Caturday 90: Sandy

I have posted at least once of my adopting or being adopted by a cat when we lived on a nursery where my dad worked. Said cat left me one day, presumably perished, but her sister. Mixie, remained, and you shall see her later in this post.

Mixie had a litter under the back stoop which you shall also see soon enough. She had many litters, and more than one in the same location. The first kitten of hers that I saw was Sandy, and I wanted him. All of the other kittens were given away, or I guess sold off, but Sandy remained with us for at least a decade.

He grew to be a very big cat. Most people remarked that he was the biggest cat they had ever seen. I suppose the Maine Coon breed that is now popular is even larger, but this is now and that was then, and Sandy was impressively large. (Note: Maine Coons didn't become a recognized breed for about 30 years afterward.)

My Dad holding Sandy

probably circa 1965-66

That is the edge of a unique tower greenhouse that my dad oversaw
along with 4 other normal greenhouses.

When Mixie had that initial litter, the first kitten that I saw was Sandy. At only a day or two old, if memory serves, he clung to Mixie's fur as she egressed from her cave. She quickly restored him to his proper place, but he became mine. Actually, as the picture indicates, he became more Dad's than mine, for dad was always close-by on the property.

The next and final photo shows me sitting on the stoop under which Mixie had several litters. I am pretty sure that it was Sandy that I was holding with Mixie sitting beside me. That would have been 15-year-old me in 1963 before Sandy grew up to be a very big boy.

When I was still youngish and living at home for about the next 5 years, I would often become aware of big Sandy occupying space at the foot of my bed. I would push him off and attempt to go back to sleep.

One more thing. The owners of the nursery would bring people by to see and purchase the kittens. At least once, I refused an offer for a buyer to purchase Sandy from me in addition to whatever price they would be paying to the owners, which was probably a dollar or two.

I was not about to let Sandy go for a mere buck or two.