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Nicknames: Kitty Kazoo, KJ, K-Joy, Kazoomster, little girl
Quick Bio:
-cat rescue
Likes: me, my lap, the sun, afghans, oriental rugs, sleeping, looking out the window, catnip, philosophizing, belly rubs, kneading, being told she's a good girl, waking me up and smelling my morning breath (weird, I know!)
Pet-Peeves: vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, firecrackers, thunder, missing the window ledge when she jumps, hearing the word 'no', not having me around all the time
Favorite Toy: feathers, dangerous toy mice, tin foil balls, cork tied to a string, anything I wave in front of her
Favorite Nap Spot: my lap, my bed, anywhere on the floor where the sun hits
Favorite Food: salmon and tuna juice (the only human food this mean mom will feed her)
Skills: it's probably not a unique skill, but my little girl knows how to steal my heart every single day
Dwells:
indoors
Arrival Story: I first noticed Kazumi Joy hanging around the neighbourhood about two months before my other cat, Adrian Mole, passed away. She appeared out of nowhere, and was the skinniest and most frightened cat I had ever seen. I left food out for her, and would crouch down low while talking to her in friendly tones, but she always ran away. This continued after my cat had died, and while I was still grieving.
One day I called out to her as usual, and to my surprise, she ran over and rubbed up against me. I stroked her and she rewarded me with loud purring. It was at that point that I realized how emaciated she really was. All her bones were sticking out, and all I could feel while petting her were ridges. Before I realized what I was doing, I picked her up and took her inside. She proceeded to eat three bowls of food, and I proceeded to fall in love. The funny thing is that I had decided I wanted two longhaired male kittens, and ended up with a shorthaired female adult.
Kazumi was so weak from starvation that she almost kept losing her balance whenever she walked. All she did for weeks was eat and sleep, and it broke my heart. She was extremely frightened, and was startled by any sudden movement or noise. I also noticed that she never slept with her eyes completely closed, and acted as if she always had to be on the alert. In fact, when she did finally sleep with her eyes completely shut, I cried because I realized she finally felt safe.
I like to think that Kazumi Joy's predecessor would approve of this cat. And that somehow it was no accident that she crossed my threshold two months to the day that Adrian Mole died. I also relearned the important lesson that if you're open to possibility, what you get may be far better than what you had hoped for.
Bio: Kitty Kazoo has come a long way. At 12+ pounds, no one can accuse her of being skinny, and while she initially didn't always like to be touched, she now enjoys her belly rubs (but only by her mom!), and isn't afraid of human contact. She's also stopped following me around wherever I go, and now feels secure enough to stay put when I leave. I love Kazumi Joy with all my heart, and can't believe that someone would abandon her. She is the sweetest and gentlest cat I've ever met, and definitely lives up to her middle name!
One thing that I am sad about is the fact that when I tried to get another cat so that she could have more company, she became very scared and skittish, and I had to let the other cat go back to her original home. I'm hopeful though that one day Kazumi will welcome a sibling. I love to watch two cats getting along!
Lives Remaining: 1 of 9
Forums Motto: The Feline Philosopher
The Groups I'm In: *Stop Animal Testing*, 3S2F, ban declawing, Beautiful cat eyes, Blue Bloods, Canadian Catsters, End Animal Testing, Gray is GREAT!!!!!!, I Knead You, Love 'em? Fix 'em., Monkey Business, Mouseworks, The (Endless) Summer of Scooter, VEGAN/VEGETARIAN
Agree?:
Main Philosophy: One can learn more from a stationary cat, than from an industrious person.
Nope. It's Lukie Dukie! And if you don't believe me, check out the proof here. Snort.
Plus, it's also his birthday, so that makes Halloween extra special. Happy Birthday Lukester! :)
You know how Lola—sweet, irrepressible Lola—is such a good girl? (By the way Lola, I think Scootie would be very proud of you!) Well, I can’t honestly claim the same, but I do think I’m an awfully lucky girl. Lucky to have been rescued in the first place, lucky to have a safe, warm, sun-puddled home to call my own, and lucky to have mom around so much. The cat upstairs isn’t as lucky. Her/his (we’re not sure) guardian is often gone long hours, both at work and at play. And when she IS home, friends are usually over, so there’s not a lot of one-on-one time. We often hear the upstairs kitty meowing plaintively and sometimes even yowling. Mom went and bought some crinkly balls (we first learned about those from Luke!) for him/her, and when we met the unlucky cat’s person, she informed mom that her old cat had thyroid problems, but no, wasn’t lonely, just whiny. Yeah, right.
I’m lucky too that I get to eat quality food instead of corn and by-product crap. I’m lucky not to be a lab cat, subjected to unnecessary research and experimentation, lucky not to have ended up in a shelter that doesn’t have a no-kill policy, and lucky not to live in a household where there’s domestic violence. Did you know that many women stay in abusive situations because their partner has threatened to hurt or kill their animal companion?*
And when mom says she could eat me right up, I’m lucky that she means that only figuratively. One of the pivotal incidents that made mom decide to go vegan was when she accidentally caught documentary footage of a cat being prepared for dinner. Before she could even change the channel, a poor cat had been skinned alive and dunked in a pot of boiling water. I know, it’s horrific just reading it, but imagine seeing it, and living in places where it’s considered part of the daily routine. That piece of the documentary, by the way, was very matter-of-fact about it. But it made mom start questioning just how we decide what animals are lucky enough to be thought of as companions (usually those we deem cute), and what animals we are willing to sacrifice even though their emotional, familial and social lives are just as rich and complex as that of dogs and cats. Because really, do we have the right?
I’m lucky as well that I get to keep all of my fur and not have it stolen from me to help trim toys and clothes. A lot of dogs and cats in Asian countries don’t have that option. I’m lucky mom doesn’t consider me to be property, and has pledged never to leave me behind no matter what the circumstance. I’m lucky not to be caught up in an earthquake, flood, or any other natural but unwanted disaster. I’m lucky, well, in numerous ways.
Thank you everyone for your gifts and kind words on my birthday! I’m also lucky that even though mom’s busy with other things (including her parents who are in rapidly failing health and are not quite so lucky anymore) and has neglected my Catsterly duties in a major way, that I have caring friends who haven’t forgotten me. I may not be a good girl, but I sure am a lucky one! :)
p.s sorry for the downer entry, but I think most of us kitties here in Catsterland are EXTREMELY fortunate, and we should never forget that many other cats just aren’t
* According to a survey conducted by the Ontario SPCA in 1998, 48% of surveyed Ontario women who had left their abusive partner said that their pets delayed their decision to leave an abusive partner, and 61% of surveyed Ontario women who had left their abusive partner stated that their partners had brutalized or killed a pet.
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