He usually came around every day, but sometimes he would be gone for a day of two and I would start to worry whether something had happened to him. The weather was getting colder and my husband and I were debating about what to do with him. We already had two male cats and my husband was apprehensive about throwing a third one into the mix.
The question answered itself when he showed up one day with a grievous wound on his tail. Instead of holding it straight up, it was broken near the base and trailed on the ground behind him. That ended the debate, he came in and the vet was called immediately. I couldn't get him in a carrier, so the mobile vet came and took him to her office for surgery. His tail was removed and it looked awful for such a long time. I slept with him in the basement while he healed; when he eventually was well enough to meet his two new brothers they took him right away.
Zimba has been a wonderful addition to our family. He is the ultimate lap cat and has such a sweet expression. He is so cute with his little bob tail. His very best friend is our dog, Boris, who is a corgi. Maybe it's because they both are tail-less that they are such good buddies.
© Marne McGrath Schmidt
Zimba is a magnificent red tabby cat, whose photo first appeared in the 2008 August Domestic Cats Picture Gallery. Marne's story of Zimba's rescue was heart-warming, and the fact that she slept with him in the basement while he healed is a mark of her character.
My Cat of the Week pictures are selected from general photo submittals, but only those which follow the Photo Submittal Guidelines.