TARA AND THE GHOST
by
Pandora Timms
Bonnyville, Alberta, Canada
It had not been an easy last couple of years for
my husband, Len and myself.
Worse than the
loss of some of our beloved pets through old age
and other causes was the loss of my dear
brother, "Bobbie". A younger man. Still in his
prime. He could make anyone laugh at a moments
notice with his jokes and crazy way of looking
at life through his eyes. One day Bobbie was
with us, the next gone.
Lynn, his widow
could not handle the farm by herself. She had
to sell and move into town. Although Len and I
had agreed, NO MORE ANIMALS, we already had
enough with our present birds, cats, dogs we
took "Tara", my brothers adult German Shepherd
Cross dog, to our own country dwelling as she
would never have adjusted to living in town.
And
we said again, NO MORE
ANIMALS.......................................
The 1/2 grown
kitten had been chucked out of a vehicle.
Bitterly cold in late December as is often the
case in our Northern Alberta, Canada location.
At an intersection in the back
country............they opened the door and
threw the kitten out. Like a piece of disposal,
yet living trash. Then sped
away..................another animal
abandoned to die in the country.
The lady who
rescued the shivering kitten from that
intersection was known for rescuing animals. She
did not hesitate, simply called friends on her
cell phone to bring a cat carrier to contain the
frightened creature. Yet she knew she could not
bring it home to her place. Some of her dogs at
home were not "Cat Friendly".
She had been on her
way to the same festive Christmas Party as we
had. She stood there in the entrance way with
everyone laughing and bubbling with Christmas
spirit. The cat carrier in hand. She asked
simply that Len and I take the kitten for one
week. To give her one single week to find it a
home. Just one week.....................
Of course we took
the kitten.
The kitten was so
emaciated that it was little more than black fur
covering sharp bones. Infected eye, an old,
savage wound on it's neck, severe diarrhea. We
would try though.
Now trying to doctor
this starving, wee thing should have been easy,
right? WRONG.........you have to be able to
hold it so you can doctor it.
We eventually
did manage this with the help of our new family
dog, Tara. This is a cat who didn't trust humans
what so ever!! When we first came home with
this kitten, it stayed hidden in our furnace
room in the basement although it had the run of
our split level home. We made sure plenty of
food and water was available for it when it came
out from hiding behind the furnace. Every once
in awhile we would spot it and then in a blink
of a eye it would disappear. We had also noticed
on the end of it's tail (about an inch from the
tip) something was or had been tied tightly
around the tail. After a few weeks, the end
of the kittens tail fell off. The string some
hurtful person had tied around the tail had
finally done its work.
We noticed right
away that when ever Tara was around, the kitten
would appear, running to the big dog, curling
against it, hiding underneath the ever patient
dog. It rubbed its face against Tara's,
reaching up to touch her muzzle with his dainty
paws. But the second Tara left the room, the
kitten was gone in a flash. The kitten did not
come to our two small breed dogs or our other
cats. Just the big dog. Strange?
So to me there was
only one possible name for this kitten and that
was GHOST. Now everyone asks us, "why Ghost,
aren't ghosts white, not black"? True enough,
but ghosts also appear out of nowhere
and disappear just as quick!!!
Ghost absolutely loves and adores Tara. It is
months later now and we still have never heard
Ghost meow. But when she's around Tara she
purrs to beat sixty! Ghost does come around us
more now and we are able to pet her for a
minute and sometimes even pick her up. But she
is still very wary. It is our belief that
whoever dumped her off, they must have had a big
dog that lived there and it was this kittens
soul protector and mother figure. Which makes
one ask themselves, "what shape is that poor
dog in"???
We
all pray for Ghost's original companion dog.
That the dog is better cared for and not
abused/neglected as little Ghost had been.
NOTE: Ghost turned out to be a female. She has
been spayed, vaccinated and is here to stay
forever. Especially at night, she appears out
of nowhere to curl up with her beloved Tara.
Two animals that each came here needing a
forever home. Two souls that are so closely
bonded, they are as one.
