level Vegetarian or being Vegan is a personal, moral decision and it is valid and right one for our small Planet. No one is compelled to do so, but please understand how the V people got to where they are today.

So to Carol, to Noreen, to Lorraine, to Cindy: Good on you.



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Thinking about what I Eat or Life is Sacred
(c)Susan Elizabeth Dykhuis - 12 August 2011
_____________________________________

The =^..^=s Blog : TWO KITTENS BORN IN BATHTUB
(c)Susan Dykhuis -- Friday, August 5, 2011 at 3:03am

News Bulletin:
02:58 AM Friday, August 05, 2011

IVORY has two kittens.
1st born at 12:05 AM
2nd born at 12:46 AM


















Ivory came crying for food so I fed her for a few days. Then off to our Veterinarian for a check up. Dr. A on holidays so Dr. L. examined Ivory.

My suspicions confirmed: Pregnant Pussycat.

Brought Ivory into the Realm of the Bachelor Apartment where another rescue, our Prince Baby Rascal rules. "The Bathtub Nursery" is where Ivory chose to birth her kittens. Female cats who have kittens are called The Queen thus Ivory is now The Queen Ivory.

Ivory and babies are on a pillow wrapped with towels. My animal loving friends -- three very special women: Annly, Chereen and Nadia provide advice and help. Annly is our Angel; she rescues countless animals. Chereen and Annly worked together with Dr. A and today Chereen is Dr. Chereen, a DVM. Nadia works ardently finding Foster homes, busy now looking for a good Foster home for Ivory & her babies. They stay with me until a good Foster home is found. Nadia's website: http://www.bellanima.org

In the meantime, the bachelor apartment bathroom is The Nursery … I check on Ivory & kittens frequently. Those eager to meet the kittens already know that for the first few days, the kittens can have no visitors. Ivory is a wonderful mother. I'm lucky as I was the Doula, helping her when the kittens were born!

Kittens are very small and delicate and can not be handled by humans for a while. Ivory lets me move them to groom her but I do this only as necessary. Don't want to alarm Ivory or interfere with kitten/mother bonding.

So far all is well so now am going to bed. At 7:30 a.m. I'll check Ivory & Kittens, feed her, leave fresh water & clean her litter box. Nursing Queen Cats need to eat & drink often.

Turns out I was right: X-Ray not needed to verify pregnancy...

Foster urgently needed.

NEWS FLASH -- UPDATE ON KITTENS
Kittens have been named "Licorice" and "Raven". Two days old, so soft and cute. The Queen Ivory is doing well and is a very attentive mother. The minute I visit, she purrs full volume.

Please, please, please:
Do not abandon your pets. Spay/Neuter your cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits et al. Please do not let them wander around outdoors. It is unsafe for them and they may get lost or worse!


Videoclip of Ivory (c)2001--Susan Elizabeth Dykhuis
* Either Cut & past URL into your browser to view videoclip
* or highlight link

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaMmTVo2cOHvw

then right click mouse for view option.

Photo: Ivory and Kittens(c)Susan Elizabeth Dykhuis 2011-08-05

The =^..^=s Blog : TWO KITTENS BORN IN BATHTUB
(c)Susan Dykhuis -- Friday, August 5, 2011 at 3:03am