bijoucat

The Cat and the Street

cindyhoffman — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:13:49 +0000

It’s a scorcher today. I’ll have to plant the begonias and balloon flowers once the sun goes down. Yet, it’s not too hot for Bijou. Even with her luxurious fur coat on, she’s still out prowling in the heat. (No, I didn’t say she is in heat, just out in the heat!)

I worry about her getting dehydrated and dizzy. I wonder if she can get sunburn or suffer from hallucinations like those people who get trapped in the desert. OK, so maybe that’s not likely to happen, but I still worry.

I know full well that the safest thing would be to keep her indoors all the time. After all, the house is cooler, mosquito free and features unlimited Eukaneuba and Glee reruns. By staying in, she could avoid dangers like that black Hummer that just ripped through the neighbourhood and the loud street cleaner that always freaks her out.

We have tried to keep her indoors, but when she stays in for too long, she feels trapped and miserable. She meows and howls and claws at the door and windows. Before she came to us, she lived on the streets. Luckily, she has intrinsic street smarts.

Every bird, every bee, every leaf is a joy (and potential snack) for her. We can’t take that away from her, despite the risks. You can take the cat out of the street, but you can’t take the street out of the cat…

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Wordless Wednesday some sage advice

cindyhoffman — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:15:36 +0000

Stop and smell the roses — or the sage plant. (Or just crash out next to it…)

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Tagged: bijou, cat, feral, garden, outdoor, plant, street cat, tabby

Wordless Wednesdays

cindyhoffman — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:16:21 +0000

BIJOU GROOMING HERSELF FOR A VERY IMPORTANT PHOTO SHOOT

NOW FOR A FEW SOMEWHAT INAPPROPRIATE STRETCHES

: THE WINNING SHOT, ITALIAN VOGUE FOR CATS, HERE WE COME

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Haaaachooo Bijou

cindyhoffman — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:58:11 +0000

Meet one of the world’s most cat allergic people – me, Cindy. In meetings, I had to sit across the room from my ex-boss George, because I couldn’t take the cat hairs on his clothing. Come to think of it, there were many things I couldn’t take about him, but that’s a different story. Even just seeing cats on TV would reduce me to teary eyes, sneezing, hives and asthma. (OK, slight exaggeration here, but the point is I am hyperallergic).

When lovely little tabby Bijou snuck into our lives three years ago, I never thought for a moment that we could keep her. I knew she had a tough life as an outdoor cat. I was ready to put food out for her. I was ready to give her shelter from the rain in a cute little outdoor cat tent. But Bijou was definitely ready for more…

Whenever she spotted an opening, she would creep into the house. Although they were both allergic, my son (Justin) and husband (Mike) were overjoyed to have Bijou in the house. At first, I held my ground and insisted she stay outside. But, like Mike always says, it’s not hard to wear me down.

-Mom, do you think Bijou could stay in just for a few hours while it’s raining? -OK, just this once.

-Mom, do you think Bijou could spend the night in the house because it is sooo cold out tonight? -OK, just this once.

-Mom, do you think Bijou could spend the night in the house because of this heat wave? - OK, just this once.

Well, you get the picture. Bijou went from occasional visitor, to live-in house guest, to a full- fledged member of the family.

Mike, Justin and I all live with mild congestion these days, but our allergies are tolerable. We went from Allegra to I love you. Don’t ask me how it happened. Maybe our immune systems developed a tolerance to Bijou with gradual exposure over time, kind of like allergy shots. Maybe it’s a miracle. Whatever it is, it changed the lives of three people – and one cat – forever.

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Bijou lounging around

Tagged: bijou, cat, feral, street cat, tabby

Caught in the cookie jar (well, more like the garbage bag)

cindyhoffman — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:04:16 +0000

Taking refuge from the August humidity while glued to a encore presentation of Lost. Commercial. Head to the kitchen for a glass of icy water. Something catches my eye. Oh my God, Justin, the garbage bag, it’s moving!

My 11-year-old son, Justin, and I approach carefully. A lovely petite tabby leaps out of the bag, startled. For a moment, she stares at us with gorgeous greenish amber eyes. That’s when we name her Bijou. Sneaky little madam must have crept in when I left the sliding door open to get a breeze going.

Bijou, how did you get on this side of the patio doors?

In the weeks before, we began leaving food out for the neighbourhood strays. We were attracting quite the crowd. What a Lady Gaga concert is to teens, our yard was to cats. To the dismay of many a neighbour of course, but that’s a different story.

Back to Bijou. She has become the love of our lives ever since that August day over three years ago. Much has changed. Today, instead of scraps from used cans of tuna, she eats Eukaneuba. Instead of sleeping on rough grass with nature’s pests, she lounges on Simmons Beautyrest. Yet, she’s still a bit of a wild thing…

Hangout at Cindy's house (Bijou next to the black cat)

Tagged: bijou, cat, cats, feral cat, street cat, tabby