Ringoes, NJ has a lot in common with Mayberry.
A human population of 15. A redheaded rapscallion. Good country folks.
Feline folks, that is.
We were recently regaled with five of the finest felines ever to come from Hunterdon County, NJ. They’re scrappy enough to have been born on the bayou, but these country kids are locally grown and Jersey fresh.
Make that extra-fresh.
Arriving with mama Mae Belle, the five little puffs – Billie Rae, Jim Bob, Ellie Mae, Sallie Mae and Clara Mae – were 55% fluff, 45% vinegar. Mae Belle was especially proud of the latter quality, as she’d worked very hard to instill that in her younguns. Picture five dust-bunny-fluffy, baby-chick-sized beings staring at you with pure hatred, hissing and spitting and popping like the Rice Krispies elves’ evil cousins. (Snap, Crackle and Pop-You-In-The-Face-With-A-Fist.) Mae Belle sat by approvingly, offering the occasional snap/pop/roar of her own just to emphasize the kids’ point. We don’t need you humans. You’z bad. You’z dirty. I reckon you’z mama calls you ugly. All you’z senators calls you ugly. Put us back outside, ya hear?
Clearly Mae Belle, for all her loveliness, was a Very Bad Influence on her tiny spawn. It was time to hand them over to the tutelage of Aunt Bee. And, by Aunt Bee, I mean All The Humans.
Separated from their sassy mother, the country kids quickly changed their tune, trading their screaming-angry Ozzy Osborne guitars for Andy Griffith banjos. Maybe you izn’t so ugly. Maybe inside izn’t so bad. We reckon this might be keen. And also swell.The little Damiens became Opies before our very eyes.
I’d like to say that mama Mae Belle has enjoyed a similar transformation, but…um…well, suffice to say she still likes to tell us humans we aren’t particularly attractive. But we’re working on that. I reckon she’ll see the light.
Meantime, we’re happy to whistle through Ringoes for five little kittens well on their way to their own forever Mayberries.
PS: If Tabby’s Place were actually Mayberry, Newman would be Sheriff Andy, Toby would be Barney Fife and Dillinger would be Gomer Pyle. Obviously.
Posted in loving memory of Andy Griffith.
Having had a fair amount of experience with kittens lately, I can attest to the fact that a change in their situation will often change their actions. They were probably feeding off mommas aggression, our first group of fosters had a ferral mom and they put up a fight just to get them out of the cage away from mom and into the carrier. Once in their own room at our house and out of the carrier they settled right down, well more like took over. Now all are adopted and surely it will be the same senario for these cuties. RIP – Andy he will be missed by everyone and especially here in his home state.
can’t you hear all the cats meowing the Andy Griffith Show theme song?!
Those babies are as cute as buttons!!!