Friday, May 20, 2022

Victoria aka Tori

This was the 2nd cat we got about 6 months after we got Stacy. 

Fine, go ahead and tell them all about me! 

We named her Victoria but always called her Tori. She was a Torti and we got her as a kitten from the same co-worker we got Stacy from. Seems Tori and her litter mates were abandoned under someone's deck when they were very tiny. My coworker was a cat foster mom and she bottle fed Tori and her litter mates until they were old enough to be adopted out. 

Of course, seeing as we now had a love affair with cats it was a given that we would be adopting one. I can't for the life of me find any pictures of her when she was little. All the ones I have are digital taken after she was grown. 

She's only the boss because I let her be! 

Here's her and Stacy at the kitchen window. They got along pretty good as long as Tori remembered who was boss! 

Tori was my cat thru and thru!  She loved me and I love her something fierce. Of course, I loved all my cats but there was something special about her!  She purred all the time and so loud you could hear her coming before she walked into the room! She came to me anytime I called to her and slept with me every night! 

Back in those days we used to let our cats be indoor and outdoor cats. They would go outside during the day and always come back in the evening or we would find them and bring them inside. They never went very far so it was easy. 

Tori was a great hunter and I think she single handedly decimated the vole and mouse population in our neighborhood. Every day there would be dead creatures  at our door! 

One time she didn't show up in the evening or all the next day! As you can imagine I was sick at heart thinking something happened to her. We walked all over the neighborhood asking if anyone saw her but nobody did. I cried all the next day I felt so bad! Then late that night I heard her meow at the door wall in the backyard. I ran downstairs and there she was! So thirsty she ran right to the water bowl and then ate a whole bowl of food! We figured she must have been trapped in someone's garage or shed!

I wonder how many creatures I can get today? 

Another time I hadn't seen her all day and as I was walking around the house I noticed the dog in the yard behind us was barking and scratching at a hole in their backyard. Rich grabbed some lunchmeat and stood at the fence feeding and distracting the dog, while I ran around the block and went into the backyard. I don't know if they were home or not but I didn't care! I ran to the hole and sure enough, there was Tori way deep inside! She came to me as soon as she saw me! Thank goodness the dog couldn't reach her! I carried her home and she didn't go outside for a few days! 

You really didn't think I'd let that dog get me did you? 

One time, and this is really hard to write about even to this day, I was doing laundry and had just thrown about 5 pairs of jeans in the dryer. After a few minutes I heard Tori meowing really loud. I stupidly thought she was outside ready to fight with another cat so I walked all around the outside yard to find her. I didn't see her or hear her so I went back in the house. When I was back inside I heard her meowing very loud and deep like she was in distress. Then it dawned on me that she was in the dryer! I flew into the utility room and pulled open the door and she came stumbling out! She was very warm and actually steaming a little. I immediately called the vet crying and they told me to give her lots of water and watch her for a while to see if she showed any kind of distress. She actually was fine after about 15 minutes and jumped up on the bed for a mid day nap, giving me a dirty look on the way! I on the other hand couldn't sleep for weeks just thinking of what would have happened if I didn't get her out in time. I would have been devastated to this day! I actually have tears in my eyes typing this.

Chill out mom, I'm fine!

There were other small incidences where she could have been hurt or worse. She kept us on our toes for most of her life. Eventually as she got older she slowed down a lot and didn't go outside so much. 

She started losing her eyesight but other than that she remained pretty healthy. 

Yes, getting old is not for the weak!

Then one day she started walking in circles and couldn't stay on her feet because she had developed some neurological issues. We knew it was time to let her go. 




We made an appointment at the vet but as was typical of Tori she did things her way! She died in my arms before we could get her there. We buried her in the flower garden at our old house. 

She was 2 weeks short of 20 years old! 

I still miss her to this day. The above picture is one I have in a frame here in my craft room. She was by far the best cat I ever owned and there will never be another one like her! 

Until the next time stay safe and well my friends! 




16 comments:

  1. What a sweet looking cat! She seemed like she was a great fit for your household, Jeanette, and obviously you and her bonded together so very well! That would have been frightening with the dryer. What an adventure she had with it though! I bet you always looked twice after that to make sure no one was in the dryer. I bet she did forgive you! Pets are so wonderful to have and so hard to lose when it is time to say goodbye to them. They just bring out the best in us I do believe!

    Thank you for sharing Tori with us!

    betty

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  2. Oh Jeanette, I absolutely LOVED reading this story about your darling Tori!! It sounds like she truly had 9 lives. *lol* What a lucky little girl she was, that she was chosen to come live with you. Tori sounds a lot like my Goldie, in that she's mine all mine. Wherever I am, Goldie is too...even at night as well. Your sweetheart Tori is waiting for you in heaven, my friend. She will be the first to run up to you when it's your appointed time to arrive. Then you won't be separated from each other ever again. ~Andrea XOXOXO

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  3. Those are some wild cat adventures! I’m glad she lived all her 9 Lives!

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  4. Ohhhh, I'm bawling!!! I can't type thru tears.

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  5. Goodness, the things she had been through! I guess she used up more than her nine lives!!

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  6. Aww, what a sweet cat. That photo of her is beautiful. She really did have 9 lives and lived a long life knowing she was loved. I just hate it when our beloved pets pass. I was misty eyed as you told of her passing in your arms. That's the part of pet ownership that bothers me. I don't believe it would ever stop me from having them - it just bothers me.

    Thanks for sharing. I love cats.

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  7. What a beautiful memorial to your cat friend.

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  8. Ohhh what a lovely post!!!

    Dear, Dear Tori...

    She was...... "Tortoiseshell is a cat coat coloring named for its similarity to tortoiseshell material. Like calicos, tortoiseshell cats are almost exclusively female."

    Lots of gentle hugs...

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  9. Tori sounds like quite a character. I'm with the others getting misty eyed as she died in your arms.

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  10. She sounds like a sweet cat. I had one that used to jump in the dryer all the time. I never closed him in the dryer but I did close him in the refrigerator for a while. He didn't seem to be very phased by the experience and he had a good meal while he was in there.

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  11. What a cat! I loved reading about her. Sounds like you have us all teary eyed.

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  12. We just lost our cat in January so I was a bit teary eyed through this. I too have had one amazingly special cat even though yes I've loved them all.

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  13. What a beautiful cat Tori was. BUT OMG, did she put you through some worry in her long life! The dryer incident! I too would have been traumatized by that. She used all of her nine lives.

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  14. 5/25... hooray, you remember the "you've got mail" sound or whatever it was!!!!!!! fun memory!!!!!

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  15. OK I am crying real tears now. At first they were tears of mirth at this line: "She was very warm and actually steaming a little." ... which I know was not meant to be funny but it was the way you said it that cracked me up. Also it brought back a memory that we still laugh about to this day. It was about 20 years ago when our Javier (chihuahua we had for his entire life of 17 years) was in his little crate and it was so cold outside (I keep it cool in my house) that I had placed the crate directly in front of a heat register. Then I covered it with the blanket we always put over it at night. I don't know how long Javier was in there but when I let him out, he was so hot that he literally staggered across the floor. I was alarmed but he was fine and I learned my lesson. Warm but not TOO warm!!!! Tori was absolutely precious and WOW bringing all of those treasures home! Marvelous cat. I cannot imagine letting Sweetness go outside at will. I'd be afraid I'd never see her again! She's so curious, I'm afraid she'd end up under the wheel of a passing car. So wonderful and sweet, your memories of a precious cat xoxo

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  16. What a pretty tortie kitty. I know all too well the worry when your cat is "missing." Deme has a habit of vanishing for hours and hours. She always comes back, but I still worry that one day she won't. should just keep her in but she loves to be outside in the sun. I keep saying I'm going to get a gps tracker for her collar just to see where she goes.

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