Stumbling Through Life With A Kinky Tail: A story for young people and all cat lovers Two cats true tales (in their own voices)

By N. BEETHAM STARK

Often children do not have an opportunity or guidance that gives them a good understanding of animals. The author has used the real adventures of these two cats, Tander and Jinder, to show young people how real are the feelings of animals and how closely they mirror our feelings. They hurt, they worry, they cry, they grieve, they fight, they bleed, and they show sorrow just as we do. By being kind to animals, we can make a better world for ourselves and those around us. That is why the animals speak in what the author feels would be their own voices telling the reader how they are most likely feeling in any situation. Imagine how scary it would be if you were a small, helpless animal that was put in a cage and shoved into a car and driven who knows where. Would you not want someone to tell you where you were going and what was going to happen to you? Would you not experience severe anxiety and want to cry out for help? We can make their lives happier if we understand them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886547320

Book preview

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Stumbling Through Life With A Kinky Tail

A story for young people and all cat lovers Two cats true tales (in their own voices)

N. BEETHAM STARK

Copyright © 2023 N. BEETHAM STARK

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88654-714-6 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-88654-732-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

A true story for young people about two cats who are overloaded with personality and who can teach everyone to love and respect all animals

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1

What Harm the Lack of Love Can Do—Jinder

Chapter 2

Kindergarten for Cats

Chapter 3

A New, Frightening World

Chapter 4

What Real Love Can Do

Chapter 5

Our Family Grows Larger

Chapter 6

I Make the Wrong Friends!

Chapter 7

Not Again!

Chapter 8

Better Watch What You Eat!

Chapter 9

Out All Night

Chapter 10

Parting of the Ways

Chapter 11

Tander's Life

Chapter 12

A Word from Mom

Chapter 13

Back to Tander

About the Author

A true story for young people about two cats who are overloaded with personality and who can teach everyone to love and respect all animals

Acknowledgments

The author is indebted to Sue Crawford for assistance with this book.

Introduction

When treated properly with love and kindness, animals can provide deep enrichment to our lives. Consider them as being able to experience most of the joy and pain that we experience. Respect all living things within reason. If you mistreat any animals, then you deserve to come back in another time and life as an animal who is badly treated.

Chapter 1

What Harm the Lack of Love Can Do—Jinder

Hi! I am Jinder, a beautiful gray. My first memories of this life were when I was eating breakfast and snuggled up against my Mom, warm and secure.

I was suddenly yanked away from her and tossed through the air like a football. Two little evil boys pretended that I really was a football and began throwing and catching me when they didn't drop me that is. All I could do was cry out and bare my claws. I left some meaningful scratches on at least one of the boys before some lady came and took me away from the boys and returned me to my Mom. I could not blame Mom for my troubles. She was busy feeding my other four siblings, and she was only a small cat. Those boys seemed huge, and now that they knew that I was easy to catch at mealtime, I was in for a horrible kitten life. I am most lucky to be here today to tell my story, and this is all really true. Cats don't exaggerate.

My kitten life was a horrible experience all because no one had taught the boys how to play with and love a kitten. I so wanted to play and enjoy life like my brothers and sisters did.

My happiest kitten moments were when I could curl up next to Mom to nurse. In between meals I went off to hide and hopefully sleep until I could get something to eat. I finally made it to the kitty food dish and gobbled down a few mouthfuls of dry, tasteless food, but now my tummy felt a little better. I watched from my hiding place for when food came and then made a mad dash for the dish before my other siblings could eat all of it.

I was growing but not as fast as my brother, Don Don.

Eventually I graduated to solid food, but the torture did not end. The minute I buried my face in a dish of cat food, I would feel evil little hands grabbing at my hair, squeezing and pulling me away. All I could do was hope that there was some cat food left at night when the little demons were in bed. Even then I would take two bites and then look all around for anyone who might be waiting to grab me. I could manage to get one or two mouthfuls before my fear forced me to run for my life. As a result, I did not get much food as a kitten, and I was scrawny and small for my age. At four years old, I am still skittish around food or littler even though my present Mom would never do anything to harm me. I still eat that way to this day, always watchful. It is a habit that I just cannot kick.

The other place that I feared going was the litter box. A fella has to use the box once in a while, and I could never seem to get to the box without being spotted by the little demons. When they did catch me, they would play toss and catch (maybe) with me. One little guy squeezed my throat so hard that he broke my voice box and now as a full-grown tomcat, I still have a kitten's meow.

They put dirt in my ears. They were already bad enough, itching terribly from ear mites, but the soil kept me from hearing them approach or hearing their whoops of joy as they inflicted yet another criminal act on my tiny body. For all my kitten-hood, I had broken, painful ribs.

Then one day one of the demons grabbed my tail and tried to tie it in a knot. I screamed with pain, writhing violently in evil little hands. Rough little hands pushed and pulled my tail in and out until I fainted. I had four breaks in my tail, and no one thought to put a splint on it, so I will have a kinky, broken tail