"I
am the eldest of the Cottage Larsen Cats. I am married to Smokette,
my
wife of almost 8 years. I was found late one night 9 years ago in
Sims,
the old Science Building at Winthrop University,
sleeping on a couch
next to the fish tank..."
Adopted - October 1996
Named after - Smokie #1
(who disappeared a rainy night in September
1996)
Married - to Smokette (also of Cottage Larsen)
Inner human being - Ghandi
Found - On a couch in the lobby of Sims Building at Winthrop University (I was sleeping next to the fish tank)
Captures - one mouse (I didn't hurt it of course, just kept it cornered until Mommy and Daddoo could take care of it)
Kills - They put me on a diet once. In my delirious state brought on by hunger, I ate a mouse in front of Mommy. This convinced them that a diet was a bad idea.
Scared of - the leaf monster (street sweeping machine), cucumbers, snakes, and the floor monster (vacuum cleaner)
Bad habits - shedding and biting my claws
Favorite activities - sleeping and eating
Favorite drink - milk
Favorite indoor place - Kevin's (my) bed
favorite outside place - an old wool sweater on the back deck
Favorite Food - peas and other green veggies, including guacamole
Favorite toy - I'm too mature for toys.
Favorite Movie - The Cat from Outer Space
Favorite Song - John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith
new! Favorite YouTube video - Talking Cats
Smokie's favorite links
Mini's, Maxi's and Frank's website - Finland -
their mommy looks like my mommy!
www.katajala.net/minimaxifrank/cats.html
Quanah's website -
the true story of a
cat
webhome.idirect.com/~quanah/qstory.html
And Then There Were Four...
March 30, 2009 - International
Feline Press (IFP) – Smokie Lavender Lime Larsen II, King Cat of Cottage
Larsen Cats in Rock Hill, passed away this
morning at a local Place of Needles. He is survived by his wife,
Smokette Glory Clay Larsen; three other resident cats of Cottage Larsen:
Milkshake Bancroft Larsen; Miss Maltese Bancroft Larsen; and Spooky
Spotlette Light Larsen; and his two people Mr. L and Mrs. L (Mommy and
Daddoo) who Smokie owned for 13 years.
Cause of death is not completely certain but suspected to be a stroke due to
his age (16 human years) which left him blind and disoriented followed by
several seizures resulting in a non-responsive coma.
Smokie’s wife, Smokette, will take over the role of Queen Mother of Cottage
Larsen Cats. She is also 16 human years old.
Smokie’s life was very rich and meaningful. He was found by Daddoo in the
science building of a local college (he was sleeping next to the fish tank)
in November of 1996. He lived with Mr. and Mrs. L on Milton, Coldstream in
Irmo, Alexander, and moved to his final residence, Cottage Larsen, in
September 2002.
As King Cat of Cottage Larsen, Smokie led his fellow cats and humans with a
firm but diplomatic manner. Although not an avid hunter himself he approved
of his fellow cats’ catches of mice, voles, rats, moles, snakes, and
lizards. He was also the deciding meow when lost or pregnant cats applied
for residency at Cottage Larsen’s Home for Wayward Cats. His approval
resulted in temporary homes for FluffBucket and her kittens; brown tabby
Tom-Tom; and Milkshake-look-alike Ice Cream. He was a friend to cats, dogs,
squirrels, possums, and humans alike.
Smokie was laid to rest this morning under the flowering dogwood on the
pasture side of the creek at Cottage Larsen. Mr. and Mrs. L have designated
the last Monday in March of every year to be Smokie Day, when they will wear
gray and eat fish, peas, broccoli, and guacamole (Smokie’s favorite foods)
and all residents of Cottage Larsen will drink milk (except for Queen
Smokette who is lactose intolerant).
Cottage Larsen Cats’ website will be updated after a respectful period of
mourning.
Smokie is preceded in death by his Great-Uncle Sambo; Uncle Ginger; Aunt
Oscar, Uncle LittleBit; Auntie Chrissie; and Cousin Joseph who were waiting
for him at the Rainbow Bridge.
It was late one night in 1996 that Daddoo brought me home to the second floor apartment of a house on Milton Avenue and I met Mommy. Mommy was very happy because I reminded her of Smokie #1 who had been missing for 2 months.
After Milton Avenue we lived in Irmo, SC with Daddoo's Daddoo, then we moved back to Rock Hill and lived on Alexander Road in a duplex. This is where we were living when Mommy and Daddoo brought home Milkshake and Miss. Malt when they were babies.
In September of 2002 we moved to Cottage Larsen. Now we have a big yard with a forest across the street and a creek in the backyard. I can walk in the front door and go out the back door instead of having to walk around the whole house.
I love the deck - it is way up in the air and I can watch the squirrels and the other cats play in the grass. I am too mature for playing - I just watch them. Sometimes I will venture across the creek to the pasture.
The Cat who Sleeps with Squirrels
On Milton Avenue I was an indoor cat. Mommy would throw old
bread onto the roof out the kitchen window and the birds and squirrels would
sit on the roof and eat the bread. Mommy always put the screen down so I couldn't go out on
the roof. But I would sit in the window and watch the birds and squirrels
through the screen - much better than Animal Planet on tv. One
of the squirrels and I had a some real nice conversations. One
day while this squirrel was eating it started to rain so she decided to wait
it out under the shelter of the open window. So I
laid down on the other side of the screen and we both fell asleep. Daddoo
was very impressed with us when he came home from work for lunch.
My Alien Abduction
About a week after we moved into
Cottage Larsen I was in
the pasture one night when suddenly there was a bright light above the trees. The next thing I remember
it was morning and I heard cat food being poured into the bowls on the back
deck. So I ran through the pasture, across the backyard, and up the back steps to get my
breakfast. As I approached the food bowls I heard Daddoo exclaim, "Smokie!"
Mommy rushed out the back door and they picked me up and started
hugging me and kissing me and wouldn't let me eat for a whole minute until I
finally squirmed loose.
Mommy and Daddoo kept saying that I looked just the same; that I hadn't lost
any weight; and I didn't smell funny. Daddoo asked me where I had been
for a whole week. I just looked at him.
So Silly! I go out into the pasture at night, see some lights,
come back the next morning, and Mommy and Daddoo start talking about me
being gone a whole week. Who knows how much catnip they had the
night before!
The Tree Incident
Daddoo came home one day to find me about 80 feet up a big tree in
the backyard of Cottage Larsen.
We will not discuss why I was up there. Daddoo called Mommy at work
and told her. She said to get a ladder. He said, "No, he is waaay up the tree. There isn't a ladder that will reach him."
Meanwhile, I wanted down. I was hungry and I was tired of balancing on
the tree limb. Daddoo kept calling me and telling me to climb down.
So I decided to get closer to Daddoo so he could help me. I started
walking out to the end of the branch. But the branch kept getting
smaller and it got harder to balance. Suddenly, the branch broke.
But that's okay, I grabbed on to the remaining branch with one paw until
Daddoo got underneath me and then I let go and Daddoo broke my fall.
Daddoo carried me inside and gave me a big bowl of milk and let me sleep
inside that night.
Smokie and
Smokette
(husband and wife)
