Bubba's Story
Over many years, a stray female brought us many litters--she would just turn up with one litter after another. The ones we weren't able to find good homes for, wound up as another pet in our house. I can't even remember how many litters (let alone kittens) that she had over the years, but eventually I had to capture her and have her spayed; I just couldn't find anymore takers. Her last batch of kittens were born on the first day of Spring in 1994 and consisted of four--two males and two females. It was the first litter that she actually had near our house--in fact, she had them under the steps at the side door, which actually serves as our main entrance. George built an insulated shelter under the steps for the strays to keep out of the weather and she decided to use it as her nursery.
The first one out of the box was the tortoiseshell (Pitchy-patch). She was and always would be a feisty little thing who would rule the roost. Next out was Bubba, the sweetest, friendliest and largest of the litter. We knew that once they began exploring, Mama (that's what we called her) would move the kittens, perhaps to a secret place that we wouldn't be able to find. If we were going to find homes for them, we should grab them before she makes the move. George wanted to keep one but we decided that it wouldn't be fair to just keep one so we decided we'd keep two. But which two? We kept all four. The kittens-- Bubba, Patches (a/k/a "Pitchy-patch"), Priscilla (a/k/a "Prissy-la") and Stinky were unbelievably funny, enjoyable additions to the family.
Pitchy-patch and Prissy-la died last year. Stinky died several years ago. My little Bubba-bear was the last of the line and now he's gone too. The last several months you could see him going downhill. It even got to the point where he no longer asked to go outside…and he loved to sit outside in the sun. At 18-1/2 he was probably the equivalent of a 100-year-old human. I suppose a body can just last so long and his was worn out.
I loved them all, but Bubba, with his annoying voice, always had a special place in my heart. He was a nice cat---to everyone and to all the other household felines.
Some of Mama’s kitties (top step down): Sherbit (left) and Prissy-la (right); Puff (2nd step down); Bubba (3rd step down); and Pitchy-patch at ground level
Good night, Bubba