Monday, October 25, 2010

Chumley de Cat, ?-2010


Thireteen years ago, on Labor Day weekend, I heard a cat crying repeatedly from my apartment window. I would go out onto the balcony and look down to see where the crying was coming from. Nothing. More crying. More looking down. Nothing. This went on all day long.


The hubby and I were celebrating our last weekend in our apartment before moving to our “new” home. On our way out to dinner, we took the back way out of our apartment building. Had we gone out the front, we never would have come across Chumley. We never made it to dinner, and we didn’t exactly “come across” Chumley. We walked under him.


As we passed under the tree that stood next to our balcony, I heard the crying again. We looked up and there he was, stuck in the tree. We tried to cajole him down. Nothing. Others came along and tried the same. One couple informed us that the cat had been up in the tree for at least two days. They had called the fire department and were “referred” to someone else. The hubby went in to call the fire department and informed them how long the cat had been up in the tree. They couldn’t leave the firehouse in case a real call for help came in. We tried some more cajoling. A crowd gathered.


Soon a group of young men, and one father, came along saying they were part of the Civil Air Patrol. They lived behind the apartments and had noticed a crowd gathering. They were glad to be of service. The father called out to his son, “Go to Grandma’s and get the ladder!” Soon the ladder arrived and climbers were up in the tree. The police had also arrived. The cat went up further (or is that farther). The men climbed higher. The cat went out on a branch. The crowd grew. A policewoman arrived.


“What we need now is a saw,” the hubby said. The Civil Air Patrol dad yelled down, “Go to Grandma’s and get the saw.” Soon a saw was raised by a rope far up into the tree. I’m assuming the firemen were still at the station washing their trucks and waiting for a real call. The saw glinted in the moonlight (how romantic). The branch began to sag. The policewoman removed her jacket. The branch and cat crashed slowly to the ground. Once the cat was on the ground, the policewoman tossed her jacket over him and then tossed him in the back of the police car.


Several people had risked great danger to help this cat who now stared like a criminal from the backseat. Calls were made, a place was found for the cat until a search could me made for his owner. Assumptions were made that the cat had been abandoned when the summer students went home. Snips were made. Shots were administered and a week later Chumley came to our “new” house with us.


Thirteen good years. A few sad weeks. Three upholstered chairs wrecked.


Now, I’ll have to tell all of my secrets and my artistic ideas to the dog, and he really doesn’t act as if he cares. The cat, however, always seemed interested.


So today I thank mama kitty, the Civil Air Patrol, policemen and policewomen, the vet who removed a malignant tumor from his back when he was three or four, my daughter who let him sleep on her bed until the end even though he could only look at her with one eye and drooled on her favorite blanket, and the hubby who let me take in another stray whom he knew was going to shred his favorite chair.


I love you Chumley, Puss E. Cat, fur face, fur buttski, fur friend, fat boy (old days), skinny boy, good boy, bad boy, you little son of a ___, sweet boy.


15 comments:

mansuetude said...

so beautiful. Bless your heart.

my dog loves to listen, and he sort of murmers back to me, maybe he's saying Get a cat. :)

ArtPropelled said...

I have a lump in my throat reading this post. Go well Chumley de Cat!

p said...

me too. one big lump.
what a story kim...

Dana Barbieri said...

I am so sorry for your loss! What a sweet rescue story.

Ellen said...

So sorry, I'm all verklempt too, what a wonderful story of how Chumley came to you and so sad about his illness and passing. I love your daughter's drawing she did for him in the picture, so sweet.

Marty Mason said...

And there are memories...be sure to thank Chumley for them - I know he'll hear you.

Nellie's Needles said...

Thank you for sharing your and Chumley's wonderful story. Losing a loved pet is hard. All of you are in my thoughts.

Dolores said...

What a lovely tribute.

Laura Hambric said...

So sorry for your loss Kim...the story did bring tears to my eyes. Pets are an extension of our family and I feel the same way about our Sweet Boy (the cat!) he is around 11 years old himself. I've lost many cats over the years and it never gets easier.

Thinking of you.
L.

Susan said...

Hogie....

I am so sorry for your lost. Just like everyone else above me, this put a lump in my throat too.

Just remember Chumley is watching and ready to listen to you. He is just over the rainbow bridge.

Thea Belecz said...

I loved reading the Chumley story, so sweetly and lovingly written. I have had dogs most of my life and when I lose one, it is oh so hard.

Chumley will still be listening to you when you talk to him and he is still interested.

My love to you and your family!

Lemmy Caution said...

Very sad. Glad that you gave him a long happy comfortable life.

The Itsy Bitsy Spill said...

lOVE LOVE THIS STORY! SO BEAUTIFUL YET SO SAD BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, HE WAS LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A KIND SWEET PERSON AND YOU WERE LUCKY TO HAVE HAD HIM AS WELL

lOVEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Rita Vindedzis said...

Sorry for your loss Kim. A cat with many names is well received in cat heaven.

jason said...

oh no! I'm so sorry.