Taj's story
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63653)
United States
August 21, 2008 7:38pm CST
I just thought I'd share the story about how my sweet Taj came into my life. This all happened in 2002.
It was Friday afternoon, I had just come home from work, it was, I think April 28th or there abouts. I had just tossed my leftover ice into the yard when I heard a loud kitten "yowl!"
I stopped in my tracks. "That was a kitten." Yes, I said it aloud.
I put my cup down and started calling "kitty, kitty."
We had this "dead zone" of dirt (that has now been covered in concrete) that the former roommate had wanted to put plants in. I had piled up some cinder blocks and stuff there and then later had dumped a fake ivy out on top. I heard another, softer "yowl" and started pulling that fake ivy away.
Under the ivy, pressed up to the house was this little buff kitten. Of course I scooped him up and cooed at him. I climbed back out of the stuff and grabbed my cup, unlocked the front door and went inside.
Now normally I would come in and the former roomie would start in on me - "Elic, I need..." I put my cup down and went in to her.
"I can't stay, I've got to run this guy to the vet," I told her.
"Let me see. Awwww, who is this?"
"I just found him out front, I need to run him to the vet," I said.
"Let me pet him first."
"Okay," I held him out to her. "But I want to get there before they close."
"I know, but, awww..."
I left, got back in the car and ran him right over to the vets.
The vet weighed him - 1 lb, that made him about 4 weeks old. He gave him some fluids because he was a little dehydrated and gave him a quick ear cleaning.
Now, the thing is that I was leaving town right about that time, I can't remember exactly when, but Taj needed a little "bottle time" because while most kittens are ready for solids, if mom was only providing milk, that's what he still needed some of.
The former roommate spent most of her time in bed and had him in a carrier next to her bed and fed him while I was out of town.
You would think he would've bonded to her, and he did some, but he really bonded to me.
And after he spent a week in a tree 3 years ago, he is even more bonded to me.
4 people like this
16 responses
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
22 Aug 08
Taj reminds me of our cat, Itty. We named her Itty because she was an itty bit of a thing when my daughter brought her to us. She was so tiny. Hubby brought her to sleep with us the first night. He didn't want her to be out in the living room alone. We had another cat that wasn't too happy to see her. She hissed and swatted at the poor little thing. Itty didn't care. She would run up to Benta hoping to get some attention. We had to keep them away from each other for a while until Benta adjusted. She never really adjusted 100% to having Itty in the house. She has accepted her presence though....as long as she remembers who rules the roost that is!
@ElicBxn (63653)
• United States
22 Aug 08
Yeah, that sounds kind of like the kittens we have now, except they found some accepting "uncles" to care for them. I've found that males actually accept babies better than females - except for Zu.
Taj was taken under the paw of our dear, departed Henry. He did a good job of showing Taj the "cat walk."
2 people like this
@lagirl1966 (709)
• United States
28 Nov 08
Taj reminds me of my cat stuffy. My husband (now divorced) found him in an engine of a car at work and brought him home. I don't know why. He never really liked cats and was mean to him later on. Anyway, stuffy looked just like him! And he was only 3 weeks old. So tiny. I had to feed him with an eye dropper at first. Luckily, I had him for 18 years. He passed away in 2004. I really still miss him. Taj is so adorable! Did he get alot bigger? My stuffy was a tom cat I think and got really big.
1 person likes this
@lagirl1966 (709)
• United States
28 Nov 08
So glad Taj is doing good! Sorry I didn't see this post till now so ignore my other response. My cat Boots is 4. I hope Taj lives to be a ripe old age!!
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
22 Aug 08
wow..that is very sweet..Thanks for sharing the story! I know this will inspire also for all the people who loves cats..I always saw one in our backyard who is looking for food and she will always run away when I will open the door...she is big though..maybe our neighbors cat!
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63653)
• United States
22 Aug 08
There are a couple of young cats hanging out taking Mitten's, our outside cat, food. I call them Casanova and the Gentleman Caller. But they won't let me get near them. I'd like to, to catch them and get them fixed - I'm guessing they are male, but that's a pure guess.
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
22 Aug 08
he was probably more meant for you to have. plus, maybe he was thanking you for rescuing him and finding him and helping him. he probably thought u were his real mother. u were probably the first face he saw when he finally opened his eyes and he was very small. since his mother wasnt there, he automatically thought u were her, and it stuck--u r his birth mother now...
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63653)
• United States
22 Aug 08
I do feel he was meant for me, and I KNOW he is thanking me from saving him from the tree where he spent a week. His eyes had been open for a while, but cats really don't have much of a memory - a few weeks at best, and kittens normally are even shorter.
I have to say that for a LONG time afterward, if I wanted to take him outside, he'd go into a panic - he remembered that outside was BAD!
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
22 Aug 08
he is scared and has abandonment issues...he needs extra love and attention to make him feel secure...he has a home now and he needed be scared anymore...
1 person likes this
@bombshell (11256)
• Germany
29 Aug 08
vey nice and sweet cat story.it reminds me in New Zealand that my husband has a cat name Lucy and he is giving him a powdered milk and sometimes i gave her fresh milk till she realized that the fresh milk is a lot tasty than the powder she all ways with me sitting on and kissing me like a little girl and i know why coz she wants a fresh milk.so since then she ignore powdered milk hehehe what a clever cat
.
.1 person likes this
@seasons1981 (299)
• United States
22 Aug 08
awwww what a great story! My baby girl (Danikka) was brought to me through somewhat similar circumstances. It was about 3 years ago. My mom had ended up going over to a friends house so I was sitting at home by myself just playing on the computer basically doing nothing. Well all of a sudden my mom calls my name, I look back and her hand is up by her chest... with this lil black thing in her hands (well if you know my mom you know she has small hands so this thing was TINY) I go running to see what it was and it was this tiny little munchkin of a kitten with her eyes barely open. I grabbed her from my mom and started cuddling her and everything. My moms friend had another girlfriend come over and she told the story as this:
She was going down the main highway to her house when she noticed this thing running across the road (which she thought was a rat), but she stopped anyway. It ended up being my baby girl
She has bonded with me a lot and she even defends me now when someone does anything to me. She even laid on my belly and watched over me when I was close to being due with my son Evan. She had slept with me the night before she had her kittens too (under the covers with me) and made me watch her give birth to all of her kittens
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
22 Aug 08
Cute story. It is funny how animals pick their people. Years ago we were adopted by a little black and white cat. We lived in an old house that had a window over the front door. That is where she was when we came home from work one day. We named her "windows". She stayed with us for many years.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Aug 08
Aww--thanks Elic for sharing this story of how Taj came into your life. As for him bonding more with you than your roommate even though she at first spent more time with him?....Think it was imprinting...he saw YOU first and must have right away thought you as his "mom"
1 person likes this
@roberten (3128)
• United States
22 Aug 08
ElicBxn, that is a beautiful story, Taj is such a lucky kitty. I too am a cat lover. The cat I have currently, Malley, was left to me by my best friend. I love my cat too and knowing my friend trusted me enough to care for her makes her all the more special. You should re-write your story for broad publication, many people would get pure joy from reading it. Thank you for sharing.
@ElicBxn (63653)
• United States
22 Aug 08
There is kind of an appendix to the story. the people across the street saw him in the morning and the wife directed the husband around the kitten right next to the wheel of their car.
Now, I know the lady is terrified of animals, so I don't think she would've picked him up, but I wonder if the husband might've carried him over to my yard.
I also know he fed Rio for a few days before I got her, he was tossing scraps to her in his back yard before she found her way to the front and I found her. That was the next year - but she's probably just a few months younger than Taj.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
22 Aug 08
HI ElicBxn,
That is a lovely story, I'm glad you found Taj's and you bonded with each other and have many years together.
Tamara
1 person likes this
@dorothy822 (272)
• China
22 Aug 08
I guess a lot of cat-lovers get their cats in this way-they just "ran" into our life! And superisingly, we love it!
It feels so great to have a friend like cat. They do flatter you, they don't rely on you, and they love you as much as you love them,they know when you need them and they know how you need them...
Anyway, I love my cat, no matter how they mess my room and belongings.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63653)
• United States
22 Aug 08
Now you know HOW I've ended up with 26 - huh?
But Taj was special, like Oliver was special and Solo was special. The other cats are cool and keepers, but those 3 are special. I call Taj my "#1 son" and Oliver my "#2 son." Solo is my "grandson" since I picked up his mom and she had to have a c-section the next day to deliver him.
@BarBaraPrz (47766)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
22 Aug 08
A very nice story. And Taj has such nice coloring, too. Thanks for sharing.
1 person likes this
