Cat Chat Feline Forum

I learned this ages ago and, remembering it partly, was shocked to find there's no mention of it on the Great Web. So I dug the book out (I have a thousand books, no exaggeration) and here it is.

Be prepared to cry buckets. I shall, just copying it out.

The Lost Cat by EV Rieu

She took a last and simple meal when there were none to see her steal -
A jug of cream upon the shelf, a fish set out for dinner;
And now she walks a distant street with delicately sandalled feet,
And no-one gives her much to eat or weeps to see her thinner.

Come back beloved, come again, come back in joy, come back in pain,
To end our searching with a mew or with a purr our grieving;
And you shall have for lunch or tea whatever fish swim in the sea
And all the cream that's meant for me - and not a word of thieving!

I confess it's that time again, the month when my first Siamese Jacinth died, and my thoughts are with my lost girl. When she was a kitten I had a dream; I was high up on some cliffs in brilliant sunlight and there were snakes everywhere (I like snakes) and it was a sort of paradise; I knew that this was where Jassy would go when she died and it was beautiful, but the thought of losing her was heartbreaking. Still she stayed with me for many years.

So, this poem's in memory of Jacinth and all our lost cats.

Sorry for sentimentality!

Beautiful , and haunting ..... and yes, I cried. xx

Whenever I see a Tortie and white or a black with white locket, I still live in hope that it might be Poppy or Lily. Very moving and very true.

There's another poem that's driving me mad -

This catling's jungle heart forlorn
Will die as wild as it was born.
If I could cage the human race
And teach them what it is to face -
Never get out.

I swear I found the full poem online but it's not there now - does anyone know it? I believe Janet Frame quoted it in her autobiography.

Also - a bit of light relief, scrolling through my bookmarks I found this and rather than start another thread, I'll post it here -

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10 ... 87838.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(That naughty ginger bottom disappearing into the waste paper basket! HAS to be a spiritual relative of my Molly!)

Enjoy!

Hahaha! That video fits my Sofi to a tee! Every time I need to do something on the computer that's important she manages to get her bum in the way!

Although the jumping in the bin thing reminded me of this video my sister sent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYnvrzKCssE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lol yes - it's a sure-fire way to entertain a bored cat - just give it a strong paper bag and let it shuffle it round the room...even better if there's another cat to jump on it and take turns, and a marvellous toy for several kittens or young cats is 2 good-sized square cardboard boxes, one pushed in to the other to form a cube - with holes cut here and there to jump in and out of and have fights through!

Hey Mrs K - is Sofi more forthcoming these days - I was sorry to hear she was going through the doldrums, do hope she's back to her normal self now

We had a lot of post yesterday, parcels of electrical 'stuff' for the garden. I met our Postie at the gate and he gave me the plastic tray out of his van. It was sitting on the floor in the lounge when Willow came strolling in. She was startled at first but soon decided in was her new bed and climbed in. I have to give it back to Noel today - don't know how Willow will react.

She's much better! Thankyou Lilith She was behaving oddly for a while and then started pulling chunks of fur out of her neck. I was terrified she had a really big problem. (google searching didn't help my fear. I was convinced she had cancer for about 4 hours)

We took her to the vet and it turned out that she had "resorción dental". I believe that means a tooth basically eroded inwards, although I'm not completely sure, my translation needs to get better. The vet said it also caused pain all around her face, mouth and neck, which explains why she was so distant and didn't want to be touched. The vet also said that normally cats with this tend to get very distant from their owners and hide away.

We had to get the bad tooth removed because it was infected. The vet said that Sofi was probably suffering for about 2 months. I feel super bad about it now because I had no idea she was in pain until she was being so distant.

Now she's back to her old self! Curling up on me while my other half and I watch TV and sleeping with me in the bed once again. She's started drooling in her sleep though. I keep waking up and there's a massive drool patch by my chest from her (lately she likes to sneak under the covers and sleep like a person next to me ( I need to get my video of her uploaded) I think she gets cold in the night), I don't know if that's because she has a tooth missing or because she's finally comfortable to sleep without pain.

So pleased to hear that Sofi is feeling better. Now she is more open to a cuddle, give her a fuss from me!

Oh poor Sofi! And poor you too - don't beat yourself up because we've all been there done that, not realising straight away about a cat being poorly; they often carry on as normal no matter what they're feeling like and of course they can't tell us...when you first posted about her being distant I was inclined to think that maybe she was reacting to your having been on holiday; I once knew someone whose husband moved out and although they stayed in touch and he still saw her regularly, the minute he arrived in the house, the cat went and sat in a corner with his back to them!

I'm so glad all has ended well and that she's back to her normal self, even if she is slobbering, bless her. Do you think she's still getting used to the gap where the tooth was? My old Finny used to slobber if he was purring but he didn't have many teeth left...he used to be very good about having claws trimmed/ears cleaned but just occasionally - he'd gum me.

So glad you two are now reunited

I swear I found the full poem online but it's not there now - does anyone know it?

It's called:

NEVER GET OUT! by JOHN GALSWORTHY

I KNEW a little Serval cat --
Never get out!
Would pad all day from this to that --
Never get out!
From bar to bar she'd turn and turn,
And in her eyes a fire would burn --
(From her zoology we learn!)
Never get out!

But if by hap a ray of sun
Came shining in her cage, she'd run
And sit upon her haunches where
Into the open she could stare,
And with the free that sunlight share --
Never get out!

That catling's jungle heart forlorn
Will die as wild as it was born...
If I could cage the human race
Awhile like her, in prisoned space,
And teach them what it is to face --
Never get out!...


http://www.poetryexplorer.net/poem.php?id=10061682" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ahh, thanks for that, Jacks!

Heatrbreaking poem though isn't it?

Yes, it is - in my mind's eye I see a tiger (a larger version of our felines) who when caged will never even know the pleasure of purring to the stroke of a hand. It's no way to live. The poem about the lost beloved is terribly sad too. :'( They are our 'beloveds' aren't they...

Aren't they just ... even when we call them all the names under the sun (like me earlier with my naughty youngest) the thought of any of them, domestic or wild, hungry or hurt or lost or mistreated, is awful. Worse than awful

Thanks Bobbys Girl and Lilith!

I'm just so happy she's better! She's using every opportunity to curl up on my lap nowadays and it makes me think that I only had half a cat before compared to now. She's also WAY more active and happy during the day.
I'm not sure whether the drooling thing is down to her tooth missing or just routine "zonked-outness" but she's certainly drooling a lot more these days. But she's also sleeping a lot better. She snores so I can tell. It's weird to hear this loud noise coming from a creature so small on your lap/sofa/bed/wherever she feels like. She gives her own hiding spots away I'm just happy she's so comfy now. She's probably more cuddly than she's ever been! She's even okay (sometimes) about being picked up! A trait she never had before.
I'm just glad I'm a heavy sleeper because she could wake the dead with her snore volume in the bed!

Aww bless her - so glad she's so much better!

Lol you made me laugh with the snoring thing...I used to have an ex-feral, Ali Kat, and did he snore or did he snore?

I lost count of the times I woke thinking I was back beside my husband...

(Both sweet guys, the cat and the husband, don't get me wrong ...)