Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and shall we say, love.
The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye, and where the other should have been, was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot has appeared to have been badly broken at one itme, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His talk has long since been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch.
Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby striped-type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs. Every time someone saw Ugly, there was the same reaction.
"That's one UGLY cat!!!"
All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults thew rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come into their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave.
Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned your hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked, until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl up his lanky body around your feet in forgiveness. Whenever he saw children, he would run to them, meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him up, he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could find.
One day, Ugly shared his "love" with the neighbors' huskies. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. From my apartment, I could hear his screams, and tried to rush to his aid. But by the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly's sad life was almost at an end.
Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back twisted grossly out of shaping, a gaping tear in the white stripe of fur that ran down his front. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. 'I must be hurting him terribly.' I thought.
Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on my ear - Ugly, in so much pain, suffering, and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly, battle scarred cat was asking for only a little affection, perhaps some compassion.
At that moment, I thought Ugly was the most beautiful loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at the completely trusting me to relieve his pain.
Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterward, thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that, I will always be thankful.
He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for.
Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, and beautiful. But for me, I will always try to be Ugly.
We have an ugly cat in our complex we call "Yellow". He doesn't trust anyone but me because he's been mistreated so much. He desparately wants to be loved and cuddled and I'm the only one he'll let pick him up. He follows me like a dog and always sits at my feet, making sure he touches me in some way.
Last night I picked him up outside, all scarred, cuts all over.. he buried his nose in the crook of my arm and started purring as I scratched the scruff of his neck. Then I brought him inside for a bowl of milk.
Took me two years to get him to come inside and I still have to carry him in. Last year I tried that and he tore my venetian blinds apart trying to get back out. This year, he stretches as far as he can.. scoping the place out then he lays on my lap in the recliner a bit..
He may be Ugly and he's ugly for a reason. But he gets better looking every day.
We have an ugly cat in our complex we call "Yellow". He doesn't trust anyone but me because he's been mistreated so much. He desparately wants to be loved and cuddled and I'm the only one he'll let pick him up. He follows me like a dog and always sits at my feet, making sure he touches me in some way.
Last night I picked him up outside, all scarred, cuts all over.. he buried his nose in the crook of my arm and started purring as I scratched the scruff of his neck. Then I brought him inside for a bowl of milk.
Took me two years to get him to come inside and I still have to carry him in. Last year I tried that and he tore my venetian blinds apart trying to get back out. This year, he stretches as far as he can.. scoping the place out then he lays on my lap in the recliner a bit..
He may be Ugly and he's ugly for a reason. But he gets better looking every day.
Awww that is so nice of you to give "Yellow" some attention! Good for you. You evidently have a soft spot for animals. I wish more people were like that.
We have four stray kitties who stay in our neighbor's shed but come here to eat and drink. We bought a "cat house" and put lights in it for heat so they'd have a warm place to eat and their water wouldn't freeze. Out of the mommy and three kittens (almost a year old now) only one will let me pick her up and pet her. They are strays that someone dropped off at the edge of town. There are other strays around but they stay at one of the neighbor's houses since they also feed them.
The funny thing is I'm not really partial to cats but they always seem to take to me.
My girlfriend's cat was named Kali after the Hindu goddess of destruction and chaos (if that tells you anything). She would attack family members but, besides Cindy, I was the only other person she'd go to.
To be fair, Cindy had to board her for several months as she went thru her divorce before we got together and there were some people Kali never forgave. Even after Cindy got her back, she wouldn't come out of the basement for the first two months. I finally rolled yarn down the stairs and got her to play and she eventually forgot she was upset.
Even months after Cindy and I broke up, that cat would come up for a pat every time I'd go over there.
It reminds me of some of the stories of the nedglected cats that the kenosha purebred rescues. But most of them they get at least gets a happy ending in the end.
One of the stories that comes to mind:
We have the story of HAMSTER , very much the "ugly duckling" of rescue. This tiny creature, barely more than 6 ounces when he arrived at this rescue, was one of the most pathetic kittens we had ever seen. His fur was scraggly and thin, he had a huge pot belly from worms, his eyes were all infected and he had this weird undershot jaw that just didn't add to the overall aesthetic appearance. He really looked like a fuzzy baby bird, though as he cleaned up a bit he looked far more like a long-haired hamster due to his tiny size. He had been abandoned at a shelter in Indiana, probably the runt of a breeding project, and was not expected to live. Fortunately, due to the initial efforts of the shelter staff who got food into him right away and then to the big heart of one of our volunteers who transported him up to one of our foster homes, Hamster proceeded to defy expectations and thrive anyway! (See below)
About a year and a half later and here is Hampster (renamed BINX) who turned out to be a STUNNING BLUE POINT RAGDOLL! He was adopted by one of our "frequent flyer" adopter families who has become one of our foster homes and biggest supporters! Binx is the youngest daughter's best friend and is always with her, around her and waiting for her to come home from school. He turned into a BIG boy and is a typical representative of his breed...a FLOP cat with a temperament so easy-going that nothing ever seems to bother him. Who ever would have thought that ugly little scrap of kitty could turn into such a gorgeous swan?
It reminds me of some of the stories of the nedglected cats that the kenosha purebred rescues. But most of them they get at least gets a happy ending in the end.
Hard to believe that is the same cat. It's great that he ended up in a loving home.
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I Am Ugly (Please Read)
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