The World's Best Cat! Ruth!!!

I found her one day on the side of the road, skin and bones, sick, mangy, one back leg had a high femur break, and she had a 6 inch scar across her shoulders. So being the compassionate person that I am, I picked up this cat, and took her home with me. When I took her inside, Daddy said "What's that?!" That's how bad she looked...but she was like a puppy dog in cat skin. She LOVED people, she'd flop over on her back to get petted, she loved tummy scratches, and was best friends with the dog. So Daddy decided to keep her, as a lesson in compassion...she wasn't purebred or fancy, she was downright ugly, but we learned to love
her anyway.



So we got her leg amputated, it had been broken too long to set. We tried to get her spayed, but she'd already had it done...poor patient kitty. And we bathed, and wormed and fed this little thing. And discovered that our little three-legged kitty was not only three legged, but had two extra claws on each foot. And was blind in one eye. And was completely deaf. She really WAS special!



So into our lives came Ruth Kastune. Ruth? Because Boaz showed compassion to Ruth...Kastune? Estonian for compassion...and she got our last name as well. And so, as part of the lesson on compassion, we got our first house pet. She might have been small, but she grew. She might have been ugly, but once she filled out and got shiny, she was beautiful. She might have been blind, but she could see halfway, enough to see us and come get petted. She might have been deaf, but I'm sure she heard through her feet, cause she could always tell when we were coming and would run to meet us. She might have been three-legged, but she ran like any other cat, learned to climb trees, and caught mice like a champ. She might have looked like an ugly mangy thing when I found her, but she sure loved us back!!!




Boy was she something. Ruth learned to sit in cowboy hats, slide across the tile floors(okay, so when she ran she could never stop and make the corners...her one back leg would give out, she'd fall and slide into the wall, then jump up and keep running), sleep on her back, climb the route of desks and dressers and beds to sleep on Heather's bunk, sleep under the covers, catch rat-sized mice, chase whatever happened to be on the end of a string being drug around the house, climb trees, ride the dog, run with three legs, chase 5 foot black snakes, ride in the pony cart, run around with dish towels thrown across her back, chase mops, jump into the windows to sit in the sun, stand on on leg and tap the door to let us know she wanted in, and any sort of cardboard box was her BEST friend for taking naps, hiding in, and doing whatever. She was pretty special.






So we just got home from vacation, and found out that Ruth isn't here anymore...our rental house is on a highway, and I guess she didn't hear the car...she is missed, and I don't think she'll ever really have a replacement.