Full Name: Petit Beaute (little beauty)
Nicknames & Phrases: Big Eyes, Lovely Old Lady, Beautiful
Dates: August 31, 1981 - February 26, 2002
Age: 20 1/2
Quirks: She'll eat just about anything, including
brussels sprouts. She also "combs" my hair with
her claws.
History:
Beau & Joli (see In Loving Memory)were horribly abused until I got them. At the age of 10
mos., they were the sizes of kittens half their age. It took 3 years before the two of them stopped
hiding when company arrived and almost as long before they trusted men. Some of the abuses are
mentioned in a poem that I wrote for Joli (see 'Tails'of Love: Pet Poetry). As they healed, their
personalities bloomed!
Beau, being the worst treated the two, took longer than her sister to recuperate. As she did, her
sweetness was overwhelming! So was her insistance of remaining the dominant cat. As the 'herd'
continued to grow, she remained the dominant cat and still is to this day. She doesn't take guff
lightly at all! She'll slap the other cats down in a heartbeat if she thinks they're up to no good! :-)
Beau has always had a voracious appetite, yet in spite of that, she never grew fat. She's been tested
for health problems and I'm happy to say, she's just a big eater! I only have to ask if she wants some
milk for her to give an enthusiastic response. She likes mushrooms from pizza, brussels sprouts,
drinks coke and eats french fries with ketchup. These are her favorites. Almost anything is fair game,
though! Not very discriminating is my lovely old lady! :-)
Beau has had a few health problems during her life, all of which are fairly common. These include
FUS and Kidney Disease. Currently, she is on Hills Precription Diet, both C/D and K/D. Giving her
K/D and keeping everyone else out of it can be a challenge! Since they consider canned food to be a
treat, they (rightfully) expected to share in Beau's food. They learn quickly, though and they just stare
lovingly at the bowl. When the bowl's down to scraps, I give it to whomever wants the food as a treat.
They really look forward to this! I know. I know. I'm a big sucker! :-)
Beau is the one kitty left who has seen all of the comings and goings in the herd. I've stated elsewhere
that I've spent most of my life rescuing stray and abused pets. With the exception of Tobey (my first),
Beau has witnessed all of it. Many of the cats I've rescued stayed with us before moving into their new
homes. I must say that I'm pretty proud of Beau's handling of things. Usually she'd be upset for awhile
but she always came around fairly soon. After years of seeing this, her attitude changed to,"Oh dear!
Mom's at it again!"
Both kittens and adults were trained early by the lady, herself. She demanded respect and got it! Now
with some of the Bru Clan, authority was sometimes not enough. I don't know exactly what happened,
but one day, I heard a "hissy-spit" (See: Dif-"fur"-ntions) in progress that was developing into a knock-
down-drag-out. It was Hazy Mist who was the perp on this occasion. She was rolling my poor old lady
all over the floor! Needless to say, the water bottle was put to use and that has never happened again!
These occasions are rare, though. Most of the time, Beau maintains her status as matriarch of the herd.
Those who came in as kittens were tolerated for the most part. During "The Beau School of Proper
Behavior," Beau's attitude was mainly,"darned fool kids, anyway!"
The only signs of Beau's aging are thinning fur and the usual breakdown of muscle & skin tone. She's
thinner than she used to be but she's still beautiful! Though sometimes cats will become more irritable
with increasing age, Beau has become more loving. From flopping & rolling, to sleeping on my pillow
by my head, to her sweet, close-lipped meows and combing my hair, Beau is a treasure!
Lately, she's taken to rubbing her face all over mine. This is something she never would have done in
the past! Now she takes nose-kisses without complaint and even leans into them, sometimes! To know
her is to love her! She is "a thing of beauty and a joy forever!" As I keep telling her (and all of the others),
"You've got to last me another 10 years!"
Even her majesty... enjoys a game of peek-a-boo sometimes! Hehehe!
When you stop to smell the flowers,
don't forget to pet the kitty, too! :-)
To: In Loving Memory To: Keep Their Memories Alive!
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