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Hazel came to the shelter @ 5 wks., but the size of a 3 wk. old. The woman who rescued
her couldn't keep her. I fostered her, thinking that if she fit in, I'd want 1st choice. At home, her 1st time out
of the cat pen was hilarious...when Dudley & Miles caught their 1st glimpse of this tiny entity, their eyes widened- and
then both big boys RAN!!!
I didn't think I'd bonded with her until I took her to the vet (for the shelter) to be spayed. When
I called, the receptionist said that the vet had run into problems...my heart went right to my throat! I asked what she meant
& she explained he'd had to make a farm visit, & hadn't done her surgery yet!!!! I explained how her
statement had sounded...she felt so bad! But- I knew that Hazel would be coming home to stay!
Tough to "bring up", I had to
teach her all the manners that a mom-cat & littermates usually teach...what is/isn't okay behavior (biting, playing
rough etc..,) She's VERY headstrong, so it took consistancy & lots of hard work. She'll still put up with just
"so much" grooming etc.., then warns me with a "cooing" sound when she's reached her limit. She's beautiful- a plush mixture of tabby & tortoiseshell (a "torbie"). She's
a big, solid girl...nearly 11 lbs.! She has a light streak up the left side of her nose...I call it her "naughty streak"!
She doesn't really use it much, though :o) She loves to play with Abigail-Rose and, sometimes, Miles. Now 4½,
she's very much a "girly-girl". She has VERY full bloomers, which I call her "cha-cha pants", lol.
When in the mood, she asks to be picked up,
& reverts to a 5-wk old kitten... she squeezes her eyes tightly closed- (it's much easier to pretend with
your eyes tightly closed, you know!), kneads, presses her face against my shoulder & drools. At least
she tries to make sure that both sides match!
Above: No longer the tiny "Hazel-Bean Seed", as I lovingly called (& call) her. Hazel in
Celtic folklore is Coll & means "the life-force within you". I kept her name, because how very true it is of her.
Below: The beautiful Hazel...all full-grown & gorgeous, & I tell her often! :o)
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