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Sunday, December 5, 2010

Happy Birthday Chip

On Friday, 3 December, Chip our second oldest cat and oldest female turned eleven years old. While living downtown in our previous house, my neighbour found a starving, mewling kitten in the alleyway behind her house. She brought her over to me. The little kitty could not yet lap, so I dashed out and bought a baby bottle, filled it with milk and raised her like this. Grant said she was a small as a micro chip, hence her name.

Chip has been lost for a week (before my days of blogging) and I placed an ad with a substantial reward,  in the local newspaper. I searched for her day and night. I had many chancers, and umpteen false alarms. I also rode around town during the day with a clear photo of Chip in my car and asked all and sundry if they'd seen my cat.  Then, exactly one week since she had gone missing, I stopped next to a man who was working on the sidewalk outside a house not too far from ours.  I showed him the photo and asked him if he'd seen the cat. He said, "Yes, on the garage roof " pointing to the building behind us. As I came close to the garage, calling Chip, I heard her cry. I looked up and there she was.  I rushed home, collected a box of cat cookies, step-ladder and my gardener. When we returned to where Chip was still waiting,  with the gardener holding the ladder, I climbed up to roof height. Shaking the cookie box as encouragement, I coaxed Chip off the roof.  Clutching her to me, I descended the ladder and took her to the car, with my gardener following.

Over the years Chip has gone walkabout but never for as long as a week. She'd disappear for a day and we ultimately found that she'd fall asleep on the sidewalk outside our gate or under a shrub at the far end of the garden and forget to come indoors. Lately Chip only ventures as far as the garage and falls asleep on Grant's motorbike seat. 

Chip also likes to drink her water from the ponds in the garden. Hence the photo below celebrating Chip's 11th birthday.

Chip, the second oldest cat and oldest female in the Hedges menagerie, is 11 years old this week
Socializing with Clarice and Shadow (at last!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHIP!

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13 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to CHIP... That kitty has had an exciting life for sure.... Jo--you could write a book just talking about your experiences with your cats... How neat!!!!!

    Glad he stays close to home these days....
    Hugs,
    Betsy
    P.S. LOVE LOVE LOVE your header....

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  2. Happy Birthday Chip and a Happy 2nd Advent to all.

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  3. Happy Birthday Chip! You are a blessing to these special animals.

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  4. You are such a sensitive, loving , caring person. Chip is so lucky to have you. It is great to see Shadow is joining in with the others.

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  5. So glad the girls are socializing with "my darling" Shadow!
    Interesting story about Chip's life.
    We're in Kauai, Hawaii. I'm beat from travel but happy to be here. Met my blogging friend Kay and her husband Art today. Feels like we've known them forever. We had such a good time visiting them in Honolulu before we flew over here to Kauai, the Garden Island.
    We love Kauai already. Found a great place for real Hawaiian food and we love it. (I think we think with our stomachs, LOL.)
    Well, must sleep. Sooo much travel in such a short time.
    Luv to you and Grant and Shadow.
    K

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  6. Happy Birthday, Chip :-) You really are a very beautiful cat.

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  7. Happy, Happy Birthday, Chip!!! You're so lucky to have such a loving and caring human!! Hope you have another great year!!

    Sam and Mojo

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  8. Happy happy birthday to Chip ! what an adventure ! I remember when Arthur was missing for 4days and we went almost mad and then suddenly he appeared in the garage. I think some kid had kidnapped him and kept him in his room until the parents found Arthur and set him free. Because he looked fine, was not hungry or thirsty but for the next 6 weeks he didn't put a paw outside only when I came with him ! What a nightmare !

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  9. She's a beautiful cat. May she have many more happy years with you, Jo.

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  10. Happy birthday, Chip! I enjoyed reading about you. I'm glad you are home safe.

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  11. hey chip!! happy birthday!!!! hope you got plenty of treats!!

    woof woof
    from bozo
    Pet Pride

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  12. Happy Birthday, Chip! You are such a cutie.

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