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Astronomy,
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Birdie the Second
How we found and rescued him.

Jessie-Belle
A Memoir

A Good Laugh!

Cats have to be one of the most
beautiful creatures on earth.
Sure, all creatures are beautiful,
but you can't go past a cat.
Wild or domestic, large or small,
they capture our imagination.

One day, it became obvious that Mandy was pregnant...

Another day, Mandy was not pregnant any more but her kittens were nowhere to be seen. She would come in to the kitchen to eat then scarper outside quickly when she thought no-one was looking, bolt over the fence, and be gone! Mum said that we shouldn't follow her. Mum had been brought up on the farm, so she knew the ways of the wild.

A few days after the birth of her kittens, Mandy was under the kitchen table. Suddenly she yowled loudly and writhed in pain. We all came running to help her but she slipped through our hands and ran out the door. "Mum! Mum!" I yelled, "Stop her, she's getting away!" But Mandy was too fast for us. We looked under the table where she had started crying. A bee was dying on the floor. It was then we realised that Mandy had been stung. I fretted. We tried to find Mandy but no, she had gone.

Well, it was only about ten minutes later that Mandy appeared in the back door. I was so happy to see her but suddenly stopped as I was about to run to her. "Ugh, she's got a mouse!"
"No, no, it's not a mouse, dear," said Mum, "it's one of her kittens." She stooped as Mandy gently laid her kitten at Mum's feet. Quickly, Mandy ran back out the door again. My sister got a cardboard box and an old cardigan and put the kitten in there. "I hope Mandy comes back," I said, looking fearfully at the tiny little mite as it helplessly crawled around the box with closed eyes. But my fears were groundless. Within minutes, Mandy had returned with another kitten in her mouth. She dropped that one at Mum's feet, too, then ran out again.

In all, Mandy made that trip four times and brought her kittens to us. Fearing that she would die, she brought them to the only living beings who she knew might bring them up and allow them to live. I have never forgotten that oh-so-precious lesson. Animals are not something totally separate from humans, they are our .

Did Mandy die from the bee-sting? No, Mandy recovered well, brought up her kittens and lived many years. She was a Great Mother!

Do I have a photo of her? I wish I did! But in those days (1950's), we didn't take many photos. But she was jet black. Short-haired. With a heart of oak.

OUR TUPPY-CAT

Well, Tuppy has recovered from her loss and has discovered that lying in bed with his human foster-parents is not bad at all! In fact, he now thinks it's his right to be cuddled up with his head on the pillow. And, we have to admit, we kinda like it, too. He's SO cute!!

OK, so here's a more revealing photo of our Tuppy. Long may he live and prosper with us!

There's no photo of Tuppy with me because I'm always the photographer.
But he sure knows how to con someone in this family!....