Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 19, 1991 TAG: 9102190021
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Paul Dellinger
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Now, a dog they might miss. Dogs tend to worship their owners (who feed them) without reservations, whether the owner deserves such adulation or not. A cat, however, is aloof and independent.
Well, yes, Derry was both of those things most of the time. But after having her around for some 15 years, I do miss her.
We all do. Our son named her for some now-forgotten TV cartoon character (not that she ever answered to it, unless food was involved). He and our daughter also respected her. There was no playful roughing up of this calico cat as there was with Conan, our gentle dachshund (dogs don't have switchblade claws).
My wife Maxine never wanted a cat; she'd been allergic to them as a child. Derry somehow sensed this after blowing almost literally into our garage for shelter from one of the worst winters in recent decades. She realized the kids and I were suckers, and so ignored our attempts to get close, even though we were the ones feeding her.
It was Maxine to whom she finally made up. (Derry was no fool.) And guess what? Maxine had outgrown her cat allergy - and was flattered, of course, that it was to her that Derry finally came.
She deigned to come into the house eventually, although, in an early exploration, she made the mistake of landing on some piano keys and went for the door like a shot.
Derry picked on the dog. She would wait for him at the same spot at the same time every day, jump out at him and then walk off without touching him. He never caught on.
They say cats have nine lives. Derry must have had several, starting with her survival after apparently being dumped out to drink melted snow and catch her own food.
Years later she apparently was hit by a vehicle, because she came back with a bloody jaw and missing teeth. But that didn't faze her, either.
In her old age, a hanging plant blew off a house and gave her a concussion. The vet doubted she'd survive.
Her balance was affected so she would fall to one side when she tried to stand. That didn't stop her, either. She would get wherever she needed to go by leaning against a wall when she walked. Eventually she recovered completely.
She retained the hunting prowess that had kept her alive until she became a pet. When a neighbor put out food and water for her while we were away overnight, Derry returned the favor by leaving the woman two little mouse heads (she had consumed the bodies) by her food dish. She seemed unable to understand why the woman from next door didn't share her pride in those trophies.
Not long ago, Derry stayed away from home for a night. Then two nights, then three. Finally she didn't come back at all.
"She was making it easy on us," our daughter decided.
She had come out of the winter and disappeared back into it. But she left us with an example of pure gutsiness and made us feel we'd earned her affection. I hope someone can say something as nice about me when I go.
by CNB