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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.