Smokey

Mom update: She continues to improve and even got out of bed for a little while today.

This beautiful cat is Smokey. She has been hanging around Tiger's house since last August. The Mom and Dad feed her and built her a snug little shelter for the winter. She and Tiger tolerate each other, but they aren't really friends. At least they have never been seen touching each other. Once or twice the Mom has left the door open for Tiger and Smokey has come into the house, looked around, and gone back outside. Maybe some day she'll decide to come in and stay. Tiger would probably be OK with that and Motor would probably like it, but K. C. probably wouldn't like it at all. Really, it's impossible to tell how the other cats would react until or unless it happens. In the meantime, Smokey shows up for meals and lounges around in the yard most of the day. She either uses her shelter or goes elsewhere at night.

                                    The cat who lives outside is Smokey.
                                    When it comes to meals, she is never pokey.
                                               She likes it outdoors,
                                               Even when it pours,
                                    But maybe some day come inside will Smokey.

Smokey

I am sure that lots of you remember the story of Dinah and her Mites, but I will tell it again for the rest of you. In July of 2007 a very pregnant tuxie showed up on the Sherwood porch. ML let her in and fixed her up a nice place in the bathroom. On July 31 she gave birth to six kittens. ML named the momcat Dinah, so naturally all the kittens became known as her Mites. Missy was not amused by this invasion, but KC was thrilled. When the Mites got big enough to play, KC would spend hours playing pawsie with them under the door. When the Mites got a bit bigger, KC was allowed inside the bathroom to romp with them. The Mites continued to grow and soon the bathroom simply wasn't big enough for them. They were allowed outside, one room at a time, to explore the rest of the house. Missy really wasn't amused by this at all and started giving all of them the Big Hissy. ML fixed up a place in a walk-in closet just for Missy to give her some alone time and some "just Mom and me" time and Missy calmed down. When the time came, all the Mites got their operations, then they were ready to go the shelter to find their forever homes. ML took all of them, along with a second batch of kittens who had shown up, to the no-kill shelter and said good-bye, then she went home and cried. The house seemed so empty with just Missy and KC that eventually ML went back to the shelter and came home with BJ, Sol and Smokey. Smokey was originally named Earl Gray, but Papa Charley changed his name to Smokey and it suits him well. Smokey has always been the major climber in the family. Sol almost keeps up with him, but Smokey is the champ. He has climbed up on cabinets, on top of doors, and up on the curtain rod. If something can possibly be gotten on top of, Smokey has been there. Smokey loves to play and cuddle with his brothers and KC and his humans.

                                Way up high loves to go Smokey.
                                Into the curtains his claws he will pokey.
                                         He climbs to the top
                                         And there he will stop
                                To survey the domain that belongs to Smokey.

Smokey

This is Smokey, sleeping in his favorite position.  Smokey is the largest cat at Forty Paws, but he doesn't really throw his weight around.  He is pretty much fearless and loves to rassle with his siblings, Reno, Sally and Obi.  He will even rassle with Dorf, the only cat brave enough to try that.  He is a little naughty, in that he loves to chase Jenny, just to hear her scream.  Smokey
thinks that Jenny really likes the game and the screams are just playing.   Like Reno, Sally and Obi, Smokey was born to a mother with Feline Herpes Virus 1 and it has affected his right eye.  His right eye looks a little cross-eyed and leaks brown protein constantly.  He will wipe his eye on anything around him, including the other cats.  The brown stuff will fly from his eye whenever he shakes his head, decorating the floor and walls.  He keeps Maw busy cleaning up after him.  He hates it when she tries to wipe his eye, though he will rub the stuff off on her clothing.  He loves to be brushed, but the brown guard hairs never come off in the brush, just the white and fawn fur.  To look at the brush after his brushing, you would never guess that the fur came from him.  He loves tuna.

                                    Smokey is a Mancat, big and tough.
                                    He rassles his siblings, but doesn't get rough.
                                          He chases Jenny,
                                          Who screams like a banshee.
                                    She secretly likes it, but soon has enough.