Charlie's Angel

Charlie will arrive here fairly soon. She's been enroute from San Rafael, Calif., since early yesterday afternoon. I've received pictures of Charlie; she's drop-dead gorgeous. I'm figuring/hoping Festus and Lonesome will take a shine to her. If they don't, I'll work hard on my new job as Charlie's angel.

Charlie is an 11-year-old white Persian kitty. She belongs to Rose Marie Thompson who's moving to North Idaho with her husband Jim. Rose Marie's a cat lover; Jim's not. Nonetheless, there's been a compromise regarding Rose Marie's move to Sandpoint. She can have two house cats, but she owns three.

So, I've offered to provide a hostel for Charlie. It may be tentative if there's someone out there who would love to have a Persian companion which simply sits around and looks beautiful all day and night. In the meantime, we'll provide the best home possible for this California kitty.

Charlie's addition will bring the Love cat population to six. That includes two neutered males, Lonesome Love and Festus, who stay in the house at night. Festus is barely a year old. I brought him home after purchasing two kittens for the price of one from Friends of the Shelter. His brother Rowdy lives at my mother's house.

Used to be I couldn't kick Festus out the door, but now he's discovered trees and the birds that dwell in them. He spends hours, filled with hope and staring upward, beneath the spruce and willow trees near the house. So far, I've never seen him with a mouse or a bird in his mouth. I'm sure that day will come.

Lonesome Love is huge. He's a long-haired 3-point Siamese with beautiful pale blue eyes. I rescued him when one of our dogs had him and his mother cornered near a bush in the pasture. Lonesome spends the day outside in unknown places. Every night, however, when I announce it's "beddy bye" time for the two dogs and the spade female cats Licker and Fuzzy Wuzzy, Lonesome appears out of nowhere, ready for a night of lounging in the house.

Licker and Fuzzy Wuzzy were house cats until Lonesome invaded their space as a kitten. Fuzzy Wuzzy demonstrated her jealousy by peeing on my clothes, wherever they happened to be. Licker, in the meantime, lives up to her name. Folks inside the house could stand just so much of her raspy, wet tongue action on their hands, arms and faces. So, the two gray sisters became outdoor cats.

The final member of the herd lives in the barn. I've gone into my deep creative caverns and come back up with the name "Barney" for this long-haired Tabby with the biggest cat feet I've ever seen. He showed up on the front porch sometime this past winter. He generally minds his business and makes a nightly trip to the porch where he shares a spot with the resident raccoon for their Meow Mix fix. Otherwise, he lounges on the bales in the hay mow.

So, when Charlie comes, she'll join a diverse crew of fellow felines. Rose Marie says she's shy. I'm guessing that may change as she gets to know her new housemates, Festus and Lonesome.