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!!
The Tale of Dead Mice Walking...
Gladys had just settled down for a nice cat snooze, the kind no other animal
on earth knows quite how to do. First, find somewhere really unusual for your
bed, expensive clothes or fragile knick-knacks are an extra plus. Then, curl
up in a nice cozy ball, this should take at least 5 minutes. Sleep follows.
Suddenly, the quiet room was filled with a high-pitched scream! Gladys, being a
little put out to have to investigate was slow to move, until she heard Carolyn .
screaming her name. She sauntered to the kitchen with an air of diffidence.
There on the doorstep to the kitchen was a fat, but most completely and rather
neatly dead mouse. That of itself was no great trouble for Gladys, despite that
it was having a decidedly negative effect on C.
What was troubling Glad-cat was... she had personally dispatched that very mouse
not 20 minutes ago in the barn. How had it managed to walk to the house? This
would take some looking into!
Could someone else have brought it to the house? Perhaps to get G in trouble?
Unlikely, as all were accounted for, and the timing was pretty exact. Do mice
have ghosts, wondered G. Certainly, she had heard lots of strange sounds in the
walls through the years.
"You know, I think I am getting a little too old for so much excitement", thought
G. "I need to retire, but how do I do that"?
While that thought was rattling around in her little cat head, another thought came
to her. She had just enough energy to catch another mouse, send it to heaven, and
then lurk around the kitchen door disguised as something or other to see what was
really going on.
Putting her plan in action, part one went without a hitch. Now to go to the house
and wait. She decided to transfor into a plant, but was a bit nonplussed when she
came out as a cactus. Not only uncomfortable, but they did not grow in her area
at all. Hopefully whoever or whatever was doing this deed was not up on
horticulture.
She waited. Then waited some more. It was getting dark and scary. Suddenly, out
of the shadows came a sly fox carrying that darned mouse! It left it by the door,
then slunk away to wait in the shadows of evening.
So, that was it! The fox was trying to lure Gladys out for an evening meal, and
she was to be the featured dish! She quickly transformed into Cody, the catahoula,
who went ripping after the fox with fangs bared.
Gladys was worn out from the adventure. She realized she was getting old, and adventures like that made her think she needed to find a nice, young kitten to train to take her place. Then she could just take it easy.
We really don't know if Cody caught that fox, but it was never seen again...
Gladys Finds A Friend...
No one knows quite how it happened, but Gladys came home dragging a very young kitten some time ago. Keeping with our tradition of naming our cats with
people names, we call her Olivia.
Olivia has some of the very traits that make us love Gladys so much. "O" is kind, and loving and very smart. She loves to be scratched around her neck, and still has that
kitten penchant for jumping on anything that even thinks about moving.
Olivia's new friend is "Seal", our newest Beagle. They love to romp and play, even
though Seal is sometimes very rough with O. It will be fun to watch them grow up together.
Gladys seems to be retired- or at least tired. She really does not have the energy she once did, and isn't eating much. She seems to love Olivia, and is passing on her wisdom to the kitten every day...
Olivia and Seal...
There is no joy in Mudville..
.
Very, very sad news. Gladys has moved on to whatever heaven good cats
enjoy.
She was acting very weak and tired of late, and then one evening she went out
after giving us some good hugs and did not come back the next morning. We found her peacefully at rest under the porch, one of her favorite spots.
She is now buried in our beautiful flower garden, right by the tree and bird feeders where she "entertained" the local bird population.
She was truly my buddy, there with me every day when I was ill, and always ready for some scratches on her ears. She will be very missed.
Bye Gladys, via con Dios! We didn't deserve you, but we loved you...
Here is a picture of her resting place...
