FOR THE LOVE OF ANIMALS (3): Kyra, the Spy Cat

 

 

 

 

KYRA, THE SPY CAT

This is a bizarre story. I don't expect anyone to believe it, and I'm not sure I believe it myself. But I will relay the facts of which I am certain, and the readers may decide for themselves.

Certain names have been changed to protect the (possibly) innocent persons involved.

The conspiracy theory of the story is this: My feline companion, Kyra, was wired and used unwittingly as a spy.

I have told this story to only a few friends over the years. Some laughed, and some (usually former government agents) believed my conspiracy theory might actually be true.

The year was 2000. I was living at that time in Woodstock, NY, where I had moved in 1997, after having spent 2 miserable years in 'motel hell', with all my possessions in storage, a result of the government's efforts against me to destabilize my life. Through their machinations, I was driven from place to place to place, forced to move house repeatedly due to the circumstances they engineered.

I had a small cozy house at the base of a mountain (Catskills), where I lived for 6 years, before relocating to Maine in 2003.

At that time I had 8 cats. It was a rural area, on a country back road with little traffic, so I allowed my darlings to roam free outside.

I had a friend who lived in another state, a scientist and UFO/paranormal investigator with whom I worked from time to time in field investigations of UFOs and related phenomena, most especially in Pine Bush, NY (a hotbed of UFO activity) and surrounding areas.

I'll call my friend 'Boris'. Boris himself had quite a few cats. But apparently his wife wasn't a cat lover. One day, in a telephone conversation, Boris told me that his wife had threatened to “get rid of” (what a horrible phrase, which I've heard many times from insensitive persons!) some of his cats, specifically some kittens recently born.

Outraged, I said to him, You tell your wife that unless good homes are found for every single one of those cats, she will have to deal with me. And I know where you live!

Then, one day a few months later (it was May, 2000) Boris came to visit me in Woodstock. Our plan was to go to Pine Bush, not far from where I lived.

Boris came into the house and I offered him something to drink. After half an hour, discussing our plans for the investigation, we had finished our tea, and he said to me, Come out to the van with me, I want to show you something. I thought maybe it was some new high- tech gear for the investigation. I was wrong.

He slid open the side panel of the van. There, nesting on a blanket, was a small cat. Boris said to me, I brought a little visitor.

What do you mean, “a little visitor”? I already have 8 cats!

He said maybe I could take her on a “trial basis” (how many times had I heard that one?). This way, she would not be dumped off at a shelter. Well, of course, it was emotional blackmail. It had happened many times. Every time someone wanted to “get rid of” a cat, they would come to me. I could never say no, that was the problem. But I never once regretted adopting any one of them.

Boris assured me that he would pay all her medical bills and pay “child support” for food and other necessities.

So, it was a done deal. I told him to bring her into the house. I placed her in a bedroom, with food, water and a litter box, so she would be separated from the other cats. Cats are territorial, I have found, much more so than dogs. Dogs can make new friends in the blink of an eye. Cats are far more discerning, but once they love someone (animal or human), they can be just as loyal.

But there was one “condition” to which Boris tried to get me to agree, which I found rather strange. He told me he did not want me to have her spayed. He said it was because Kyra came from a bloodline which he hoped would continue. He had her grandmother and her mother.

I said, Well, I can't promise you that I won't have her spayed. It would be irresponsible, and I can't afford to care for any more cats. But I let the matter drop, for the moment.

Kyra was 5 months old when she was dropped off as “the little visitor”. And she stayed with me for more than 15 years, when she passed away in 2015.

As it happened, the “child support” never materialized. It took all my resources just to pay the rent and bills. As for the cats, I usually had to beg or borrow to support them, especially if there was a medical emergency. So I never did get around to having Kyra spayed.

Once she got acclimated, once she made friends with the other cats (aside from some of the battles, where I had to break up the cat fights, and Kyra was one of the most fierce warriors I've ever known), I knew it would be unfair to keep her in the house, while all the others were going outside.

It wasn't long before Kyra went into heat. She roamed the neighborhood, and I'm sure she had many suitors (to put it delicately). But after 3 years in Woodstock, she hadn't got pregnant, for which I thanked my lucky stars.

I moved to Maine in 2003. This was a beach house near the ocean, and not a rural area. But the cats were used to going outside, and it would have been an exercise in futility trying to keep them inside the house. So, I let them out and never had any problems. Except one. That being Kyra. All the other cats had been spayed/neutered years ago.

The problem developed when Kyra roamed through the streets, yowling, and the neighbors started to complain. Some were of the mind that cats should never be let outside (they are entitled to their opinions), and some just said they couldn't take the noise. I heard it myself, it was certainly loud enough to disturb the peace.

So, finally, I decided that Kyra would simply have to be spayed. Oddly, she still had never got pregnant, despite her numerous boyfriends in both neighborhoods. By this time it had been 5 years, so I wondered, what was up with that?

I took her to a local veterinary clinic. They performed the operation. But something strange was reported to me by the vet. She told me that she found a “foreign object” in Kyra. She had no idea what it was, nor how it had come to be there. When she asked me if Kyra had had any surgery before this, I told her, No, not to my knowledge.

The vet too, thought it strange that Kyra had been roaming free for 5 years, but never got pregnant. But she also explained that the implanted foreign object would have prevented such an occurrence.

So, I started to think about all this, seeking some reasonable explanation. I thought about how Boris tried to dissuade me from having Kyra spayed. I certainly knew that CIA had all the technology to implant an animal. Hell, they'd done it to me, so why not my cat?

Around the same time period, my friend Kathy Kasten (a mutual acquaintance of mine and Boris's) came to visit me in Maine. I told her the story of Kyra, in fact she met Kyra while staying at my house.

She later sent me this story.

CIA Wired Cat Project

Another early example of remote-controlling an animal is the Acoustic Kitty program from the 1960s. In this project, a cat was surgically wired up to serve as a listening device. An original document on the project can be found at the National Security Archive.

CIA tried to listen to Soviets with eavesdropping feline

BY CHARLOTTE EDWARDES

LONDON--The CIA tried to uncover the Kremlin's deepest secrets during the 1960s by turning cats into walking bugging devices, recently declassified documents show.

In one experiment during the Cold War, a cat, dubbed "Acoustic Kitty," was wired up for use as an eavesdropping platform.

It was hoped that the animal, which was surgically altered to accommodate transmitting and control devices, could listen to secret conversations from window sills, park benches or dustbins.

Victor Marchetti, a former CIA officer, said that Project Acoustic Kitty was a gruesome creation.

"They slit the cat open, put batteries in him, wired him up. The tail was used as an antenna. They made a monstrosity. They tested him and tested him. They found he would walk off the job when he got hungry, so they put another wire in to override that,'' he said.

Marchetti said that the first live trial was an expensive disaster. The technology is thought to have cost more than $14 million.

He said: "They took it out to a park and put him out of the van, and a taxi comes and runs him over. There they were, sitting in the van with all those dials, and the cat was dead.''

The document, which was one of 40 to be declassified from the CIA's closely guarded Science and Technology Directorate, where spying techniques are refined, is still partly censored.

This implies that the CIA was embarrassed about disclosing all the details of Acoustic Kitty, which took five years to design.

The memo ends by congratulating the team who worked on the Acoustic Kitty project for its hard work.

It says: "The work done on this problem over the years reflects great credit on the personnel who guided it . . . whose energy and imagination could be models for scientific pioneers.''

By coincidence, in 1966, a British film called "Spy With a Cold Nose" featured a dog wired up to eavesdrop on the Russians.

It was the same year as the Acoustic Kitty was tested.

Sunday Telegraph

 

 

 

Kyra (center) & Family at her previous home

As for Boris, I lost contact with him when I moved to Maine. I don't want to accuse him of being complicit in the implantation of a foreign object in my cat. But still...considering the whole thing, I find it suspicious.

I guess I'll never know for sure what actually happened. Was Kyra the spy cat planted on me?

All these years later, I can only say that even were this true, the people who did this ended up giving me one of the greatest blessings of my life in the person of Kyra.

So I can only thank them, regardless of their motives.

Kyra gave me 15 years of love, joy and comfort. I was privileged to know her and to be her grandmother and friend.

Barbara Hartwell Percival

"Dumpster" for Unwanted Felines & Proud of It

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home of Barbara Hartwell & Beloved Cats Kyra, Apollo, Aphrodite, Rockie, Grasshopper, Shulamite, Shulamith, Euphrates, Thaddeus in Woodstock, NY

COINTELPRO TACTICS EXPLICATED: Response to a Letter from a Listener to Radio Interview with Barbara Hartwell (2012)

This letter from a listener was forwarded to me in 2012 by a friend who interviewed me on her radio show. I hadn't read it until recently, when I found it while cleaning out my files.

I have chosen not to name the radio host, or the sender of the letter (whom I do not know). The content is what I think may be of interest to my readers, because I find it typical of some of the questions frequently asked and the opinions often stated, specifically as regards counterintelligence campaigns by government agencies against political Targets.

If nothing else, I see it as an opportunity to set the record straight, to address the unwarranted assumptions and speculation in which so many people engage, to counter it with the truth and the facts.

As always, I speak strictly for myself and I base my response on many years of personal and professional experience and direct knowledge of the issues gained from my own investigations. Counterintelligence operations are one of the areas of my expertise, and they are far more complex and multi-faceted than is understood by most people.

I should state up front that the general issue of counterintelligence campaigns is one of the most important to me because of the massive damages done to any high-profile Target (including me) who finds himself/herself in the cross-hairs of a tyrannical government operation, as well as “collateral damage” (as the perps would call it) to family, friends and colleagues. Nobody who is associated with the Target escapes unscathed. For this reason, the Target is most often abandoned and/or betrayed by the people closest to him/her and left to stand alone against the onslaught of persecution. Which is, of course, one of the primary objectives of the perpetrators.

The persons targeted for such a neutralization campaign are most often survivors of government intelligence operations (CIA, FBI, DOD, DIA, Military Intel etc.) Some Targets are journalists (professionals, not amateur “bloggers”). But whomever they may be, they are in possession of factual, accurate information about government crimes, conspiracies and coverups. They possess material evidence and documentation. And they intend to use it to further the interests of justice. They are activists and dissidents and often considered 'enemies of the state'.

Here is the note from my friend, the host of the radio program. It is followed by the letter from the listener, and then my response.

"Hi Barbara,

Below is an email we received from one of our supporters. He has some questions regarding the benefits that these unpaid stooges have.

 

We know Tim White is working on a "get out of jail free card." Same with Brendan Fahey."

[Note: Todd Brendan Fahey, to my knowledge, is not on any “get-out-of-jail free” card, although he certainly is a criminal. He's a CIA-wannabe who engages in blackmail, forgery, identity theft, stalking, and is one of the government minions who engages in criminal harassment against Targets.]

"But what would be your answer to him be for stooges like Ott and Studer? What is in it for them? I am sure it is a question many will want to know."

[Note: The letter is an exact copy. No corrections in spelling, etc. have been made. I have only separated the letter into paragraphs for easier reading.]

"Hey, so I just listened to about 3/4 of the show with Barbara Hartwell that you and X interviewed and I thought it was over all pretty good. I'm not done listening to it yet. But i kind of disagree with a few thing's Barbara had to say. One of the biggest things I disagreed with was when she said that people like Timothy Patrick White and Dr.True ott are not getting paid for the disinformation - Libel and harassment that they're dishing out quite frequently and that there for they are not truly part of CIONTELPRO engineers'?

I don't think that's completely correct, i think these guys are all the payroll and most likely making a lot of money for doing what they are doing- there is a science behind how they are doing it as well, they are certainly not your every day liars off the street. And that these guys are in a tightly nit large circle working intimately together with the guys that are taking center stage like Gunderson and Hilder and Alex Jones ect!! One of the main reason why these guys are suddenly so nasty and baring the true teeth, is because they know now that you know who they really are! And therefore can risk taking their disguise's off now and start the true attack on you instead of trying to befriend you most deceptively like they did from the start with X!

Although I fully agree with Barbara that these guys are - when it boils right down to it that is, just a bunch of pathetic stooge's, - that is only when they take off there disguise do we actually see that! These guys are very well trained at what they do and have an exact science on how to do it! That is why so many people including some very well educated people do not figure out what is going on and who is trustable and who is not. That's a big part of the reason why we are finding ourselves in the mess that we are in. Now that said I'm sure that there are many people who have gotten sucked into the CIA church of set and that are not on the payroll, I just don't believe the kind of people you and X are have to deal with right now are just a bunch of brock no money in there pockets nobodies that are trying to put X out of business. No from what I've read these guys are professional highly trained and are on the payroll, and are very much a complete part of COINTELPRO!!

Now Barbara mention COINTELPRO'S end goal which is the absolute destruction of the group, but she really didn't take anytime to explain how they accomplish this goal.. I know the complete destruction is the ultimate goal but how do they go about reaching it?? But I guess she only had so much time and probably wanted to cut to the chase instead of beating around the bush! The thing I felt like I would add here is maybe a few of these guys a manchurian candidates.. Anyway I did like the rest of barbara had to say, I just slightly suspicious when she said these guys are not on the payroll and there for are just a bunch of nut jobs.. I don't believe that's correct, I thought seeing how she her self is an ex-member of the group that she would be a little more knowledgeable in this area!!

But there is no way Gunderson would've wanted Barbra to work with Ott, if Ott was a true part of the COINTELPRO team!!! I do believe that they are much more expendable then the guys controlling the information on center stage. That's my sincere opinion ..Bye for now

P.S I'm not saying I think Barbara was lying about anything she was say, it just sounded to me like she was so irate and irritated with the whole group of COINTELPRO misfits that she would perhaps not want to believe that these psychos actaully get paid money to do what they do???"

RESPONSE FROM BARBARA HARTWELL

The statements from the listener are in quotes. My comments follow.

"But i kind of disagree with a few thing's Barbara had to say. One of the biggest things I disagreed with was when she said that people like Timothy Patrick White and Dr.True ott are not getting paid for the disinformation - Libel and harassment that they're dishing out quite frequently and that there for they are not truly part of CIONTELPRO engineers'?"

First of all, you would need to have a basic working knowledge of these operations before you could reach any accurate conclusions, such that you could “disagree” with the information I presented on the program. Though he is free to state his opinions, this individual lacks such knowledge.

Timothy Patrick White and “True” Ott (aka Alma Ott), both of whom were addressed on the program (inter alia), as perpetrators involved in the campaigns against Targets, are not in the same category, according to my standards, nor did I state any such thing. This appears to be an assumption on the part of the listener.

I'll start with Timothy Patrick White aka Tim White. Tim White is a career criminal/predicate felon. In 2001, he made a deal with corrupt feds when he was convicted on charges of drug trafficking. He became a fed snitch in exchange for early release from prison. He was sentenced to 4 years but only served 5 months, when he was set loose to wreak havoc and destruction. (Which continues unabated to this day.)

(I have some of the court documents in my possession, including police reports.)

The feds provided Tim White with a list of Targets, mostly former intelligence/military personnel and tasked him with harassing, stalking, threatening them. Tim White is a public menace who has done tremendous harm to numerous individuals targeted by the U.S. Government. I should know. He began his criminal harassment against me in 2001, and fifteen years later he is still at it.

(See numerous reports on this site for the gory details of Tim White's crime sprees against Barbara Hartwell and other Targets.)

But Tim White is not the “engineer” of these operations; far from it, he is only one of the lowly minions who is exploited by government agents to do their dirty work. This distinction is important and unfortunately not understood by most people who are only starting to learn about these operations.

Then, there are the defamation campaigns run against Targets. The government minions, such as Tim White, are furnished with specific false information about a given Target and directed to spread the lies far and wide, through any venues available to them, for the purpose of discrediting the Target in the eyes of the general public. For example, the government stooges have been told by the agents running these operations that Barbara Hartwell is a “CIA Disinfo Agent”. This outrageous lie has been disseminated far and wide for more than two decades (even before Tim White came into the picture).

In the case of Tim White, there is another issue. White is a sex pervert/predator, including targeting children. When he was arrested on the drug charge, the cops found child pornography in White's possession, a felony crime for which White was never charged. Why? So that the feds had something to hold over his head. So they could use him to do their bidding. They don't need to “pay” him; they know that he will be compliant with their directives to save his own neck. He is “just following orders”. He is certainly not one of the architects of the plot.

Tim White (like many other stooges) is a quisling, a lackey of the tyrants who have corrupted and overthrown the government, that is, the Constitutional Republic, from within. But typically, Tim White claims to be a “patriot”. He also touts himself as a “Concerned Citizen”, and has fabricated a set of titles and credentials he does not possess, such as “Investigator” and “Whistleblower” (with which he signs all his posts), in attempts to make himself appear to be “important”. In actuality, Tim White is uneducated and has no background or training whatsoever in any field, nor any sort of intelligence work.

As for “True” Ott (a pseudonym), he is in another category altogether from White. Ott is a rabid Jew-hater who claims to be a devout Christian. He claims Jesus was not a Jew and advocates for the Holocaust deniers. He denounces Jews as “Edomites”. Unlike Tim White, he is educated and a skilled writer. A writer of propaganda, that is. Ott was a longtime crony of FBI chief Ted Gunderson, the COINTELPRO Kingpin. Ott is not a crude, loudmouthed hothead like Tim White, but has managed to pass himself off to large numbers of his reading/listening audience as credible. Which makes him all the more dangerous.

"I don't think that's completely correct, i think these guys are all the payroll and most likely making a lot of money for doing what they are doing- there is a science behind how they are doing it as well, they are certainly not your every day liars off the street."

Well, that would depend on what the “payroll” means. Anyone being used by the intelligence agents is certainly getting some personal benefit from their activities. It could be just staying out of prison. It could be aggrandizing their egos. Many of these stooges are seeking attention and approval which they can't get any other way. A liar-for-hire will always receive something in return for his dirty work. But with these particular individuals, especially Tim White and Alex Studer (another rabid Jew-hater, a lackey of “True” Ott who sells T-shirts proclaiming “NUKE ISRAEL”), I can guarantee they're not raking in the cash as a result of their efforts against decent, law-abiding citizens.

"Although I fully agree with Barbara that these guys are - when it boils right down to it that is, just a bunch of pathetic stooge's, - that is only when they take off there disguise do we actually see that! These guys are very well trained at what they do and have an exact science on how to do it! That is why so many people including some very well educated people do not figure out what is going on and who is trustable and who is not."

Has the person writing this been targeted for criminal harassment, libel/slander, stalking and death threats? Most assuredly not. How would he know who or what these government minions are?

I've been a Target of these characters for many years. There was never a time when I did not see them for exactly who and what they are. He assumes much and knows little.

He also seems to believe that all of the perps fall into the same category, when in fact they do not. Obviously, Ted Gunderson was well trained, but most of his minions had no training at all –and it shows.

There is no “exact science” involved, even for intelligence agents who are trained in various disciplines. I don't know where these ideas come from, I can only refute them with the facts.

"No from what I've read these guys are professional highly trained and are on the payroll, and are very much a complete part of COINTELPRO!!"

What exactly has he “read”, and from what source(s)? He doesn't say. The Internet is overflowing with false information, including misinformation, disinformation and propaganda. That is a very important part of the counterintelligence operations.

How can he possibly determine what is true and what is not?

In the case of people like Tim White and Alex Studer, for example, they have no training whatsoever and are anything but professional. They are G-Man wannabes, who want to seem “important” by claiming “personal friendships” with bona fide government agents.

AS IF that were something to boast about?

In reality the agents are not their “friends”, but are only using these characters, so the dirt won't rub off on them and they can invoke “plausible deniability” for actions they have engineered against Targets. Guaranteed, they are laughing at these stooges behind their backs, while stroking their egos to their faces.

"Now Barbara mention COINTELPRO'S end goal which is the absolute destruction of the group, but she really didn't take anytime to explain how they accomplish this goal.. I know the complete destruction is the ultimate goal but how do they go about reaching it?? But I guess she only had so much time and probably wanted to cut to the chase instead of beating around the bush!"

Now he has either misunderstood what I actually said, or he is putting words in my mouth.

Although I can't recall what my exact words were on that particular program, I do know that if I was explaining the objectives of a counterintelligence operation, I would be speaking about the goal of destroying the life of an INDIVIDUAL Target, not a group.

COINTELPRO certainly does target groups (examples from history: Black Panthers, American Indian Movement, Animal Rights) but in my case, as well as certain other Targets I have known, there was no “group” involved.

As for how the perps accomplish the goal of destruction of a Target's life, I would refer the readers to my reports on this site, which give an overview of the operations, and also those which provide details. That is beyond the scope of this report.

"Anyway I did like the rest of barbara had to say, I just slightly suspicious when she said these guys are not on the payroll and there for are just a bunch of nut jobs.. I don't believe that's correct, I thought seeing how she her self is an ex-member of the group that she would be a little more knowledgeable in this area!!"

Now, here is a totally false statement. He says I am “an ex-member of the group”. Where he got such an utterly ridiculous idea, I've no clue.

I have never, at any time, been a “member” of any “group” that included these government stooges and minions, nor any of their ilk. I have never participated in harassing, stalking or libeling people. Nor have I ever made such a statement, to anyone, privately, nor publicly.

I worked with the late FBI chief Ted Gunderson from 1997-2000, as a professional colleague. When I discovered that Gunderson was involved in criminal activities (past and, at the time, current), I broke off my association with him. I had already been targeted by CIA (naturally) when I left the operations. But once I began to expose Gunderson and his cronies, I became the Target of even more intense persecution, with extreme prejudice. Retaliation against a whistleblower.

For the record: I am a former CIA agent, unlike any of the individuals mentioned here. I defected from CIA in 1994 and became a whistleblower. I worked in psychological operations and counterintelligence, which bore no resemblance to anything I spoke about on that radio program.

The issue I was addressing was COINTELPRO, and the current operations against Targets and I was exposing information about some of the government minions and stooges who do the dirty work for the government. There is a big difference between an intelligence agent (such as Ted Gunderson) and those they exploit for their own agenda.

"P.S I'm not saying I think Barbara was lying about anything she was say, it just sounded to me like she was so irate and irritated with the whole group of COINTELPRO misfits that she would perhaps not want to believe that these psychos actaully get paid money to do what they do???"

Again, he is speaking from ignorance. I know exactly what I am talking about, whereas he does not. He keeps harping on being “paid money”, when that is not the issue.

My information is based on facts, backed by solid evidence and documentation. There is no speculation involved, no unwarranted assumptions, no conjecture.

I certainly hope this sets the record straight. And I hope it serves to clarify issues which cannot possibly be understood merely from reading or listening to a few “sources” which are at best, questionable, and at worst, based on a nefarious agenda.

Barbara Hartwell Percival

June 15, 2016

FOR THE LOVE OF ANIMALS (2)

"The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality."

--Arthur Schopenhauer

RESCUE STORIES

In this second article of the series, the focus will be on the rescue of animals from unfortunate (or dangerous) circumstances, where acts of compassion and love saved a life, gave them a better life and a good home.

It wasn't until I received some photos of the animals featured here from my sister and discussed them with her that I recalled that each of them had been a rescue story, of one kind or another. Some of the animals I have known; others I hadn't the chance to meet, due to geographical separation between me and my sister for a period of many years.

My sister Irene loves animals, as I do. She is an advocate who has worked to rescue animals and find homes for those who languish in shelters, and has adopted many animals throughout her life.

Irene lives in North Carolina and now has three companion animals, Mina (Irish Jack Russell terrier), Stro and Weasle (cats).

I'll start with a few stories of animals she has rescued and adopted.

Irene's Cats Malvolio, Beanie & Rahab

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

 

 

Beanie

Beanie was a cat rescued by Irene. She and a friend were out one day bicycling near a reservoir when they saw a tiny kitten struggling at the edge of the water. He was soaking wet, his fur sticking up in spikes. My sister said he was “as skinny as a beanpole” which was the reason he got the name.

Irene heard the voices of some men nearby, and saw 2 men walking away into the woods. She thought it was probable that Beanie was thrown into the water to drown. But when she found him, he had somehow managed to make his way nearly out. All she had to do was pull him up and dry him off.

Irene adopted him and gave him a home, where he was loved by all who knew him.

Beanie was very sociable. He made a habit of rising with the sun, going outside every day around 6 AM. (Which meant Irene had to set the alarm clock to let him out. I must say, that would be too much, at least for me.)

In the yard, he would conduct his daily neighborhood watch, to greet various neighbors, all of whom were friendly to him. Each neighbor told Irene that he/she felt there was a special personal relationship with Beanie.

But one neighbor turned out to be unscrupulous. When Beanie was 2 years old, he was abducted by one of his “admirers”. He had told my sister that he believed the cat really wanted to live with him. He told Irene that he would be moving away from the area and asked if he could take Beanie with him. Of course, my sister said no. She loved him, and he already had a good home, where he had relationships with 2 other cats, Malvolio and Rahab.

But the neighbor disregarded Irene's answer and took matters into his own hands. He simply absconded with the cat and Irene never saw Beanie again. As Irene stated, the day the neighbor moved, Beanie disappeared.

The way I saw it was that although he had insisted that he “loved” Beanie, that was no excuse for what he did. If you really love an animal, your first priority would be HIS wellbeing and happiness, rather than getting what you want, at the expense of others. The same holds true for human beings, but animals, like children, most often have no power to make the choices which would best serve their own interests. And although they do “speak” it is not in a language that most people understand. Or maybe, they're just not listening.

Uprooting Beanie from his real home was not “love”. Disregarding Beanie's feelings (making unwarranted assumptions) was not “love”. And breaking Irene's heart by stealing a member of her family was not “love”.

To anyone who truly loves animals, once adopted, they are family. An adoption of an animal should be for a lifetime –till death do we part. And that certainly was the intention, as far as Irene was concerned.

Irene told me she hoped Beanie had a good life, that was the most important thing to her. I hope so too, but I know I could not be as charitable in my sentiments about a person who stole a piece of my heart.

THE LIONHEART

 

 

Malvolio

Irene once worked at a residential home for boys, from which she rescued Malvolio as a kitten.

I don't think I need to go into detail about the way emotionally damaged adolescents can treat an animal. Malvolio was most likely “dumped” there by irresponsible people and left to fend for himself.

I knew and loved Malvolio, who lived to be 16. He had the heart of a lion and was a courageous protector of the young (including his own) and defenseless.

In future articles there will be photos and stories of Malvolio's friends and relatives, Shulamith, Shulamite and Euphrates (all of whom I adopted).

THE CHOSEN

 

 

Weasle

Shortly after Malvolio passed away, Irene adopted Weasle from an “animal control” shelter. She told me that Weasle chose her by reaching out her paw and hooking her claws into her sleeve as she passed by the cages.

Irene could not ignore the summons. She took Weasle home that day.

The amazing thing about Weasle is that she was adopted in 1997, at which time she was full grown (age unknown) and so must now be over 20 years old.

I remember reading something about the oldest known living cats, one setting the record at age 26.

The oldest cat I ever had was Aphrodite, who lived to be 18. But that's a story for another time.

FREE AT LAST

 

 

 

Mina

Irene adopted Mina from a breeder. It was not a puppy mill, but Mina was kept for the first 5 years of her life in an outdoor pen.

Mina didn't have the chance to run free, and never had a loving home until she was rescued by Irene.

Mina's favorite activities are going for walks in the park, and riding in the car. She especially enjoys the walks where she can meet and greet other dogs, some of whom she has got to know, as they are 'regulars' at the parks.

I've never had the chance to meet Mina (though I hope to), but I've talked to her on the phone many times and she is in my prayers every night.

 

 

 

 

Mina, enjoying a ride on the way to the park

THE USURPER

 

 

Stro

One morning Irene heard the sound of a piteous mewing outside the window. So she went out and searched for the source. The cries were coming from beneath her car. There on the ground was a small kitten, whom she was able to identify as a Russian blue. It took some time and coaxing, but Irene managed to get Stro to come out from under the car. She offered food, and placed a blanket out.

It took a few days for Stro to make herself at home. When she first came into the house, she was hiding, but always came out when dinner was on the table. (Nobody can hide like a cat, as I've learned to my dismay on countless occasions.)

But once Stro settled in, she more or less took over and commanded the attention and homage she craved, and which she'd absolutely no doubt to which she was entitled. She usurped the best spots for lounging, the most comfortable beds for naps, and even the food served to the others in the home. Long live the Queen!

 

 

 

Irene (left) with Mina at The Blessing of the Animals

We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace.

--Albert Schweitzer