Animal Tales - Cats

When we lived on Martin Street, we acquired a cat that someone named Jefferson. It was a Tom cat so hence the name.. Leah loved animals, all animals but especially cats, so when she asked to keep him we reluctantly said yes. Our kids were all pretty good with animals - meaning no one abused them (right, Daughters?), so the fact was that this cat was just out and out mean. I had sheer curtains on the dining room windows, this cat would jump up on the curtains, hang on with his nails and slide down. I would knock him down and when he thought I wasn't looking, back on the curtains. It wasn't long before they were in shreds. I then put up cafe curtains, he couldn't hang on and that's when he started attacking Leah. She would be sitting on the floor playing - Leah didn't move as quickly as the others - and he would jump on her back and dig in his claws. It wasn't long before Vern took Jefferson for a ride.

When we moved to the country, we inherited a menagerie of barn cats. They came and went, some got hit by cars - Cruger Road at the time was a short cut to Peoria - and some just disappeared. But one remained for several years, Princess, a white female, who was more prolific than I was. Every summer, old Mr. Yellow Tom, would come "cattin'" around, and weeks later a new litter. I suggested we have her neutered, but Vern didn't believe in it, so more and more kittens. I can't remember what happened to Princess, she probably died from being worn out.

Another cat appeared in the yard one day. It looked like a pure bred Siamese, beautiful blue eyes and the kids fell in love until it bit one of them and then did it's favorite cat trick, jumping on the back and digging in. When Vern came home from work, the cat went for a ride. As the car came off the McClugage Bridge, and takes the exit for Adams Street, Vern opened the door and let the cat out. A few days later, there was a small article in the newspaper, that the police had to be called because a Siamese looking cat was biting and jumping on kids on the Nortside of Peoria.