November 16, 2024 — We celebrate pets in the upcoming series in 2025. Our pets are family members that bring great joy and loyalty. Yes, cats do slip up and show their loyalty.
This series is dedicated to one tough black cat who was ruthlessly dumped at the AquaNew Ranch over 12 years ago. Later, I was stunned when a vet told me cats that get dumped are the ones who do not get along well with other cats in the colony!
Rob and I started to feed her and named her Dewey Twoey after Rob’s former black cat also with a feral attitude when he lived on a U.S. Virgin Island. I had no idea that this forgotten cat, Dewey Twoey, would eventually sleep on our bed and when I awakened in the middle of the night with anxiety worrying about the business finances, my thoughts went to her to see if she was o.k. which broke the bad anxiety spiral.
Dewey’s play would turn into a battle and both Rob and I wore her “Zorro” marks from her fast right hook. Coming from the wild outdoors, she tested us each morning to make sure she had the freedom to go outside. Mornings involved a series of door openings (yes, she had cat doors but much better to have a human open the door for her). It would have been a funny video of how many times Rob and I mindlessly opened doors for her comings and goings while we ate breakfast. We called her “Dewey the Rancher” since she watched all of the wild animal parades outside her liani and on occasion we would see deer and turkeys gather around her to obtain her cat wisdom.
While outside, Dewey was always on alert, looking around for any predators. Early life was rough for Dewey with a split nose from a past fight and a clipped ear to signal she had been spayed. She eventually adjusted to comforts of life in our home and learned it was o.k. not to have to continuously worry about survival and she actually played with her toys.
Dewey passed earlier than we ever expected. We miss our feisty, love-for-the-outdoors cat that showed us how to survive too. Sadly, Dewey’s rough early life had a time bomb since she had been exposed to a rare breast cancer that can exist in cat colonies. These days, when I walk between home and the office building, I envision Dewey walking towards me on the trail, with her tail held high to greet me.
When the tumor from Dewey’s breast was biopsied for cancer, we had no idea the expenses involved in treating a sick animal using vet services. All of us want our pets to have a long, healthy life and minimize expensive vet bills. In memory of our beloved Dewey, our 2025 series is intended to give inspiring stories of animal recovery and longevity. If you have such a story to share, please let us know.
Here are the links to the chapters of the 2025 Be the Ahh! Pets series: