Cleo The Kleptomaniac Cat

Cleo has been with us for about 14 years now. Cleo is an American Short Haired cat colored in gray and black tiger stripes. She is a garbage can kitty. Our youngest son, John, found her and 4 litter mates in the garbage can behind Merritt's Cafe. John rescued them and they rode home in his leather jacket on his motorcycle. A small calico died shortly after arriving at our house. My oldest son and I took her to the vet but they said there was nothing they could do. We cried on the drive home, both of us trying to look unaffected but the tears streaming down our faces. When we got home Cleo was trying to take anything she could get her claws into and hide it behind the toilet. 

My wife and I decided that we could not keep the cats and we worked to give them away. She brought them to my work on a weekend afternoon and we showed them off. In the records office they were a big hit until Cleo had the runny poops all over one the lady's desks. It was a terrible stinky mess. No sale there. Next they went to dispatch and lucky us we were able to give two of them away but not Cleo. She didn't want to be held and she keep trying to take the dispatch cards and pens. So home she came with us and she pooped again in the car. Cleo has never taken to travel by car and gets sick every time. Would have been nice to know that. 

So Cleo ended up living with us and I must admit we have rarely thought it was a bad thing. She has more spunk and personality than just about any cat we have ever had. No Christmas tree has ever been safe. Decorations are stripped from the bottom two feet of the tree and hidden behind the toilet or in the toilet, she likes to see things float. She has stolen and hidden glasses, small cameras, wrist watches and more small items than I could ever name. O, she talked to me once. Actually she gave me some good advice in a time of need. I had nailed my thumb to my hand with an air powered nail gun. I was thinking I could drive myself to the doctor when Cleo looked up at me and said, "Don't be a fool call for help". I finally decided that if the cat was talking to me I had better do as she said.

Cleo is a little slower these days but she still has her kitten like moments. She is mad at us for getting the dogs. She can't understand why after 11 years we had to ruin things. Deep down though I think she likes the dogs. She will lick them and play with them if we aren't watching to closely. I know that her days are running out and that makes me sad. But for the time being we will let her sleep in the linen closet and feed her deli turkey. And Yeah,  I will cry like a little girl on that day.