This is Belle. We got her for Xmas, having never owned or indeed wanted a cat… but now I love her.
This entry was posted on Monday, January 15th, 2007 at 3:07 pm.
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What a darling little gift that will keep on giving. She is so aptly named.
I cannot figure out if that is the tiniest kitten or the biggest slipper in creation.
Belle is absolutely beautiful. Last christmas 2005 the same thing happen to me. My first cat Missy came into my life, I always loved dogs but she was the apple of my life. Unfortunately Missy passed away about 3 weeks ago. Enjoy Belle. They are a true and a best friend. It is like having a child.
I’ve heard of Christmas bells before, but this is too adorable!! Love the little calico stripes!!
What a sweet little fuzzball! Has she learned to tear up the furniture yet?
what a purrfect tiny fuzzbutt
Kittens as sweet as that one looks will do that to a person.
Aww. All I got when I unwrapped my presents was clothes. I would have liked to have unwrapped a little kitten like Belle.
Poor Fred, I know how you feel, getting clothes for christmas. I used to get clothes from relatives and I’d wonder, who would wear this! Nowadays, I give personal made up gift bags and money, so you can get what you want. I’ve had no complaints yet. I agree, Belle, would’ve been a nice christmas present for me, too. I wouldn’t object!
“Silver Belles, silver Belles..it’s Christmas time, with this Kitty…”
Too funny Michael. I once gave a dilute calico rescued kitty to a friend and her name was Silver Belle and we sang a similar variation of the song. That Belle is still with my friend and is fat and sassy at a very mature 14.
That’s just too precious of a Christmas gift!!! She’s soooo cute!!
do you see any kittens roaming around like this 1?!!!?!!???!
well at s.a.r.a. we do it is horable with what we hear about these cat/kittens. so if you see any cat/kitten getting hert or just roaming around please go to petfinder.com thank you p.s. hope you have a wonderful time with your new kitten
What a precious furball!! Make sure to get her some scratch pads and she will stay off the furniture. My 3 still clawed boys love their turbo scratchers (Walmart) and never touch my furniture, such entertainment to watch them play with it too! Cat furniture helps too! Good luck with Belle, she’ll reward you with lots and lots of love!
What is a Truboscratcher? Can you describe it?
When my cat Snickelfritz was small I got a scratch box, it was cardboard in a little pad. Today no cardboard box is safe, my husband had purchased a work bench and hadn’t taken it from the box - one day the whole front of the box just dropped down, she had opened both sides of it.
What a cute little girl. I wish they could stay that size. She is truly a cutie.
Gee, will the slipper be cozy enough to sleep in? Maybe, I wonder, if they would not mind if I tried it on for size.
Ohhhhh she’s tiny, so cute! sitting on the appropriate Christmas paper too..I bet she’ll enjoy playing with that
OMG! Too sweet! :))) perfect gift!
Is she contemplating snuggling up inside that slipper I wonder?
My parents’ cat, Kess, loved to snuggle in my dad’s slippers as soon as he took them off. She’s quite big, so only parts of her would fit, not like Beautiful Belle, who looks as though she would get lost in that slipper! We lost Dad 2 years ago this past Christmastime, but she still loved the slippers till the scent was gone. She now likes it when someone takes their shoes off and gives her a belly rub. Foot luvin FUZZ!!
awwwwww no need to say anything more
Precious baby!!
how could you not fall in love with that innocent little angel?! she is sooo cute. i hope you love her furrever!
What a sweet little gift. She is beautiful. Wishing you many happy holidays together.
MUCH friskier and cuter than a lump of coal!! What a sweet little Christmas prezzie she is….
awww…Belle is beautiful…such a tiny little girl…what a great gift. Treasure her always!
the same thing happened to me. my ex-husband gave me a kitten as a present. never having a cat (always dogs), i wasn’t super happy. the next day, i called out of work because i didn’t want to leave the little guy! now, i have 5 cats - all rescues.
Teeny-tiny beauty! They just dive into your heart and stay there…my heart was stolen over 13 years ago by a kitty about the size of Belle. She’s still with me and still has my heart!
Tiny little Belle
So pretty and so sweet
Pretty little cat
Tiny ears and tiny feet
Pretty little beast
People weren’t sure
Belle - their very first kitty
Soon they’ll want more.
Sweet poem! As Ernest Hemingway said, “One cat just leads to another.”
Hi Dee! Just like a saying I seen. Cats are like cookies…you always want more than one! BTW, love the stories today.
Oh, how true that is, I just have to pray that when I move out from my parents house (again) that I do not become a crazy old cat lady.
Getting old is something that happens to us. Being a “Cat Lady” is a rather special calling. Enjoy yourself!
AMEN! Very well said…and thank you for saying it!
Ivory Bill should be named the “Official TDK Bard” Love your poems! Keep em coming!
Ivory bill, Bravo! (applause). We ,The Circle of Friends at TDK, name you the official Bard of TDK! LOL
Yeah! Ivory Bill. You are awesome!!!
Glad you’re back! I missed your poems.
So happy that you are back!!
Pretty, pretty little girl! She will give you so much love.
Ghost of Christmas Present FUZZ
I don’t intend to kill the fuzz-joy, but it is a uniformly bad idea to give a pet as a present to someone who is not expecting it, especially a child. Many pets are sheltered or abandoned because they were gifted to someone not ready to take care of them.
Pets are additions to families and everyone involved needs to sign off before the adoption process begins.
That said, adorable kitten.
Jon-This is so true. Pets should be wanted and properly cared for. Thanks for the reminder.
SO true! I don’t even like when anyone gives me a gift of clothes! (You have to pretend that you like something that is god-awful–and always have an excuse as to why you have not worn it yet!)
Even with prior approval…the “giver” of a pet should always make it clear that if FOR ANY REASON the recipient cannot keep or properly care for the pet, that they should call the “giver” and return the pet to them. BE prepared to take the pet back and find it another home…mean it when you say it, too, with no hard feelings. When I was a breeder, it was in my “contract” even if the kitten was “gifted” that said kitten/cat should contact me if they couldn’t care for or keep the kitten/cat. I have had 3 cats come back to me, that I found other homes for and was so happy that they called me. One cat that I gifted I found out was not being properly cared for and I had to “repo” her. Luckily, it was a member of my husband’s family and I could do this, but there were lots of hard feelings that exist to this day. It was a very difficult thing to do, but my responsibility to Xena! Today Xena lives with a loving family who, by the way, have since adopted another of my Maine Coons (Molly) who was returned to me after almost two years because her newborn daughter was allergic! But that’s another story…
Let me edit here and say that I didn’t expect the kitten/cat to contact me, but the OWNER of said cat/kitten. Also, I never just “gifted” a cat/kitten to someone who didn’t want one. These were people who had contacted me about owning one of my Maine Coons. Pets are expensive!
Dear CatRancher,
I have a LARGE (18+ #)cat that my mom and I suspect being Maine Coon. If I send you a picture, would you be willing to give us your opinion??
I’m happy to hear of your policy about returning a cat or kitten. Years ago my daughter came home with a kitten she had found on the side of the road, she just wanted to “keep her overnight”. We didn’t give her a proper name, just called her “Fuz” since she wasn’t going to stay. A co-worker fell in love and took her, we told her if ever she couldn’t keep Fuz to come to us. To make a long story short about a year later her husband, at the time, bought a dog that had been trained to kill cats (there are stupid people out there). We took Fuz back, she moved from PA to MN with us and lived to be 20 years old and very well loved. Oh yes, she claimed my son as her person, when he would call she would sit with tears running down her face and was always looking for a lap she could sit on and kneed his knees.
When I lived in CHicago the little girl down staris found a parakeet in the bushes and gave her to my grandmother. Unfortunately my grandmother was disabled and had Alzheimer’s so the care fell to me. That free bird cost me $65. the first day for a cage, food etc. I was to put it mildly not fond of that bird. For my birthday a friend gave me a box gift wrapped that was moving lo and behold it contained another parakeet to keep Sassy company. I agree NEVER give a living animal to anyone at anytime never ever no way no how. Excuse me just had a flash back.
What beautiful markings! This kitty is going to grow up to be a lovely lady!
Beautiful little Belle. Smoochie smoochie!
Stay warm everyone and cuddle up those kits!!
You may never have been cat owners before, but this little lady is a very aupicious beginning to the world of house cats!!! She is lovely and sweet. Have fun and discipline her spunkiness gently.
Wow! Look, they got me a kayak for Christmas!
This kitten honestly is the “Belle of the Ball!” (Gosh, I wish I had a kitten/cat to squish at work…)
How could anyone not love her?
She’s a tiny little beauty… She looks like my Eponine, she’s a striped calico as well… But she’s full grown and at 15 years old is my queen.
It was great seeing all the new people who posted over the weekend.
Welcome, everyone!
Since many of us don’t visit the site on the weekend, check out the great story that Rainingwolf in Oregon posted yesterday
Dee, are you referring to the story about Dolores the cat, who saved her owner? Yes, I read that, so touching. I’m glad they both got out.
Renee—that was the one! sweet story…
Very cute fuzzball! Our newest of three cats has to sleep in his Daddy’s slippers. He goes as far as crying when Daddy wants to wear them, so we got the baby a new pair of men’s slippers for Christmas!
Thank goodness the clinic reported this!
**Dog Given Aneurysm, Killed After Sales Pitch**
Cleveland Clinic Reports Surgeon To Ag Dept.
POSTED: 10:05 am EST January 12, 2007
CLEVELAND — An investigation is under way at a renowned research hospital after an unauthorized demonstration involving a dog.
The Cleveland Clinic said a neurosurgeon used a dog with an induced brain aneurysm to demonstrate a medical device to salespeople on Wednesday.
The dog was anesthetized during the demonstration and euthanized afterward.
The hospital uses animals for medical research but says it “doesn’t allow procedures with animals for the sole purpose of sales training.”
It’s unclear whether the aneurysm was induced in the dog solely for the sales demonstration. An aneurysm is when arteries or blood vessels bulge and eventually burst, which can cause severe damage or death.
The clinic has reported the incident to the Department of Agriculture, which regulates animal testing.
That doctor should have a certain part of his anatomy nailed to the wall.
You bet we reported it. I work at the Cleveland Clinic in Research. There are VERY strict protocols one must go through in order to use an animal for any kind of research, even if you are just feeding them a certain kind of food and watching what happens. Everything you do has to be completely justifiable and unable to be done any other way - training salespeople does not fall into that catagory. This physician was way out of line, and how he got mixed up in this (he has no ties to this company) is still unclear. But his violation of the rules will more than likely cost him his job.
**Hunting dog hits trigger, kills hunter**
Friday, 01/12/07
By ANNE PAINE
Staff Writer
A 28-year-old duck hunter was killed when he was accidentally shot by a hunting dog on an inlet of the Cumberland River in west Nashville, a state wildlife official said today.
The victim was identified as Thomas Ayer St. Charles III of Carriage Drive, Metro Police said this afternoon.
The man had gotten out of the boat to pick up decoys at the end of the day, said Cape Taylor, Tennessee Wildlife Resources law enforcement supervisor for Davidson and several other counties.
A hunting companion, who didn’t have waders on, remained in the boat, where the other man’s shotgun lay on the floor.
“The dog apparently jumped back there and hit the trigger of the gun,” Taylor said.
The safety lock had either not been on or the dog hit the safety button — depending on the type of shotgun — and released it, he said.
The shotgun fired and blew a hole through the side of the boat, striking the man in the water in the lower abdomen, he said.
“He said, ‘Call 911, I’ve been hit,’” Taylor said, repeating what the other hunter had told officials.
The 911 call was made to Metro at about 5:50 p.m. Thursday.
Emergency personnel could get to the men by driving down River Road, he said. The slough where they had been hunting is just off the west Davidson County road.
The man who had been shot was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died, Taylor said.
The death at this point is considered accidental and the only evidence of any breaking of regulations was that the hunter who remained in the boat did not have a current hunter education certification.
“That’s something we’ll address in the future as part of our investigation,” Taylor said.
The man who died did have the certification.
Anyone born Jan. 1, 1969, or after, is required to undergo the training. Taylor said it’s recommended for all hunters of any age.
Hunters, also, are advised to unload their firearms as soon as they are through for the day, he said.
The incident is the second death this month in a Midstate hunting accident. The other was a deer hunter who was mistakenly shot by his brother outside White House. Neither of the brothers were wearing the required blaze orange clothing.
sweet story…
Cats so often become a piece of our history. It hurts that we cannot keep them any longer than their short lives will allow, but the memories they leave us with are priceless. Our cats purr and snuggle with us through the hard times and give us so many wonderful reasons to laugh. They are unforgettable blessings that stay with us for the rest of our lives. I just read a touching story about a cat that became a precious part of a woman’s memories.
Wilma Kemp in Port Elizabeth, South Africa writes about a cat that weasled into her life, made Wilma her slave and gave her a lifetime of wonderful memories. Wilma hadn’t planned on taking the cat that she had been watching run the neighborhood for two years. She saw the gorgeous long-haired black and white cat with the unmistakable moustache every day. She would occasionally stop to pet the pretty feline, but kept her heart at a distance. She had just lost her cat Tiger to cancer and had no intention of bringing another into her tiny flat. The stray cat had other plans for her though.
After being away on vacation for a month, Wilma pulled into her parking space and the stray cat hopped on her hood. When Wilma opened the door to get out, she was greeted by a gentle paw. The cat proceeded to follow Wilma up to her flat, when she made herself at home and never left. Wilma named the cat Bokkie Bam, an Afrikaans (Dutch) name and their adventures began.
Wilma is a journalist and soon Bokkie Bam was known by her readers as the talkative cat from the streets with high-end tastes. Bokkie Bam ate the finest food and eventually moved from the tiny flat to a farm near the sea. In her new home she could roam outdoors and enjoy the ocean sunset with Wilma, her chosen slave. To Wilma though, Bokkie Bam was inspiration, a reason to write about nature and love.
The two were together for six years when Bokkie Bam became ill and was found to have feline aids. She lost her fight with the virus, but will always have a place in Wilma’s heart and memories. Wilma has two cats now and loves them dearly, but thinks often about the wonderful times she had with Bokkie Bam and hopes that someday they will meet again.
Sweet story Dee. Hey, did you see the recipe that the Kittenmaster posted for me? It’s the Spotted Dick recipe. Sounds interesting, may try it sometime. It’s on Poly’s site from the 12th.
Yes, I saw that—nice site. I guess their steaming of the pudding is comparable as when we give ours a “water bath”–like with flans and cheesecakes. I love making foods from all different cultures—I’m on a Thai kick, lately.
Me too. got a good recipe for Tom Yum Goon?
ppearson—I’ve never made that, but I’ve had it in restaurants—great stuff. Here is a good Thai recipe site—step by step directions—click on the recipe and a photo pops up…
http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/
Hey Dee, How did your lemon cake go this weekend? Have you already made a dent in it?! lol I ended up making a big pot of chicken vegetable soup yesterday. I started out small and ended up dragging out my stock pot! The weather is cold and a bit icy. It has rained here non-stop since Friday. I think it’s about 28 outside. I see ice on the trees.
they turned out really well, Renee–I love that recipe. And, yes, I’ve made a big dent in them! Homeade soup sounds so good right now—-even better on a cold day like you are having. (It’s 78 degrees at 5:25 pm in Tampa…)
Your story warmed my heart on this chilly day in Wi. Thank you.
Little Belle-you sure do ring my chimes! What a doll!
Converting people to cat-lovers one human at a time. Adorable feline ambassador FUZZ
OMG HOW BEAUTIFUL IS SHE! HOW COULD YOU NOT FALL IN LOVE!! ENJOY HER, THEY ARE WONDERFUL ANIMALS TO OWN, I KNOW, I HAVE 2 MYSELF.
Check out this HUGE newborn!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=428353&in_page_id=1811
My dad’s brother was born in 1915 at home and was 14lbs. I think my grandmother finally got her knees together a couple of years later.
OUCH!
Holy mother of God (OUCH)
Free Folgers coffee sample…
https://folgersgourmetselections.offerprocessingcenter.com/?source=Home
After filling in all the info, it wouldn’t let me submit. What happened?
Nevermind. I tried it again and it worked fine. Thank you! I looove coffee:)
Anyone caught up in that terrible ice storm??
it fizzled out before making it here….as usual…. ice, sleet and just a dusting of snow… Ice wasn’t too bad, though. No power loss or severe accidents. We’re grateful to be skipped over by the ice storms! (But I STILL want lots of snow!)
It’s actually record-breaking cold here in California!
At or below freezing at night in the Greater Los Angeles area. brrrrr…
believe it or not, Dallas got some bad ice on the roads this morning. Everythings back to normal now.
Just heard from a friend that her friends and relatives in NE will be without power for 5 to 6 weeks.
That is unbelieveable in this day and age with all of our resouces! But then, let us not forget Katrina and our “government’s response.” It’s borders on criminal neglect. OK…I’m off the soap box.
No, we all need to stay on that particular box.
The roads were terrible up here. I didn’t lose power, however quite a few people I know did. And of course, the geniuses were out last night driving around, I could hear them speeding up and down the street and spinning their tires when they got stuck.
I stayed home from work. The roads were just too slick! All is well now.
She is a real sweetheart. I guess you have found out by now we don’t own cats -they own us.
Belle is so cute. Love and cherish her and she will give you so much more in return.
**U.S. skunk seeks ride home: only brave need apply**
By Wojtek Dabrowski
Fri Jan 12, 3:20 PM ET
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian wildlife officials are looking for a brave driver prepared for a 3,500-kilometre (2,200 mile) trip to take a stinky stowaway skunk back to her home in California.
But the skunk, who survived a seven-day journey across the United States and into Canada without food and water, after being accidentally locked away in a transport truck, is having a hard time finding someone to give her a ride home.
“We can never give a no-spray guarantee, of course,” said Nathalie Karvonen, executive director at the Toronto Wildlife Center, which has been caring for the skunk since January 5, referring to the black-and-white striped animal’s foul-smelling defense mechanism.
“It would have be somebody who would be prepared for that possibility.”
Releasing her into the wild in Canada is out of the question, Karvonen said.
“It’s totally and utterly illegal from a provincial and federal standpoint to release a California skunk in Ontario.”
As well, “skunks are very territorial animals … “They won’t just readily accept a stranger in their territory, so there will be a big skunk fight.”
The skunk likely dozed off in some piping being stored in a yard in California. The cargo was eventually loaded onto a truck to Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto.
“She was certainly a bit dehydrated and thin when we got her,” Karvonen said. “Luckily, at this time of the year, even in California, a skunk would likely have more fat reserves … so that was probably fortunate for her.”
While airlines usually agree to return such “accidental travelers” for free, Karvonen said the response has not been positive in this particular case.
Frankly, she’s not surprised.
“I wouldn’t want to fly on a plane with a skunk either,” she said. “She’s not necessarily going to spray, but I’m sure a skunk has never experienced takeoff and landing and those are pretty startling things, and that’s usually when they spray.”
Skunks can blast their sulfurous spray as far as 3 metres (10 feet) from two anal scent glands, leaving victims with stinging eyes and gasping for air.
Ground transport is the most likely way to get the skunk home, so the Wildlife Center is looking either for a private driver traveling to California or a willing trucking company with the Pacific Coast state on its route.
“At least if you’re in a car, you can stop and roll down the windows,” Karvonen said. “If you’re on a plane for five hours, you don’t have a lot of options there.”
She added that, despite the problem of finding transport, putting the animal down was out of the question.
“It is a perfectly healthy animal who’s just gotten away from its home territory. Certainly, to euthanize it just because she doesn’t have a ride home is not a nice option for us.”
Those with an idea on how to get the animal home can contact the Toronto Wildlife Center at 1-416-631-0662.
Have heard it said
And guess its true
Even stinkers
Need love too.
Good one!! I chuckled out loud!
what is a skunk
Is this a riddle? Or are you serious?
Skunks are also known as pole”cats”, right?
Under the circumstances, maybe the skunk should be de-scented and given to a nice home or a zoo. When I was a kid, a friend’s big sister had a pet skunk named Archie. He was big and fluffy and a little shy, but sweet. They’re a lot like cats, really.
Oh, you lucky!! What a little jewel. Merry Christmas (late!)