Friday, May 08, 2009

Popeye is 20!!

And he doesn't look a day over 18. This is the oldest cat we have ever had and the only cat we have ever had from birth. His mother was a garage sale kitten, with a gorgeous tortiseshell coat. His father was the neighborhood tom, with a swagger that teenage mom Schnuppe could not resist. She got knocked up with this guy and dropped him under a hosta leaf. I noticed her suddenly slim self and went looking for her offspring. Luckily I found him and my instinct was to lick his face to welcome him into the world. We bonded immediately.

That May was warm and moist in Illinois and the flea population was at an all time high. He was riddled with them, even tho we kept him inside, Schuppe was an outdoor cat, so it was impossible to keep him flea free. Still everyday afterwork I came home and gave him a bath in a mixing bowl. He was so tiny. Then I dried him down with a towel and a hair dryer and tweezed off the fleas. Millions of them.

He spent so much time in the water that a nautical name was attached to him.

Popeye the kitty boy.



He no longer has a flea problem, as he rarely leaves the comfort of the rug by the fireplace. He knows the secret to a long life. No worries, plenty of kitty food, and lots of head butts.

Happy Birthday Old Man.

23 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:24 AM

    Wow, what a story! Popeye doesn't look a day older than 3! Happy Birthday Popeye!!!!!!

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  2. Happy Birthday, Popeye!!

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  3. Our Izzy-B just turned 15 so Popeye has a couple of years on her. Sounds like Popeye has the same start of Izzy except she was born under a trailer and I also spent every day after work combing the fleas out.

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  4. What is it about orphan marmalade kittens? I adopted 3 from under a house down the street when their mom abandoned them, and they were adorable! Popeye could have been a cousin... Happy Birthday old guy!

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  5. May Popeye have many more birthdays to come.

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  6. Happy Birthday Dude!

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  7. What a moving story! Sure you can see that this is an old cat, his paws have sunken through. Can't help but love the old boy! I wish him a lovely time and a soft and painless ascent to kitty heaven, when it is his time to go.

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  8. Anonymous11:20 AM

    Melody, heartiest congrats to Popeye and to his good parents!

    My grandkitty Romeo also does head butts--usually about 4 AM, when he thinks it's time for me to refill his dish and let him out onto the back porch. Wham! Wham! These are not gentle. I've often wondered how many other cats do head butts. He also stands on the newel post in our entry way to head butt/greet me when I arrive home from work.

    From one kitty's well-trained human to another (I also heel on command)--

    Mary G. in Chicago

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  9. Oh what a sweet old boy! Those are some mega genes at play there.

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  10. Happy Birthday, Popeye

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  11. Awwwww..what a sweet heart he is! I hope my 2 kitties out live me! I think I'm going to be a basket case when they go:( Our kids were never this spoiled! I don't know what happened...LOL

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  12. Happy birthday Popeye from Sandra and the awful pawful

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  13. Happy Birthday, Popeye! We look just alike, so naturally I think you're very handsome. I will be 14 in July. Here's to you! Boomer in Utah

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  14. My two 10 yr. old kitties and I send our birthday greetings to Popeye- an inspiration to us.

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  15. Popeye at the kitty show!

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  16. Luna(tic) and Obi(wan kenobi), who are twelve, send their love and birthday greetings to Popeye!

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  17. Happy Birthday sweet ol popeye, your presence was missed at the May birthday gathering.

    Speedy healing to you Mel.

    xoxo

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  18. Distinguished old fella!

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  19. Happy Birthday Popeye!

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  20. I love your cat!Happy birthday to him!
    We allways had cat at home.Our oldest cat , a very lady, has been 22 years when she died.
    Greetings from Germany
    Christiane

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  21. Anonymous7:13 PM

    Happy Birthday to Popeye. I hope he has lots more birthdays too. Our Siamese cat, Sam who was a garage sale kitty was only 5 weeks old when we got him. We had him for 22 when before he went to Kitty Heaven.

    Cam

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  22. Anonymous9:40 PM

    I hope Popeye has many more happy birthdays! My Balentine is 15 and looks just like him.

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  23. Melody, that wasn't Anonymous -- it was me! I'm typing in the dark and my computer thought I was done.

    Martha

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