Letter of the Week

Three sisters stand in a row; duplexes originally, on the bay.

One has been torn down and handsomely replaced, ours was just fixed up

with a new roof and floors, and the one on the corner was recently

emptied of its summer renters for an upgrade.

As we walked by the empty building, we saw a fluffy ball of fur on the

side steps. An opossum?

We had seen one the night before on our deck. As we went close, we saw

it was a cat crouched there waiting, probably thinking, “Where are they?

My people who fed and petted me? Surely they will come back if I just

wait.”

She is a beautiful cat, similar to our platinum-mink Tonkinese kitties

with gorgeous blue eyes. Surprisingly, she had no tail. An accident?

Someone was cruel?

Woody suggested that perhaps she was a Manx breed, which are born

without tails. Kitty was afraid of us and it took a lot of perseverance

to coax her to Woody’s arms. But she ate all our hamburger. When we

petted her, we discovered under the long fur that she was pitifully

skinny; her spine sharply defined under our hands.

She was adamantly loyal to her former family, but we’re as stubborn

and brought her home. What to do?

We have three cats now and cannot legally take more. After a couple of

days of Charlotte (named for author Charlotte Bronte) escaping and

running back to her vigil, we told our neighbor Jennifer about her, and

she offered to take her.

She still escaped but now trusts and loves Jennifer and Jim.

They are yachts people who travel to Catalina frequently, so they call

her Charlotte Catalina. So a happy ending, but whoever you are who

abandoned this loving kitty, she’s well rid of you and shame on you.

PATRICIA FROSTHOLM

and WOODY WALCHAK

Newport Beach