Happy Birthday bro!

My kittie bro, Wolfgang (aka, Wolfie) is 10 years old today! Happy Birthday, Wolfie!

Wolfie was rescued from my GrandMum's yard back in 1998. He had been born there in her yard, from a stray calico kittie that often helped GrandMum in the garden.

GrandMum's yard was a safe haven for kitties, with lots of wood piles to hide and sleep in, a water fountain and pond for drinking, salamanders and mice for hunting, and pooing in the compost, oops!

The neighbor girl helped GrandMum find homes for the kitties and had Wolfie's Mum spayed. But everytime someone would come to look at the kitties to adopt, Wolfie would run and hide. It was easy to find homes for Wolfie's brothers and sisters, but not for Wolfie.

One day Mum was visiting GrandMum. It was a beautiful, sunny, Spring day. And GrandMum asked Mum if she would like to see the last kittie left of the litter. Mum was apprehensive, since her first kittie, Thumper, has passed on about a year before. Mum wasn't wanting any pets, anymore. Her work schedule was busy and she didn't think it would be fair to a new kittie. But she said, 'ok, I'll just look.'

Wolfie was playing and scratching in a big pile of dirt that GrandMum was using to raise some beds for the organic garden. Mum took one look at Wolfie and said 'he is the cutest kittie I have ever seen!" Wolfie took one look at Mum and went right over and rubbed on her leg. He had never gone near a human before, and GrandMum was just amazed!

Wolfie was about six months old then, was still nursing with his Mum, and was basically feral. But he and Mum hit it off right away. So Mum had a decision to make. Does Wolfie grow up feral, or does she (the only human Wolfie would get close to) take him home. Mum picked up Wolfie and took him with her to sit on the bench in the front yard to ponder the question. Not long after Wolfie's birth Mum jumped up on the bench with Wolfie and Mum, sniffed Mum, sniffed Wolfie, sniffed Mum and left. It was just like she gave was telling Mum that she needed to take Wolfie, and telling Wolfie that it would be good for him to go with her.

So Mum took Wolfie home and they have been best buds ever since.

Wolfie (named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) is very different from any kittie Mum had ever adopted. He is amazingly loving, cuddly, feisty, extremely playful and just an all around great guy. But Wolfie has never, and probably never will, like anything or anyone other than Mum. But that works for them, and Wolfie has a great life with us. He even graced the cover of Florida Feline earlier this year.

His favorite things are hunting mice and bringing them into the garage for Mum, when she lets him have the chance; batting around a golf ball on the vinyl floors, jumping up to the very tip top of our desk to watch Mum and I work all day, and running to jump up on the high railing of our second floor to get away from me and Gracie.

He will only sleep at Mum's head, with his paw in her hand. If Mum won't open her hand for his paw, he will meow and paw at her until she opens it, then will go soundly to sleep. He has never been sick, and never been hurt in his entire life (knock wood).

Before Mum got us pups, she used to let Wolfie outside every day, supervised of course. Wolfie learned through Mum's commands to stay in the yard. He would test out his boundaries every now and then, but when he would try to leave the yard, Mum would say 'boundary', and Wolfie would turn right around and stay in the yard.

Wolfie is a pretty cool cat. He was very accepting of me and Gracie as an addition to the family, but he still prefers Mum, and I'm sure always will.

Happy Birthday to you my kittie bro!