She gave birth to only one litter of kittens. There were three in the litter, but only one survived, and the baby was about two weeks premature. Bootsie insisted, despite our gentle urgings and suggestions, that the kitten would be raised in my mother's chair. So there the little kitten remained, until she was about 6 weeks old. Then Bootsie up and moved her to my mother's closet. There was another litter of kittens in the closet (We had two females who kept getting pregnant before we could get them fixed). One day, while Bootsie was out of the closet, her kitten made her way to the other box, with the other litter of kittens. She never went back to the box with Bootsie. Bootsie did not insist or intervene, but she could be seen sitting on the foot of my mother's bed, ever vigilant, watching her baby from the distance.
Bootsie was also a "mouser extraordinaire." There wasn't a rodent who was safe when Bootsie was on the prowl. One afternoon, our two dogs cornered a gopher and had no clue what to do with it. We brought Bootsie into the backyard. She looked at the two dogs as if to say: "Watch and learn." She walked up to the gopher, bit its head off, then turned and looked at the two dogs, as if to say: "And that is how THAT is done." She walked away, tail up in the air, head held high.
Her later days were spent as an indoor cat. She was a loving lap sitter, would purr at the mention of her name, and insisted you pet her until SHE decided you should stop.
She gave birth to only one litter of kittens. There were three in the litter, but only one survived, and the baby was about two weeks premature. Bootsie insisted, despite our gentle urgings and suggestions, that the kitten would be raised in my mother's chair. So there the little kitten remained, until she was about 6 weeks old. Then Bootsie up and moved her to my mother's closet. There was another litter of kittens in the closet (We had two females who kept getting pregnant before we could get them fixed). One day, while Bootsie was out of the closet, her kitten made her way to the other box, with the other litter of kittens. She never went back to the box with Bootsie. Bootsie did not insist or intervene, but she could be seen sitting on the foot of my mother's bed, ever vigilant, watching her baby from the distance.
Bootsie was also a "mouser extraordinaire." There wasn't a rodent who was safe when Bootsie was on the prowl. One afternoon, our two dogs cornered a gopher and had no clue what to do with it. We brought Bootsie into the backyard. She looked at the two dogs as if to say: "Watch and learn." She walked up to the gopher, bit its head off, then turned and looked at the two dogs, as if to say: "And that is how THAT is done." She walked away, tail up in the air, head held high.
Her later days were spent as an indoor cat. She was a loving lap sitter, would purr at the mention of her name, and insisted you pet her until SHE decided you should stop.