Scooter is a seal-point Siamese mix. He is fourteen years old. He was given to me as a kitten when I was 12. He lived outside for 9 years, as Mom and Dad would not let me keep him in the house. Now he lives inside with me in our own home. When he lived outside, he loved to hunt and to play. He would stay gone for hours throughout the day. When he did come home, he would sleep, and that was all he wanted to do. He could be affectionate, but only when he wanted to be. If you came to pet him, and he was not in the mood, he would get up and walk just out of your reach and lay back down! Now that he has been inside, and has gotten older, he is always affectionate and loving. Some things, however, never change. He is still quite sophisticated, dignified, and proud. If I speak to him in a cutesy voice (as Creampuff loves) he will look at me as if I have lost my mind. At least 3-5 times a day EVERY day, I have to help him wash his face, and I have to do it when he wants! He will grab my hand with his paw, bring it to his mouth, lick my fingertips, and rub the sides and top of his head with them. This is a ritual that must not be missed! He sleeps beside me at night, and he sometimes sleeps on my pillows right above my head. I have woken up several times to find my head not on my pillow at all, as his body covers the entire pillow. So, I reach in the floor for one of the throw pillows, and try to use it as he slumbers peacefully on mine. I definitely don't own Scooter. Scooter owns me, but you will never hear me complain about it.
He also talks. I swear, and others can vouche for me. When he is in the car going to the vet's office, he wails "OME", and it sounds just like "HOME". Of course, once we get out of the car, he nuzzles up to the vet, happy to see her. Scooter is a "people" cat. He likes to be around all people, and he never meets a stranger. Nothing intimidates him (except the vacuum cleaner). He also likes to do what people do. If I sit at the table, he sits in the chair beside me. When I go to bed, he gets on the bed. When I am on the computer, he lays on the desk or beside me, etc. Scooter is my "angel baby".
Scooter was diagnosed with a horrible auto-immune disease that affects Oriental breeds and Maine Coons. It is called Plasmacytic Lymphocytic Stomatitis. It is not curable, but it is managable. If you would like to read about his (our) battle with it, and find out more about this terrible disease, go here... Scooter's Battle. UPDATE: We lost our angel on October 17, 2002. He is resting in Mom and Dad's backyard where he played for so many years. |
