By Sydney Sullivan – A true story.
From the very beginning, Timmy Longtail was obviously a special kitten.
His loud meows were calling attention to everyone, except his own mother. Timmy had fallen down between the cinder block wall and he was so little he landed on the bottom about 4 feet deep. The opening was hardly enough room to get a hand into, let alone too deep for a whole arm. Getting him out took 3 of us and lots of ingenuity; for example, finding a very long
stick and wrapping it with wads of fabric so his sharp little claws could help him crawl up the stick and out of the hole.
We named him Timmy while he was in the hole because of the Lassie episode when we were kids (1950s), and Timmy (the kid and Lassie’s owner) fell down the well. We’d talk to Timmy and he’d meow as we coached him to the top and gently pulled up the stick.
My son, the Doctor Doolittle of the animal kingdom here, cradled the screaming kitten that was shaking and traumatized – and obviously grateful as he cuddled his whole body under the chin of his human savior as if to say, “Please don’t ever let me go,” and we didn’t.
We took Timmy inside and checked him over for broken bones or scratches and he was fine. A bit dehydrated as he was a young kitten, but his mother was no where in site. So, we fed him some Friskies’ kitten pate and water with a dropper to make sure he got enough nourishment and rehydrated. He calmed down and went to sleep… for a while.
When Timmy woke up there were two big uncles, Midnight, the senior cat and Cagney the big gray brother, who were watching him closely while he had been sleeping.
Immediately, there was a scream for humans – probably as a security precaution in case he needed extra protection or maybe he was still looking for his mother. Eventually, Timmy settled down and all three became good friends. Timmy was a mischievous kitten and quite a talker, at all hours of the day and night. He loves affection and conversation… and food. He has to look in every corner, play with every toy and pull on anything he thinks might fall to floor for him to inspect. There was a point early on during one of his middle of the night meow sessions, when I wondered if his mother had intentionally dropped him in the hole, LOL. But it was obvious that Timmy was just adventurous.
As he grew, so did his tail which soon became longer than Timmy. He learned to whip that tail around like a sword. He could be an excellent fencer with his tail as the sabre. When he wants your attention he will whip that tail around at the perfect point to strike your ankles. He’ll look up at you, smile and meow, “please pick me up.”
His tail kept getting longer and soon exceeded his body and it would wag with excitement. It moved all the other cats out of the way at dinner time.
He’d have the dinner bowls all to himself as the other cats would stand off to the side rather than get whacked while trying to eat. When he finished (and he’d eat their share too), they’d wander over to the food bowls and look up disappointed until they were given more. We finally figured out that Timmy needed to eat first.
Timmy’s markings have become handsomely pronounced. Dark and light coloring and patches of white that define his face and jawline and a white eyeliner around his enormous eyes that sparkle every time he sees us.
He always looks like he wants to ask a question or inspect your face to make sure you’re admiring him. If you’re not paying enough attention, he’ll gently touch you with his paw in hopes you’ll reach out and touch him back. I think if Timmy were human, he’d be asking “how can I help?” or “do you need to pet me to relieve some stress?”
Timmy Longtail is a wonderful rescue from the jungle of cats we have the pleasure to take care of and he’s going to be going to the Vet very soon for a checkup to be fixed. That trip will be another story.
Please Help Our Rescued Cats in the East Maui Rainforest
Your donations allow us to help care for and feed cats that have been abandoned or lost their homes and owners due to the Maui “Wild” Fires, or moving owners that can’t take their pets with them. Your donations help us keep their sanctuary alive. Mahalo.
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