Christmas Eve, 1998, I was loading the truck, about to deliver Santa packages to some of my best feathered friends. I had assembled some beans/pasta/rice mixes and other goody assortments and stored them in the refrigerator in the bird room -- ready for Christmas Eve delivery.
As I was unloading the refrigerator and loading the truck (this Parrot Santa doesn't have a sleigh -- but a green truck pulled by an Ram called Dodge), Holly blasted out the front door. She was merely a shadow off into the 7PM darkness and the unseasonably below freezing weather.
Three years ago Holly was born between Christmas and New Year's Day and was dropped off at my front door, eyes barely opened, by the contractor that built my birdroom. His cat had three kittens and all were frozen to death but this one and the mom had abandoned it. So, off to the feed store to get a nursing bottle and kitty replacement milk. Before Holly was 6 weeks old she was traveling to Florida on vacation with me -- slurping from her bottle all of the way. Traveling with us was a severely splay-legged cockatiel, Scooter. Most of the way, Holly and Scooter were sharing my lap and Scooter was serenading her with his wonderful whistling talents.
Holly became a birdroom fixture, sleeping in or on an old cage or wooden crate on top of the quaker cage -- brave cat!! Holly has managed to bite or scratch every human being that even tried to come in contact with her, including me. The vet doesn't care if she ever comes back -- he must have tasted extremely good because she took a chunk from his hand. She earned her name, The Cat From Hell. But, she also earns her keep in this zoo due to her extreme ability to mouse. She is definitely not what you would call a "companion" cat, but she is a "fixture" in this place.
Back to Christmas Eve, 1998. The last I saw of Holly was the little white tip of her tail disappearing into the darkness. I walked the neighborhood, shaking her treat can, calling loudly, "Holly, Baby Holly." (There is a little melody that goes with that along with a verse or two, but I will not make a bigger fool out of myself by going into all of it here!)
Off to deliver my Santa goodies, knowing Holly will be on the porch when I come home. Leave the porch light on, put a rug on the concrete steps, leave some food and water. Holly will find it.
10PM, Christmas Eve -- No Holly. I'm up and down the streets again singing, "Holly, Baby Holly." Leave the light on -- put out another rug and her box....she will be there in the morning.
6AM, Christmas Day -- No Holly. Up and down the streets in the truck, singing, "Holly, Holly, Baby Holly." Shaking her treat can from the truck window -- looking for squashed gray and white cat, commonly referred to as "road pizza." No Holly. I'm looking more and more like something left over from a wild Christmas Eve party.
10AM, Christmas Day -- Off to visit friends and have Christmas dinner and gifts with them...knowing that it was warming up and Holly will come out of hiding and be home when I get there.
2PM, Christmas Day -- No Holly. Back up and down the streets. Now kids are out playing with new toys -- alert all the kids in the neighborhood that Holly is missing. Go to the other side of town and look. "Holly, Holly, Baby Holly." Call the police. Go to the computer and make up posters to distribute when stores open in the morning.
8PM, Christmas Night -- Just completed making more sweet potato, cooked apples and pecan/walnut treats for the birds. How I miss Holly! How can it be Christmas when a cat with the name HOLLY is missing! Where is Holly?
No room for the mixture in the refrigerator in the kitchen -- so take it to the bird room. At 8:30PM, I opened the door to the refrigerator in the bird room and
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Out jumps the Cat From Hell -- Holly, Holly, Baby Holly!!
Actually, it was warmer in the refrig than it was outside the night before. Holly had curled up on the back shelf of the refrigerator and spent her Christmas Day shut into the darkness. She did look a little wobbly and terrified. Holly, the cat that hasn't needed anyone or accepted any human companionship now strongly resembles "velcro." She is by my side, under my feet, and in my way -- and it is indeed a VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON
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