"Car Wash": That's one I haven't thought about for such a long time! I recall how popular it was. Practically everyone in school had seen it at least once and were always quoting lines.
Sophie is a feral cat now partly tamed; she will let us pet her, and she lives on our front porch. She had kittens of her own, but one day, she showed up with a kitten, placing it at my mother's feet when she went out for the mail. When Sophie didn't keep the kitten with her, my mother placed it in the garden, where its mother must have found it. Then, Sophie stole another kitten, placing it at my mother's side as she was gardening. We began thinking that this was something like cats do when they've killed a mouse or vole: presenting it to their people. My mother placed this one in the garden, too, hoping the mother cat would come for it. When she found that the kitten was gone, she supposed it was back with its mother. Then, we discovered that Sophie had "catnapped" an even younger kitten! She didn't want to nurse them and would not take care of them. They were for us, it seemed, but we doubted that we could raise kittens that young. Then, I found formula in powdered form at and decided to take in Sassy. Several mother cats (all feral) seemed to have adopted the b&w kitten we dubbed Muffin, who was brought into our household not long after because he seemed so sweet and docile.
We've had cats in our family all our lives and had never experienced "kitten theft"! The vet said that sometimes mother cats who have lost their kittens will steal others, but he had never heard of a cat behaving as Sophie did. So far, she hasn't shown up with anymore extra kittens, thank goodness! The vet and the assistants said that nothing cats do surprises them, as they do have some very odd behavior. Muffin is a hardy fellow who has caught up in size with the others, so his time with the cluster of mommy cats didn't seem to have harmed him after he got over an initial rough spot. I'm not sure I would tackle trying to rescue another very young kitten, as it's demanding on so many levels and gave me a taste of what parents must experience~just a bit.
~~MystMoonstruck~~
reply
share
WarpedRecord
14 years ago
Thanks for the reply, and sorry for my delay in getting back to you.
I guess if your cat wants to steal kittens to please you, that's Sophie's choice. (Sorry, couldn't resist, and I'm sure you've made this joke in other forms already.) I'm more of a dog person and haven't had a cat in years, but it does appear that it was an "offering" to you. Cats indeed have odd behaviors, and perhaps being feral for much of her life has made Sophie more combative to other cats, or maybe she wanted to raise the kitten in your home as her own.
Regardless, it was wonderful of you to adopt Sophie and adapt to some of her unusual ways.
And "Car Wash": What a trip that film is! A fun snapshot of a terrific period in pop-culture history, enhanced by the filmmakers' imagination. And what a cast: Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Melanie Mayron, the Pointer Sisters, Professor Irwin Corey – as diverse as this film.
reply
share