Pets Part three - Blast from the Past

My next addition to my list of pets was Tiger.

A black and gray striped kitten which really did follow me home!  After several attempts to scare the kitty back to where ever she appeared from; telling the ball of fur to “Go Home my mom won’t let me keep you”- I was almost 9.  We had Mr. Wonder Dog ‘Fluffy’ and I knew Mom would be sure to have a fit when she saw this little face of all ears with the super long tail.

Somehow Tiger got to stay.  I think I finally wore my mother out with my requests for pets.  She knew in her heart I was a child who would drag home the stays begging to keep them, that my soul was just an animal lover looking for little critters to care over.

Tiger was a female.  Unfortunately my parents did not have extra money to spend on neutering.  Tiger would have a litter of kitten once a year.  Usually 3 or 4 darling little all black or Orange tabbies, it wasn’t hard to guess who the fathers were.  Our neighbor had the Orange Tabby Tomcat, and a few blocks away lived a very handsome fellow who was all black with a white spot on his chest.

The kittens where never hard to place in good homes.  We even had a waiting list for folks wanting one of Tigers kittens, Tiger was very mild mannered, an excellent mouser, and was very much at home outside in fact she preferred outdoor life than being in the house.  Her offspring where totally beautiful and bewitching! Plus my father owned a Gas Station and once the kittens where old enough they would travel down to his business where his customers where able to select their kitten.

Life in the fifties was very different life style than it is now days.  Responsible owners in today’s society have their pets neutered and expect neighbor’s pets to also be neutered.

In a couple of years once again my harem of pets grew: followed by Snowball an albino parakeet – a birthday present from my grandfather.  I knew I would be in trouble once again with my mother for wanting another pet – ah to be 12 again.

At age 18 I dated a young man who believed me when I said my parents would have no problem with the pet Alligator I was allowing him to purchase for me as a gift to show me his affection; knowing full well my father was terrified of reptiles and that my mother had already informed me I could not bring one of those critters home when I had spoken about buying one myself.  This is one of the most talked about Pets in my family's history!  Throughout my young adulthood, even to this fun stage of my life as an adult in their prime...'Pat and her alligator' is a conversation piece whenever one discusses pets in our life.