She is nine years old. Her color is tortoise-shell, which means she is mostly dark brown with patches of yellow and tan. She has long, soft hair and a fuzzy, fluffy tail. She is a tiny cat, though her hair makes her look much bigger than she is.
She has very sharp teeth. There are two teeth in the front of her mouth called canine teeth that stick out over her lower lip. They are very long and look like white needles.
Her claws are sharp, too. She can make her claws stick out, or she can pull them back in to her paws. She uses her claws to climb trees or to hang on to things. If a dog scares her and gets too close, she will swat it in the nose with her claws extended and chase the dog away.
We often call her Glady. She is a happy cat. She is especially happy when she can find a nice, warm spot in the sunshine and curl up on a soft rug. She sleeps and sleeps. Sometimes when she is asleep she looks like a Glady rug—all stretched out and flat as a pancake.
Gladys loves to be petted. When she is feeling safe and secure she purrs. Purring sounds like there is a tiny motor inside her chest. There is a vibration and a sound together. Purring is a signal that all is well in Glady’s world.
Glady Adopts Papaw Jim
The Shire is the farm where we first met Glady. It is where Carolyn lived as a girl. There were many cats who lived at the Shire, too. For years and years, there was always at least one tortoise-shell cat there, and it was tradition to give one the name Gladys. After a long, long time, there were no more cats at the Shire. They all went off to live at other farms and make new families.
One day, many years later, Papaw and Carolyn were in the barn at the Shire. Suddenly, a dark scary thing jumps from the hay mow right into Papaw’s lap. He was startled and yelled, “What is this?!” Quickly he saw that it was a sweet little kitty who just wanted to be loved.
Because she was another tortoise-shell cat at the Shire, we went back to the Shire tradition and named her Gladys in honor of all her ancestors who had lived there before her.
There was a time when I would have been frightened to pen what I am about to write, for I would have been judged mad. I am not, you understand, I am quite sane, and what I am about to tell you is true. Unbelievable, but true.
Have you ever had a dream so vivid that, when you awoke, for the briefest moment, you were not sure what was dream and what was real? That's exactly the erie feeling that descended upon me when I first realized Gladys was not a typical cat. That is, unless a typical cat can transform itself into other things, and be in two places at the same time.
What I am telling you is true, all of it. I know, for I saw it.
"Transform?" you say, "that's not possible." Well, remember Mrs. Mcgonagle? The first scene of the Harry Potter movie "Sorcerer's Stone"? She did it- she transformed from a cat?
Gladys can do that... and much more!
When she first "apparated" for me, I was in the barn at the Shire. I was sitting and working on a project when, out of nowhere, she sprang into my lap. I assumed she came from the loft above but later, when I investigated, I discovered there was NO opening to the loft. None! She could not have come from the loft. Where then?
Here is what you need to know for now. Don't repeat this! Gladys has a peculiar way of curling her tail. It moves slowly to one side, until the tip, and then the tip curls verl quickly in the same direction. I think no other cat does this.
The other day, however, a lady with a long, pretty pony tail turned her head in such a way to make that very unique tail flip. Gladys was nowhere to be seen. The lady looked at me with calm, steady, unblinking green eyes...
The Tale of the Odiferous Feline
Gladys would tell you, if you could speak cat (which is not as hard as french, and more widely spoken) that the road to a long life is being cautious.
The animal world is made up largely of prey animals, who are oftimes dinner for faster, stonger animals, and predators, who need to eat other animals in order to live.
Some animals can be both. Gladys, for example, is a predator if you are, say, a mouse, but prey for a coyote.
Humans are generally considered predator animals,but if without a weapon in the jungle, could become prey to the "lions, tigers and bears" that lurk about.
One evening, just before dusk, Gladys was stalking a shrew or mouse, and needed to cross an open area. I was watching this from the house, and could see her look up, for hawks, and all around for the other bad things that are hungry.
She remained completely still for the longest time, just waiting and looking for danger. At last she started out to cross the open area.
She was about half way across the field when, out of nowhere, a coyote came running at full speed toward her. She took off and darted about to try and lose the coyote, but it was closing the space between them rapidly.
It looked to me like Gladys would become just another meal for the coyote when, at the last possible moment, she changed!
The coyote, closing fast on what looked like a feline feast, was suddenly about to tackle much more! Gladys had transfored into a shiny black thing with a white stripe down its back - yes, a skunk!
The coyote almost broke its own neck trying to avoid the skunk. It tumbled, and rolled over, and skidded to avoid coming anywhere close to the creature it saw. Then, it ran as fast as it could in the other direction. Dinner was not on its mind.
Almost at once the skunk blurred into Gladys the cat once again. I think Gladys let the shrew go free that evening, after all, she had a close call too!!
More to come...