Saturday, July 05, 2008

Camera Critters: Tara Grace

Camera Critters

This is my second time joining in with Misty Dawn's Camera Critters. Last week you met Angel Joy, world's naughtiest kitty. Can't favor one kitty child over the other, so this week I introduce you to Tara Grace. Both these kitties were rescued but Angel was still very young and doesn't seem to have any real scars. Tara was outside for a long time and it's pretty clear that besides being half starved so that her body didn't mature (she still weighs only 5 pounds) and her vision is damaged, she was also mistreated. Although you could see in her body and her expressive face the intense longing she had and has for touch, it took almost a year before she could begin to really allow herself that pleasure and it is still difficult for her in some ways. I'll probably never be able to hold her like I do Angel. What astonishes me about Tara Grace is that despite her history she has remained profoundly gentle.

A year ago - right around this time - Tara Grace almost died. Her brush with death was one of those bad things that brings wonderful blessings. First off, she was so ill when I found her collapsed that she had no strength to be afraid and so I sat for almost 5 hours reiki-ing her and talking with her. She has been much less shy of touch ever since. In the morning, when I called the vet in hopes that they made house calls, they said that they didn't, but because my house was so close by, their kind assistant offered to walk up the hill and take Tara down with him. Dan's generosity was the start of a wonderful friendship and brought five wonderful new people into my rather lonely house-bound life. And of course, it saved Tara Grace's life. Two crises and a dental surgery later Tara has been given a new lease on life. I feel guilty still that I didn't realize how ill she was until it became a crisis. She had been sick since she first came into my life and the first vet who saw her didn't pick up on the crisis of her teeth. I thought her condition was her normal. I was also blessed at that time to be put in touch with a group called AWAN. AWAN, which stands for Animal Welfare Adoption Network, operates mostly in Ulster County, New York, but they were kind enough to help me pay the astronomical (for someone on limited disability income) expenses of Tara's surgery and three overnight stays at the hospital. I am forever grateful to them.

Tara is so sweet to look at. She moves like a little ballerina. She has learned of late to play more and it is like watching a wonderful delicate dance. Then she opens her mouth and the sound that comes out belongs to a cougar or a long shore man. It is loud, harsh and very cranky. I sometimes think she is channeling my mother, she is so critical... It's interesting and endearing to me that Tara converses. She will grumble at me and I'll either grumble back in an attempt to mimic her or speak person to her and she stops, looks straight in my eye and responds. We have some pretty long talks from time to time.

I know this is getting rather long. Sorry. Tara gave me one other gift. She finished a task that Angel had been working on for a while. She smashed my old, not so good, zoomless digital camera into multiple pieces. Bless her. My new camera has opened up worlds to me that were closed before.

And now I'll stop talking and let Miss Tara speak for herself. Isn't she sweet?










Merrow!


45 comments:

Snowbird said...

She's beautiful. Thank you for sharing her with us.

Christy said...

She looks so loving, although you can definitely see the hard side to her. It always makes me so sad to learn of abused animals. I wish I could afford to do more to help out.

jaycoles@gmail.com said...

Oh, She is lovely and so much intelligence in the last picture. Like she knows things we shall never know. Animals are proof to me that God is Love. She sent them to us so that we could learn. Thanks for sharing.

Susan Demeter said...

She is gorgeous! I love the colour of her eyes :)

Dina said...

Yep, it does look like you could have quite a conversation with this cat. Say hello to Tara for me.
My little glowing thing really looks like from another world.

Jeff B said...

I love that little white dot on her chest and she looks like quite the princess.

Is she a Russian Blue?

threesidesofcrazy said...

What a sweet face. I have a grey sable, Sady who could be her cousin. She was a rescue too!

ratmammy said...

what a lucky girl Tara grace is!! i also think she'll eventually (in years?) let you hold her like you hold your other kitty. Our Blackie also seems shy about affection but he's slowly learning that he can trust us. it takes time...a loong time!

Anonymous said...

I would really love to own a gray cat! Your cat is so cute!!!

My CC is now posted, too! Hope you could check it out HERE.

Happy weekends!

Gemma Wiseman said...

What a cutey! And she does seem to have a very knowing look on her face! Beautiful!

Kahshe Cottager said...

What a sweet face she has. She obviously has found her forever home!

My Camera Critter

Unknown said...

Awesome! You're really getting good with that new camera...and your subjects are certainly growing used to it! Beautiful job!

david mcmahon said...

She's posing for the camera.

SERIOUSLY!!

Kimmie said...

Raven, what a beautiful kitty she is! I loved your story. And thank you for posting about "reiki", I had never heard of that. Boy could I ever use to have you channel some healing with your hands into my pain ravaged body. Honestly. There are days I can't even put into words. Anyway...I think that you are a wonderful person to put so much love and time into helping rescue sick and abused cats. My Boo will sometimes sit with her bottom jaw hanging like that, as if she is in the wild. Kinda makes me wonder why she does that. She never is attackative though. It is just a look and I don't even know if she realizes she is doing it. She also likes to gab back and forth with me. If I tip my head and ask her a question, she always comes back with a reply. Sometimes big, sometimes small. It is so cute. I don't know what I would do without my little Boo. She is such a little buddy to me. Since I have been disabled, it was quite lonely before she came to live with us. I thank God for her everyday.

Thanks for sharing her with us!
Hugs,
Kimmie

Heart of Rachel said...

Tara Grace is such a lovely name and it suits her lovely face. You're very kindhearted to help her and give her a home. Your love gave her reason to continue living.

Thank you for visiting my other blog.

bcmomtoo said...

She is such a beauty. I love that second shot, straight into her face.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Oh, this story made me weep! And cry! I'm all teared up and no it is NOT redundant!

She's beautiful. Sweet.

I've some rescue stories too.

Indrani said...

She is watching me intently.
Cool shots all of them.

Carletta said...

She is lovely!
I adore that second picture with her eyes. They are so expressive.
I also love the fifth one in which she looks like she's talking!

ShannonW said...

Ohhh you just made my heart melt! What a beautiful kitty!

Jane Hards Photography said...

Purrrfect kitty, and wonderful words to go with the pics.

Anonymous said...

Lovely cat. It´s real sweet
Best regards from Sweden
KB

Reader Wil said...

Thanks for telling her story. She has turned into a very beautiful feline creature. She is also content, if you look closely at her last picture. I hope that she will give you the companionship you need.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad you have found such a sweet companion. She is a lovely looking creature.

Sandy Kessler said...

It's clear to me they found an owner who really loves and knows them ..

lv2scpbk said...

Wonderful photos. I really like the first one of the cat sitting up and sitting.

Jerry in Tampa said...

FABULOUS portraits of Tara!!! She is very used to you following her around with your camera!

Cheers!

Jerry in Tampa

storyteller said...

How fun to meet Tara Grace today (after meeting Angel last week) … and how fortunate these cats are to be adopted into a loving home. Her story is amazing … and the photos wonderful (as always). You have such a good eye for photography! The 2nd and 4th are my favs … but the last is precious! I love the ‘Merrow!’ at the end.
Hugs and blessings,

Dick said...

She looks cute, nice Camera Critter.
Thanks for visiting.

Dragonstar said...

Tara Grace is a beauty! With looks like that she can be forgiven her voice. Do you think she has Siamese in her ancestry? I knew a Tonkanese once (Burmese crossed with lilac point Siamese) and she never stopped talking!

Misty DawnS said...

Her story brought tears to my eyes. I am so glad you found each other - this definitely sounds as if you each do something special for the other.

I love that pic of her sitting by the window. What a doll!

Lapa37 said...

What a beauty thanks for visiting my critter

Sword Mama said...

I love the fourth picture of her! She says so much through her eyes. She's so beautiful. :-)

Gretchen said...

Just beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Miss Tara is very sweet, and she has such a pretty name. Beautiful photos! Thanks for stopping by earlier with your nice comment. :)

Teena in Toronto said...

Tara Grace is a beauty!

Thanks for stopping by mine :)

Barbara said...

She is beautiful, I am glad she has overcome all her difficulties.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hello Raven,
Very sweet portrait I am impressed how you 'catched' her face, I like the story very nice CC

Thanks for visiting me
JoAnn from Holland

Rosebud said...

She seems to have a lovely disposition. Great pics.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Raven: You were certainly busy with CC, very nice. Your cat has such a great expression.
I thought your bird olympics comment was funny.

Anonymous said...

That's very sweet and funny, too. Imagine such a beautiful creature opening her mouth and sounding like that! LOL! A bit like a peacock, I suppose.

My first dog was an abandoned greyhound. A poor, mistreated, battered, scarred, chronically anxious soul. I loved that dog to bits, and he loved me right back. The most beautiful dog in the world, to me. I still miss him.

Anonymous said...

Tara is very pretty and obviously has lots to say. Hope to see you back for the Rockin' Chair Writers prompts this Friday.

Kerri Farley said...

A lovely kitty!

Kerri Farley said...

A lovely kitty!

Willard said...

Beautiful photos of a special pet!