Fig is just beautiful.....have his "owners" ever returned? Too bad for them.

I love reading pet stories ... even if it is one about a Fig eating and Ernie (figureatively) ...

Fig is very cute and I'm so happy that you decided to keep him around. :)

Thanks for sharing.

fig is so cute, who could resist him?

Oh, what a great post! Thanks for sharing. Fig is one gorgeous cat.

What a lovely feline and what soulful eyes Fig has. He no more understands that a parakeet can't take rough play than a small child can understand that a kitten's tail is not a handle. No harm intended.

What lousy caregivers he and his partner had before they found you. Animals do have a way of sneaking into your heart through the back door, hm?

I work at an animal shelter and your story of the hamster and parakeet is so touching, I'm going to point people to your blog.

Dez

What a great story. Im endeared to FIggy.

My neighbors were parakeet sitting for a friend..... their 2 year old daughter, overzealously caught and squeezed the keet......too hard.

they still kept their two year old, she too was only playing!

That's how it is with cats, though: isn't it? They see a spot in your heart and they take up residence. it's sort of how they are with sleeping between your legs too.

Awww, Lucky Fig. We have 3 cats , a parakeet, Violet and a border collie, Chloe who while "playing " with Viloet, took out almost every wing and tail feather. We found Violet under the desk, wet, with her feathers scattered around looking more like a rodent than a bird. I think Chloe thought she was just doing a bang-up grooming job. Violet went back in her cage and slowly grew her feathers back. No harm done.

I loved the story! Hug Fig for me.

You sure have a way with a story. Thanks for sharing Fig's story with us.

Lovely story. Thank you for sharing.

He's completely Fig-a-licious, that cat of yours. What a sweetie.

When I was newly married I had a hand-fed baby cockatiel who would sit on my shoulder while I did dishes, and peck at my earring. I just loved that goofy little bird. The hubster had an Irish Setter. Same story as Fig and Ernie---one day it was dog in:bird out. The Setter pointed the poor bird, and that was the end of her. The bird, not the dog. Now I have Woody the cockatiel, and Bailey is NOT impressed one bit.

Loved the story, sweetie.

Cute Story...I have lived in America 13 years and didn't know that a Parakeet is a 'Budgie' You learn something new everyday......

Ooooh, it makes me want another cat. And I have four. Fortunately, my parrot is big enough that the cats are scared to death of the bird.

Awww what a nice, well sorta nice, story. I'm sure fig didn't mean it, he was just being a cat.

We have to be careful with our parrot, Basil and our labrador Abner. Abner came into the house a puppy, so he's grown up respecting Basil, but one wrong paw move and he could easily hurt Basil without meaning to.

Although did you notice in your post where you meant to say yard, you said yarn! Fiber is such a part of our lives, isn't it.

Thanks, what a great story!

My neighbor's cat caught a baby Blue Jay one day and ran with it in his mouth across the street. Between three of us we managed to get the bird from the cat. It was uninjured, but it, like poor Ernie, also died of fright. Poor little thing. The other Blue Jays in the neighborhood were screeching and freakin' out, as you might imagine. I buried their little baby in my yard. Made me sad. But you're right -- cats do what they're built to do, which unfortuantely means the loss of some feathered and furry lives.

you are a true animal lover

Thank you so much for your story of FIG. I grew up with cats at home, but my husband had never been around cats, and one day almost four yrs ago, I suddenly decided to adopt/rescue a baby kitty. It took Jim about two days to FALL IN LOVE with our boy kitty, Bartley (or Uncle Spark, as Jim calls him). We have since adopted a female, and SHE is in charge of the house! They bring alot of goofy JOY to us. Fig is beautiful!

How sweet that they all took care of each other. Well, except for that scaring Ernie to death thing...

Fig is awesome and his name is the Best. I adore his Foo Manchu whiskers. Animals are so smart. When I was pregnant Earl, the wonder-lab, would lay his head on my belly-I think to protect the baby. We had Earl before we had kids and he has grown more protective ever since. He was never a barker but he would stand and whine when he heard #1 crying in the monitor and when #2 came he would bark and if that didn't get my attention Earl would lay outside #2's door until I got there. Now we have cats, Frog and Tink, and they will groom the kids once they are asleep. I love how our animals protect us.

Animals definitely know. I had three pet rats, and when the first one got sick just prior to passing on, his brothers were cuddled up on either side of him and wouldn't be budged. They knew it wouldn't be long, and they wanted to comfort their brother as long as they could. It was terribly sweet but unbearably heartbreaking.

I didn't used to be a cat person until a stray adopted us. My parents still have her daughter who is 13. I have my own cat now, even though I am horribly allergic. Fig, by the way, is a very cute cat, adorable face, how could you not have fallen in love?

Good Fig.

Great story Sandy - well told. And it doesn't surprise me that Fig lay vigil for Bert.. cats really are magical that way.
thanks so much for sharing!

What a sweet and sad story. The vigil for Bert really touched me. I wonder how animals *know* - especially animals who aren't of the same species?

I just love cat stories.

Thanks for sharing the great story. I read the whole thing.

Ohhhhhhhh....you got me with the part about Bert.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Great story :-) I remember a similar one with my son's cat and my daughters hamster ( now there is a potential for disaster) I woke up one night in the early hours convinced that there was something wrong. I found the tubing on the hamsters cage broken - the cat had sat on it purposely to get at the hamster. I was crawling around on my hands and knees in a shorty nightdrss ( not a pretty sight) when I heard the chilling words " Oliver put Missy down" utterred with great indignance by my the 7 year old daughter. Thankfully Missy was completely unharmed (if a little damp) and lived quite happily - in a cat proofed cage for a further 2 years :-)

Cute story...thanks for sharing!

I love the story of Fig. I think they creep into our hearts when we are least expecting it.

Animals come to us just when we need them. My mother swore she would never get a dog. After all, who would walk it? Feed it? Clean up after it?

Then my dad found Daisy. She had been dropped off on the side of the highway as a pup and found her way to a farm. She was there for a while and though the farm was a good place for dogs, the people could not keep up the care for her. Let's just say that my mom was not the one to put up a protest at bringing the stray home...actually, I was. We had no water/food dish, no leash, nothing. We weren't prepared for a dog! But Daisy has been the most well-behaved dog with mannerisms we've never seen in other dogs without a lick of training.

Sorry, that went into a montage of my own darling pet. Fig seems to be a real sweetie, I'm glad you all came together.

Loved the story of Fig and Bert and Earnie.Ever? hear from the neighbor?Too bad you could have thanked them for a really special gift.

I love this story.
Fig may just be the best cat name ever, too.

Yeah, I was kind of worried there . . . sorry about Ernie, but glad there was no bloodshed . . .

You may have to change your blog to read Sandy's Knitting, and Fig. Thanks for sharing more about Fig, and Bert. I do think cats know these things, and he wasn't just waiting for an easy meal.

Did Fig know Bert II needed someone or did he sense an easy meal was close by (vulture-like)?

Oh, what a great story! Thanks for sharing Fig with us.

Love the Fig story! And our cat Spike sat a vigil when one of our goldfish died. Go figure!

Beautiful cat, great story. Thanks for sharing, and, finishing last nights episode.
Sheri in GA

Years ago I had a cat and a parakeet, too. Chico (the cat) would sit on top of Jack (the birds) cage a peer down between the bars. Jack would just scream and holler and let Chico have it for sitting there and bugging him. Wow, that is one very old memory. Thanks Fig and Sandy for a walk down memory lane.

Awwww, poor Ernie. But Fig sounds like a great cat!

Phew! At least he didn't *gulp*. That was my mental picture.

Oh, I love your story, and gotta love that Fig!

I think Fig was a weasel in his first life, he "weaseled" his way right into your heart. Pets have that effect don't they? Thanks for the story. RIP: Ernie, Bert, BertII, Tweety, Mac, fish with no name & Rocky. Fig btw is very handsome.

Scuse me. I need to go find my cat and cuddle him now.

I think I've run out of Kleenex. Everybody is posting really good things or cuet stories and I'm bawling my eyes out over here...

Isn't amazing how these guys work their way into our hearts? I can't imagine things around my house without my two cats.

Damn Bert II vigil story has me all misty. Yes, I know I'm sad and pathetic, but really, you knew what you were doing. "I wondered how Fig knew Bert needed someone." Twang twang go the heartstrings.