Ralphie was born in an old sheep shed on my Mom's property about 13 years ago to a wild barn cat. He faced a rough short life there, winters were cold and there was a busy road nearby even for a farming neighborhood. Boys like Ralphie didn't have long lives in the wilds of Idaho.Knowing these things and looking into the face of that little orange fluff ball made me decide to bring him home to live with me. His eyes were still blue and he was still nursing a bit but we had become quite proficient with bottle feeding baby kittens having taken in both Thelma and Louise the year before and needing to bottle feed them both.
Ralphie quickly established himself as a character and quite opinionated too. Never one to shy away from making himself heard when the food bowl ran low he would race ahead to trip you so you were sure to know what he wanted.
Later in life he developed that strange snaggle tooth that I found sooo incredibly endearing.
He always knew when you were having a bowl of cereal and insisted on finishing what was left of the milk in the bottom of the bowl...always.
The dogs feared Ralphie and he knew it. He liked to stand in the path that he knew they wanted to go in because he knew they wouldn't dare go if he would just sit there...calmly, whistling while they danced from paw to paw in anticipation.My grumpy boy.
Forever in my heart.
6-22-2009
9 comments:
What a wonderful tribute to a dearly loved member of the family.
What a wonderful story of Ralphie!
I'm so sorry for your loss. It's so hard to lose our 4-legged friends:(
Your beautiful tribute to Ralphie brought a lump to my throat. I am so sorry for your loss of this endearing and lovable family member.
What a sweet tribute to Ralphie. It's so hard to lose our beloved pets. I'm sorry for your loss.
He's in my heart and my home, too, Debi. Thanks to you, he's loved by many.
Hugs to you.
I guess I missed this when you first posted it. You got me all teary, and I just wanted to tell you that I'm so sorry for your loss. I know it's like losing a little family member, but Ralphie had a great life and was really loved!
I'm so sorry to hear about Ralphie. He was a very handsome fellow. I loved your description of him. He was happy in life and now he'll always be a part of your heart.
Debi, I am so sorry about Ralphie. It is always so hard ... it is really a crime that pets don't have longer lives, as they add so much to our's. Your wonderful pieces of Ralphie art are a great tribute and will allow him to keep putting smiles on people's faces.
Aww, I'm so sorry to read about Ralphie. Last year, right around this same time of year, my kitty Jasper passed on. I still miss him as if it were last week.
Post a Comment