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| B.J.'s chillin' out. |
B.J. was tired by the time he decided to move into my sister Julie's home. At the time, he was living on the streets of Cincinnati with other alley cats, fending off his territory and scraping up any leftovers he could find. Julie fed him whenever she saw B.J. in her driveway, which he always appreciated.
One day, he caught a cold, and Julie took him to the vet's office. He didn't like her as much that day, but it was a good thing they went. It turned out that he had contracted FIV from his pals, and his immune system had taken a recent hit. While B.J. dismissed this news as an annoyance, Julie insisted he come live in the safety of her warm, dry house. Always a lone traveler, he preferred the open air and sky. He had travelled all the way from the Wild West, and his early days under stars on the prairie forever remained in his blood. Still, although he was afraid he'd miss the outdoors, he couldn't pass up such a generous offer.
To his great surprise, being an indoor cat suited him just fine. Eternally grateful for his good fortune, B.J. became an increasingly happy-go-lucky cat. Named Bob, Jr., after Bob, an identical orange kitty Julie used to care for before he settled into a friend's home, B.J. shared Bob's good nature. He got along with everyone, except for Norman. (Comet and Ashes assured him that Norman rarely got along with anyone, but B.J. always tried.) He also loves watching Paul Newman and Jimmy Stewart movies, playing board games, and weight lifting. He most enjoys conversations covering the day's events. There's nothing better than a sunny spot by a window so he can keep up with his old pals, spy on new ones, and check out his neighborhood's happenings. He'll tell you all about it.
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| B.J. says hello! (Illustration Friday--September 4, 2009: Strong) |
Had to look up FIV, poor fella life is sure tough on those streets. Is he a permanent indoor cat now ? It was interestingly to read how the risk to other cats in a household living with a FIV cat is very low.
ReplyDeleteI don't have cats myself just a dopey dog but if a cat ever appeared at my house in need of a home my door would be open.
Hi! These kitties are past and present family pets, and a few of them are no longer with us. Sadly, B.J. passed on recently because of an illness unrelated to his FIV. But he's still around in my drawings.
ReplyDeleteYes, FIV isn't contagious. The cats would have to be fighting, scratching, and biting with each other to catch it. Luckily, all of our kitties are too civilized for that sort of behavior. haha
What kind of dog do you have? We used to have one a long time ago, but The Mother Kitty introduced us to the world of cats.
My dog is a Husky cross and he is in my drawings along with my son. I was sat there one day thinking I need inspiration and suddenly realised that those two in my life provided plenty.
ReplyDeleteFunny how that works, isn't it? :-)
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