My Tinkerbells Life

IN MEMORY OF TINKER 27 JUNE 1992 - 15 MAY 2008

TODAY IS THE DAY MY LITTLE GIRL TINKER MY BEAUTIFUL CAT WOULD OF TURNED 16 HUMAN YEARS AND 112 CAT YEARS BUT AS YOU KNOW SHE FAILED TO MAKE IT SO THIS IS FOR HER ON HER SHOULD HAVE BEEN BIRTHDAY.
HERE IS THE STORY OF HER LIFE THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO MY LIFE
IT ALL REALLY STARTED I SUPPOSE WHEN I MOVED INTO MY FIRST HOME IN ENGLAND AFTER COMING THERE FROM AFRICA WITH MY TWO YOUNG SONS WE WERE GIVEN THIS LOVELY LITTLE TABBY KITTEN BY MY NIECE ON OUR FIRST WEEK IN THE NEW HOUSE SHE WAS A REAL MINX INTO EVERYTHING AND WAS ALWAYS DISAPPERING INTO THE FARM YARD BESIDE WHERE WE LIVED BUT SADLY 5 MONTHS LATER SHE JUST VANISHED AND WE SEARCHED EVERYWHERE FOR HER FOR DAYS BUT NO SIGN WAS EVER SEEN OF HER, I HAVE A SUSPICION SHE WAS TAKEN BY ONE OF THE MEN THAT USED TO WORK IN THE YARD AS YEARS LATER I SAW A CAT WITH THE SAME SORT OF MARKING SITTING OUTSIDE HIS HOME ANYWAY IM STRAYING FROM THE STORY.
THIS HAPPENED IN THE MARCH OF 1992 AND I SWORE I WOULD NOT GET ANOTHER CAT AS IT JUST HURT TO MUCH WHEN THEY VANISHED BUT BY THE AUGUST I WAS STRARTING TO FEEL VERY LONELY FOR FELINE COMPANY AS IN ZAMBIA I HAD ALWAYS HAD CATS WHILE I LIVED THERE SO ONE DAY I SAW THIS ADVERT IN OUR LOCAL SMALL SHOP AND IT WAS LOOKING FOR GOOD HOMES FOR SOME KITTENS SO I DECIDED TO GO AND HAVE A LOOK AS I THOUGHT WELL IT WOULDN’T HURT TO JUST SEE THEM BUT AS SOON AS I SAW HER I KNEW SHE WAS MINE.
SHE WAS BORN ON A FARM AMONG A LITTER OF 7 OTHER KITTENS BUT SHE WAS THE SMALLEST AND THE ONLY ALL BLACK ONE.AND SHE CAPTURED MY HEART FROM THE MOMENT I SAW HER. MY TWO SONS WERE SO THRILLED WHEN I TOOK HER HOME AT LAST WE HAD A CAT IN THE HOUSE AGAIN AND IT ALL REALLY STARTED TO FEEL LIKE A PROPER HOME.
WHEN SHE WAS JUST OVER 10MONTHS OLD SHE CAME ON HEAT AND OF COURSE THERE WAS MALES ALL OVER THE PLACE BUT SHE HAD A SPECIAL FELLA AND HE WAS ALSO ALL BLACK JUST SHOWS EVEN CATS CAN BE FUSSY.
I HAD CONCIDERED HAVING HER NEUTERED WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER BUT I DECIDED TO MAKE HER COMPLETE I WAS GOING TO LET HER HAVE AT LEAST ONE LITTER BEFORE THE NEUTER AND THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED.
SO ON THE 17 AUGUST 1993 SHE HAD 4 KITTENS 3 BOYS AND 1 LITTLE GIRL ALL BLACK HAIRED LIKE THERE MUM AND DAD BUT NONE OF THEM HAD THE LOVELY LONG HAIR OF MY TINKER ANYWAY WHEN SHE FIRST WENT INTO LABOUR I HEARD HER FUSSING ABOUT IN THE PLACE IN THE CUPBOARD I HAD PREPARED FOR HER BUT SHE SOUNDED STRESSED SO I BROUGHT HER AND HER BOX INTO THE LOUNGE WITH ME AND SAT ON THE FLOOR WITH HER AND I REALISED SHE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS PUSHING THE KITTENS OUT SO I STROKED HER AND ENCOURAGED HER AND HELPED HER PUSH THEM BY SORT OF FEELING THEM AND ORGANISING INTO LINE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND GRADUALLY ONE BY ONE THEY WERE BORN IT TOOK ALMOST 2 HOURS BUT SHE WAS SO PATIENT AND WE RESTED AND SHE ATE AND HAD A DRINK BETWEEN EACH BIRTH IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I HAD EVER HAD TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND I FEEL IT MADE AN EVEN STRONGER BOND BETWEEN TINKER AND MYSELF
ANYWAY ALL FOUR WERE DELIVERED SAFELY AND THEN IT WAS CHAOS FOR THE NEXT 6 WEEKS TILL THEY WERE OLD ENOUGH FOR ME TO FIND HOMES FOR THEM OF COURSE THE BOYS WANTED ME TO KEEP THEM ALL, BUT MY HEALTH HAD STARTED TO GIVE ME TROUBLE BY THIS TIME AND DECIDED NOT TO DO IT AND FOUND HOMES FOR ALL THE BOYS IN THE AREA NEAR WHERE WE LIVED BUT THE LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS VERY LIKE HER MOTHER IN THAT SHE HAD LONG HAIR AS WELL BUT JUST NOT AS LONG I SAVED FOR MY NIECE WHO I HAD PROMISED HER TO SHE TRAVELED UP FROM LONDON WITH HER MOTHER TO COME AND COLLECT HER AND SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER FROM THE INSTANT SHE SAW HER AND NAMED HER MAGIC. WHO IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL TO THIS DAY ALTHOUGH SHE IS ALMOST 15 BUT IF SHE IS LIKE HER MUM SHE WILL CARRY ON FOR LONGER
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AFTER THIS LIFE JUST CARRIED ON AS NORMAL I DID TAKE TINKER TO GET HER NEUTERED AS SOON AS THE KITTENS LEFT AND EXPECTED HER TO GROW BIGGER AND FATTER AFTERWARDS BUT SHE NEVER DID SHE ALWAYS STAYS A SMALL SLIM LITTLE CAT MY LITTLE DARLING.
SHE DID HAVE ONE STRANGE BEHAVIOUR WHILE WE LIVED NEXT TO THE FIELD OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR HAD GOT THEMSELVES A BABY RABBIT AS A PET FOR THERE CHILDREN IT WAS BLACK AND WHITE SO LOOKED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO THE WILD BROWN ONES WHO LIVED IN THE FIELD ANYWAY IM NOT SURE HOW IT CAME ABOUT BUT OUR NEIGHBOURS ENDED UP JUST LEAVING THE RABBIT TO ROAM FREE OUTSIDE AND WE HAD A LARGE SHARED GARDEN AREA WITH THEM SO I WAS RATHER WORRIED ABOUT TINKER PUTTING AN END TO THERE RABBIT BUT ONE DAY I WAS LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND THERE WERE THE TWO OF THEM TINKER AND RABBIT LICKING EACH OTHER AND THEN THEY STARTED TO PLAY A GAME IN WICH THEY TOOK TURNS TO JUMP OVER EACH OTHER IT WAS UNBELIVABEL ANYWAY AFTER THAT THEY WERE THE CLOSEST OF FRIENDS BUT AS THE RABBIT GREW UP SHE OBIOUSLY MATED WITH THE WILD RABBITS IN THE FIELDS AND STARTED TO HAVE LITTERS IN THE LONG GRASSES AS IT SHOCKED ME TO DEATH ONE MORNING TO OPEN THE BACK DOOR AND THERE WAS TINKER WITH THIS POOR LITTLE HALF DEAF BABY RABBIT IN HER MOUTH I MANAGED TO GET HER TO DROP IT AND TOOK IT TO A NEARBY ANIMAL SANCTUARY BUT NOT SURE THEY SAVED IT AND FROM THEN ON WHEN EVER HER RABBIT FRIEND HAD BABIES TINKER WOULD DO ALL SHOULD COULD TO TRY AND KILL EVERY ONE OF THEM IT WAS SO STRANGE AS I THOUGH IF SHE WAS SUCH GREAT FRIENDS WITH THE MOTHER WHY KILL THE BABIES BUT BEING A CAT WHO NOWS SHE SMELT THE BABIES AS RABBITS WHICH MEANT MEAT I SUPPOSE AND THAT WAS THAT BUT FOR SOME REASON SHE HAD NEVER THOUGHT OF HER FRIEND AS MEAT JUST A FRIEND TO PLAY WITH.
THEN ONE DAY HER FRIEND VANISHED AND WE NEVER NEW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER PERHAPS A FOX OR ONE OF THE FARMYARD FERAL CATS HAD GOT HER BUT SHE WAS GONE SO THEN TINKER JUST STAYED ON HER OWN AS SHE WOULD NOT MIX WITH THE FERAL CATS THANK GOODNESS AND USED TO GO CRAZY IF ONE CAME NEAR OUT HOUSE.
FROM THEN ON LIFE JUST CARRIED ON AS ALL LIVES CARRY ON WITH NOTHING REALLY HAPPENING WE MOVED AWAY FROM THAT HOUSE AND INTO THE HOUSE WE ARE IN TO THIS DAY AT FIRST I USED TO GET SCARED SHE WOULD RUN AWAY BUT SHE SEEMED TO ACCEPT THE PLACE WITH HER USUAL RELAXED WAY AND LIFE WENT ON.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A BIT IN HERE ABOUT TINKER AND HER WAYS SO THAT A PICTURE OF THE KIND OF CAT SHE WAS FIRST OF ALL SHE WAS VERY, VERY INDEPENDENT AND WOULD IGNORE ANYONE IF SHE WAS NOT IN A SOCIABLE MOOD BUT USUALLY AFTER A BIT OF COAXING SHE USED TO GIVE. SHE USED TO MAKE ME LAUGH IN THAT IF SHE WAS DOING SOMETHING LIKE IF SHE RAN TO JOIN ME ON THE COUCH AND MISTIMED HER JUMP AND MISSED SHE WOULD TURN HER BACK TWEAK HER TAIL AND SAUNTER OFF AS IF THAT WAS WHAT SHE MENT TO DO ALL THE TIME. SHE WAS ALSO VERY, VERY TICKLISH ON HER LOWER TUMMY AREA AND WOULD ATTACK WITH CLAWS AND TEETH IF YOU DID’NT STOP TICKLING OR TOUCHING HER THERE AND SHE WAS ALSO VERY TICKLISH ON HER FEET AND LEGS AND WITH HER BEING A LONG HAIRED CAT IT USED TO BECOME A GREAT BATTLE WHENEVER I GOT HER TO AGREE TO MY GROOMING HER SHE DIDN’T MIND HER HEAD AND BODY BUT AS SOON AS I TRIED TO BRUSH HER LEGS OR LOWER TUMMY THEN WOW I HAD TO WATCH OUT AND AS SHE GOT OLDER HER HAIR USED TO GET VERY MATTED AS SHE ALSO GOT LAZY IN NOT BOTHERING TO GROOM PROPERLY PERHAPS IT WAS NOT LAZYNESS BUT CLEVERNESS AS SHE NEW IF SHE DIDN’T DO IT I WOULD BE THE ONE TRYING TO SORT IT OUT WITH COMBS AND SISSORS WHICH WAS NOT A SIMPLE JOB. BUT BEYONE ALL THAT I WISH I WAS STILL DOING IT TO THIS DAY. SO FROM THERE ON THERE IS NOT MUCH ELSE TO SAY ABOUT HER THE REASON FOR THIS I SUPPOSE IS THERE IS THOUSANDS OF SMALL THINGS THAT MADE HER SO SPECIAL TO ME BUT CANT PUT THEM ALL DOWN.
THERE WERE A FEW UPS AND DOWNS THROUGH THE YEARS OF COURSE BUT THEY JUST SORT OF BLENDED INTO EVERYTHING ELSE BUT AS MY HEALTH GOT WORSE AND WORSE AND I COULD NOT DO FOR HER LIKE I USED TO IT WAS MY HUSBAND AND SON WHO HAD TO TAKE OVER THE CLEANING OF HER LITTER TRAY AND CLEANING HER EATING AREA ALTHOUGH I DID TRY TO FEED HER STILL AS OFTEN AS I WAS ABLE TO BUT I WAS THE ONE SHE RAN TO GREET WHEN I MADE IT DOWN IN THE MORNING WITH A WELCOME MIEOW FOR ME AND SHE WOULD SETTLE ON MY KNEE IN THE LOUNGE AND WE WOULD ENJOY BEING TOGETHER AS THE YEARS PASSED SHE WENT OUT LESS AND LESS AS SHE HATED THE RAIN AND WIND AND COLD AND IN THIS COUNTRY THERE ISNT MUCH ELSE THAT IS WHY SHE WAS STILL USING HER LITTER TRAY AS WE HAD NO CAT FLAP IN THE DOOR AS MY HUSBAND REFUSED TO GET ONE HE IS NOT A VERY BIG ANIMAL PERSON FUNNILY ENOUGH AND FOR ALL THE YEARS WE HAD TINKER HE COMPLAINED ABOUT HER SAYING SHE WAS BRINGING FLEAS AND LEAVING HAIR ALL OVER THE PLACE AND MAKING MESS WITH HER FOOD AND SO ON AND SO ON.
BUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS HE HAS BEEN HER MAIN FEED GIVER AND AFTER ONE OF MY HOSPITAL STAYS I CAME HOME TO FIND HE HAD STARTED GIVING HER SPECIAL MEALS ALL THE BEST SORT OF STUFF AS SHE HAD STOPPED EATING WHEN I WAS IN HOSPITAL SO HE FOUND THAT IF HE GAVE HER TUNA STEAKS AND CORNED BEEF THEN SHE ATE FINE AND OF COURSE WITH HER INTELLIGENCE SHE DECIDED SHE WAS ONTO A GOOD THINK AND AFTER THAT SHE WOULD FOLLOW HIM ABOUT AS SOON AS HE CAME INTO THE KITCHEN AND NAGGED HIM WITH HER SPECIAL MIEOW AND IN THE END HE USUALLY GAVE HER SOMETHING IT WAS SO FUNNY BUT ONE THING I STILL NEVER SAW HIM STROKE HER ALTHOUGH I DID HEAR HIM STARTING TO TALK TO HER AS I ALWAYS DID. THOUGHOUT THE YEARS SHE HAD TRIED TO GET HIM TO STROKE HER SHE EVEN JUMPED ON HIS KNEE A FEW TIMES TO TEST THE WATERS BUT IT WAS ALWAYS A CASE OF HIM CHASING HER OFF IT WAS JUST ACCEPTED THAT HE PUT UP WITH HER AND THAT’S AS FAR AS IT WENT HE MOANED A LOT WHEN HE STARTED FEEDING HER BUT I KEPT TELLING HIM IF HE HADNT SPOILT HER LIKE HE DID SHE WOULD FOLLOW HIM ABOUT ALL THE TIME MIEOWING.
THEN OF COURSE TIME CAUGHT UP WITH HER AND SHE GOT THINNER AND THINNER WE ALL WENT MAD TRYING TO FIND THINGS SHE WOULD EAT BUT SHE WAS ALWAYS SUCH A FUSSY EATER IT WAS NOT EASY AND I PUT THE THINNESS DOWN TO OLD AGE BUT IT TURNED OUT THAT SHE HAD SOME PROBLEM WITH HER THYROID WHICH CAUSED HER TO GET THIN AS THE VET TOLD ME THAT ONCE A CAT REACHES TEN YEARS OLD ITS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN TO THEM SO I RECOMMEND ANYONE WHO HAS A CAT THAT AGE OR OLDER TO TAKE THEM FOR A CHECK UP FOR THYROID PROBLEM TO THERE VET OK I WISH I HAD BUT THE VET DID SAY IT WAS NOT TOO BAD ON TINKER IT WAS HER AGE AS WELL BUT I STILL FEEL I COULD OF DONE MORE BUT WILL NEVER KNOW NOW.
ANYWAY TO END THIS RAMBLE OF MINE I FOUGHT OF THE IDEA OF TAKING HER TO THE VET AS I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE FAREWELL AS SHE WAS GETTING UNSTEADY ON HER BACK LEGS AS WELL THE VET SAYS THIS WAS DUE TO HER HEART RACING AND ALSO HER KIDNEYS HAD STARTED TO GO SO WHEN I DID TAKE HER IT WAS THE KINDEST THING OF ALL FOR HER TO LET HER GO BUT IT BROKE MY HEART AND I FOUND OUT WHEN WE GOT HOME WITH HER THAT MY HUSBAND WAS VERY UPSET AS WELL WHICH SURPRISED ME AS I ALWAYS THOUGHT HE DIDN’T LOVE HER BUT HE SAID AND I ALSO FOUND OUT FROM MY SONS GIRLFIEND WHO HE USED TO STAND OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE AND HAVE A CIGERETTE WITH THAT MY HUSBAND HAD STARTED STROKING HER BUT ONLY WHEN HE THOUGH NOBODY COULD SEE HIM AS I ALWAYS GO TO BE EARLY SO THAT IS WHEN HE BECAME HER FRIEND AND IT MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER KNOWING THIS THAT IN THE END THEY WERE FRIENDS AS SHE WAS MY FRIEND AND A PART OF ME THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET

This picture was taken the day before she left me
I MISS YOU TINKER AND EVERYDAY I LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE WHERE YOU ARE LAYING IN THE GARDEN AT PEACE WITH THE WORLD NOW AND REMEMBER HOW SOFT YOUR COAT WAS AND HOW WISE YOUR EYES WERE . AND THAT LOVELY PURR THAT HELPED ME TO RELAX WHEN I NEEDED TO.