Tiny

Tiny is short for Valentine, the time of year when we welcomed this then kitten into our home. She was recruited to be a pal to our other cat Misty who was lonely following the disappearance of her sister Angel who did not come home one summer day and never returned. We live on the edge of the wilderness in the Yukon and there are many wild creatures in our neighbourhood, some are opportunistic hunters like foxes, lynx, eagles, owls and coyotes who have been known to prey on cats that do not pay close enough attention when they are out hunting rodents and birds.

The spay and neutering programs have been very successful up here resulting in fewer feral cats and us having a difficult time in acquiring a new kitten. We put the word out to all our local veterinarian offices that we were interested in adopting a kitten if a litter was delivered soon. Years ago, a trip to the notice board at the local laundromat would often have at least one posted note advertising kittens for sale or free, but those days are now long gone.

Time passed and still nobody had kittens available. Then one of the vets called us with a tale of woe. She had treated a kitten that had swallowed a small bit of plastic which required surgery to have it removed, so while she had the animal open and anesthetised, she spayed the young girl too. The bill for saving the cat and the spaying was beyond the affordability of the original owner who decided to put the cat up for adoption, which is why we got the call from the vet. My wife went to check this kitten out and paying the medical bills came home with her a short time later. It was the eve of Valentine’s Day, so that’s how she came by her name which was reduced to Tiny very soon after.

She adapted to living with us easily. She got on well with Misty, a fluffy grey and white mixed cat who we adopted with her similar but now disappeared sister Angel some years back. Also living in our home was Zev our two-year old Australian Shepard. The two cats would run through the house playing ‘catch me’ climbing over the furniture and leaping from perch to perch. Another favourite pastime of the two felines would be to run up and down the pine log rails of the Russel fence that runs the perimeter of our 10-acre property. They can walk a good long way before they must touch ground and with five rails high, they have many options for racing each other.

Truth be told, Tiny believes she is a dog, but special in that she can also climb trees which frustrated Zev to no end. She and Zev would be seen hunting for mice in the tall grass along the fence line. They worked well as a team; Zev would lay long as a barrier to prevent an escape attempt by the pissed-off rodent. Have you ever seen one stand and challenge a cat? Teeth bared standing on their haunches, those black bright little eyes daring the cat to make the first move. Seconds later the mouse can be seen hanging by its teeth from the upper lip of the cat, who is desperate to shake it off.

Zev was crazy for the tennis ball and I suspect Tiny was a bit jealous in that she could not get the ball in her mouth to carry it, but she would bat the ball around on her own.

My wife used to walk Misty and Tiny each day. The cats would walk through the rabbit trails in the backyard forest and along the fence. Tiny has no issue with walking in snow, in fact she will burrow in search of rodents or other intriguing creatures she smells. Explorations into the underbrush would often result in a mouse or vole to play with. Tiny has become a notorious hunter and will surprise us by placing her latest catch on a small mat outside the sliding glass door, this became her trophy platform where all she caught would be placed there for us to admire. She knows she is not allowed to bring her prizes into the house, but still tries occasionally.

The rule is: If it is a rodent she will be praised and if it was a bird, she will be scolded. She caught on quick and the dead bird count has dropped off very well. Special extraordinary trophies do make it to that little mat, like an adult hen Spruce Grouse she caught one day, the bird was as large as she was, it must have been an epic confrontation. Red Squirrels, Arctic Ground Squirrels and the occasional Flying Squirrel are presented for us to admire as well. She also caught two Little Brown Bats that we know of, a couple stoats or Short-tailed Weasels which also must have put up quite a fight. Surprisingly, Tiny does not exhibit injuries from these battles. But she needs to be wormed frequently due to her wild game diet.

She gets quite excited when a Red Fox patrols by her trophy stash looking for a snack to steal, I have seen her put the run on one of these guys as she displays little fear of the small ferocious canines. Like how she will not put up with pushy dogs and quickly puts them in their place after their initial meeting. Large dogs have come to fear her, and her sharp and swift paws have swiped at more than a few doggy noses.

Snow and cold weather do not bother her very much and she will roam outside most mornings if it is 15C below zero or warmer. She has learned that alder trees with frozen bark are difficult to climb so she favours the pine trees during the winter season but hates the pitch that gets on her feet. She also dislikes the taste of turpentine we use to remove the pitch from her feet.

Tiny is now nine years and she is now alone after both Misty and Zev have crossed the rainbow bridge. My son’s Rottweiler/Lab cross is a willing playmate when they come for a visit. Tiny has adapted well to be the only animal in the household and has trained both my wife and I to know her subtle requests for food or attention. When it becomes stupid cold, she does not linger more than the required time to do what she must and comes back in. To help with her boredom we got her a couple little rubber balls that she can pick up. High density rubber means they bounce easily and the linoleum floor in the kitchen and adjacent laundry room become her hockey rink where she rebounds the ball and chases after it for hours, sometimes very early in the morning when we are trying to sleep.

As we are both getting on in years, we are considering if we will adopt any new animals as we may not be around for all their lives. Our belief is these creatures are much more than just a pet- -they are part of our family and deserve the best we can provide them. We hope Tiny will be with us for a good long time yet.