Remember El Tigre? Our neighbor’s cat? He has been missing the past few weeks.
But he showed up on our porch the other day. And something was missing.
His tail!! :( 🙁
I actually met his mom the other day.
Conversation:
“HI!! Are you Tiger’s Mom!?!?!?”
“Tiger? Um, no.”
“The orange cat!!!! Tiger!”
“Oh, yeah, he’s mine but that’s not his name.”
“Oh, we assumed because we’d heard someone calling for Tiger in the neighborhood. What’s his real name?”
“Esperanzo.”
Oh my. I’m still going to call him Tig!
Tiger’s mom told me that he came home one night all beat up. He had a fat lip and a black eye and a few days later, his tail turned black. Yikes! The vet removed it and he had to stay indoors for a while. Thankfully, he seems to be back to his old self
My talk this morning went great. I was told to just come prepared to talk about my experiences. Luckily I’m a talker!! I talked on for about 30 minutes about my weight loss, the blog, the bakery, real food, intuitive eating and more. My host seemed to think it went really well!! I hope the group enjoyed it. Hello to any of you who came to visit!!
The bank was also pretty painless, although I was hungry!
Once home I assembled a quick lunch in 5 minutes
Millet salad mixed with sweet potatoes and plain yogurt. Have you ever put plain yogurt in rice? It’s SO good!! It worked really well with millet too. Made it all thick and heavy – good for filling up stomachs!
Watermelon on the side! Can’t. Get. Enough.
Tea time!
Lavender mint that I made on Tuesday.
I’ve got a handful of other things to do before I’m meeting some visiting KERF readers for a little Cville adventure!
Angie @ Musings of a Violet Monkey says
Oh no! Poor Tig! 🙁
~
Hillary says
I would never, ever think to put yogurt in rice. You really have me thinking today, Kath! I love it!
Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life says
Oh noooo poor kitty! He looks healthy besides his missing tale which is good!
Your watermelon looks espectially colorful and watermelony today…. makes me want some!
Cait's Plate says
Oh that makes me really sad for Tiger (I agree, that’s a better name than Esperanzo!). I’m glad he’s okay though! There’s a cat that sits on our back deck at my Mom’s house in CT – it’s our neighbors cat, but by the amount of time it spends hanging out at our place, it really should be ours. They never seem to miss it!
I’ve never done yogurt with rice but one of my FAVORITE things to do is hummus with rice. I almost can’t eat rice without it! I love it for the same reason you loved the yogurt – makes it nice and thick and creamy 🙂
Have fun at the KERF reader meet up!
Khushboo says
I love yogurt and rice, savoury style 🙂
Krissy @ Shiawase Life says
Mmm! I never thought about yogurt in rice, sounds yummers!!
Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy says
Poor cat! Glad your busy day is going well!
Paula says
Poor Tig! And THAT is why cats should be kept indoors. Thank goodness all he lost was his tail. 🙁 He does look cute with the lil nubbin, though. 🙂
Erin says
I agree, keep cats indoors!!!! Poor cute Esperanzo and poor baby that is not a cute name for him!!
Amanda- The Nutritionist Reviews says
OMG that poor cat! You’re lucky to have such a cute visitor though.
Sarah Leigh says
Aww Poor tiggie! He looks a lil skinny in the face since last time we say him.
Glad to know he is okay 🙂
marie says
You know, we had a cat at farm years ago that lost part of its tail in some piece of equipment and he still lived to be really old. Cats truly have 7 lives!!
lena says
I think you mean 9 lives.
lynn @ the actor's diet says
oh dear! poor cat! my Jack Russell has a docked tail and i always feel bad for him too
Trainer Kjirsten @ Balanced Healthy LIfe says
Poor Tiger! At least you said he is acting like his olf self again! I wonder what animal gave him his battle wounds?
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
Poor Tig! My dog’s tail is docked (she’s a weimaraner so they did it at like 2 days old) and I swear she has phantom pains in it b/c occassionally she’ll start biting at it! Glad he’s ok now 🙂
Freya (Brit Chick Runs) says
Plain yogurt in rice – genius!
OHmy goodness poor cat!! I wonder what happened to him!? That’s really sad :'(
Andrea @ Onion in My Hair says
Tell Tigre/Esperanzo’s mother to watch over him a little more! 🙁
Poor Tigre/Esperanzo!
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
I had some of the best watermelon yesterday! Thank goodness! There’s just nothing better than a good melon.
Poor tiger. I’m glad he’s ok. Poor thing. Give him some extra tuna!
kaila @ healthy helper! says
That is so awful that that happened to the cat! I hope it wasn’t a person that did that.
Laura says
Poor baby! I hope nothing like that happens again! He seems like such a sweet little thing! Glad he’s back to his normal life, even without his tail…
Jess says
🙁 That’s why my kitties are indoor only kitties. I’m glad he’s alright though.
robin says
Dang tell that woman her cat needs to be supervised when outdoors. An indoor cat can live up to 18 or 20 years but an out kitty lives only a few. 🙁
Cyclist Kate says
All of our (six, since I’ve been alive) cats have been outdoor cats and they’ve all lived to be 16-17 :).
Jess says
All our cats are outdoor cats and our oldest one is 22. The next oldest are 15 and 10. The other 2 are just babies (5 and 2) but I’m sure they will live long lives too!
Donna @ Life of a Happy Blonde says
Poor kitty! I laughed at the name confusion though 🙂
I want to reach through the computer and eat that watermelon!
Johanna B says
Many years ago one of my cats came home with part of her tail missing. The vet had to amputate the rest of it. She acted so embarrassed at first. She hid in a drawer for several days and didn’t come out when anyone was around. It affected her balance but other than that no long term problems. Everyone assumed she was a manx after that.
Holly @ The Runny Egg says
Poor El Tigre!!! But his little stump of a tail is kind of cute!
J3nn(Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
Awwwwww, poor Tig!! We have four kitties so I know all about cat fights and injuries and visits to the vet with said injuries. We have a cat that looks just like Tig that has been coming to our yard lately and causing trouble!! Sigh.
Amy* says
Poor kitty! I think I’d always be a little nervous if inhad an outdoor cat. (I’m a worrier!) good thing he’s mostly okay!*
Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn says
AHHHH NO!! That is so so sad. I may not like cats very much, but I would never ever want something like that to happen to one. Wahhh poor thing.
I looooove thick, heavy lunches! My favorite thing is mixing up a Quinoa-Hummus-Raisin-Balsamic bowl. Best thing in the worlddddd and so CREAMY!
Laura Jane @ Recovering Chocoholic says
Oh no, can’t believe the tail is gone! 🙁 That’s so sad.
Baking 'n' Books says
Do you have time off the bakery today?
Congrats on your talk. I think you would be great at giving presentations and stuff. Also – did you read any books/any recommendations re: intuitive eating or your health journey that helped you?
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
I grew up with my best childhood friends’ cat having a missing tail. Sad!
Glad your talk went well and that you’re a talker and that 30 mins of gabbing was an easy task for you 🙂
Have fun tonight on your KERF reader meetup!
Angel7 says
Thanks for the idea of thickening rice with yogurt!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
erica says
poor el tigre!!! i wonder what did that to him?
Meredith says
Aww, poor Tig! At least he seems to be okay 🙂 Knowing that his real name is “Esperanzo” (“hope” in Spanish) makes me want to narrate his thoughts in Puss in Boots’ voice from Shrek, haha.
Where are you going wine and beer tasting this evening? If you’re going to Market St. I might see you there!
KathEats says
Sorry to miss you! We went to Keswick and Castle Hill!
Meredith says
Oooh fun, I love Keswick and I need to make it to Castle Hill! It looks really nice from your pictures 🙂 The BF and I ventured all the way up to DuCard in Madison yesterday before our RW dinner at the Bavarian Chef, it’s really nice! Glad you had a good time!
[email protected] The Future Dr. B-S says
My childhood cat had that same problem! We found him as a stray and he always snuck out! One day he came home all beat up and soon he had an amputated tail. His name was Tiger – although he affectionately became known as ‘Stumpy” after that.
Alex says
Esperanzo is actually a really nice name. It means “hope” in Spanish. My mom’s name is Esperanza, but she goes by a nickname, I suppose, because there’s a lot of “oh my” comments. Whatever.
Jillian says
I love that name- so cute for a kitty, too! Then again, none of my animal friends have generic names 😉
Alex says
No, Jillian, I know she didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just to my ears, Esperanzo sounds like Kath does to native English speakers, I guess. But I have to say I did get a lot of “oh my” from kids and adults like when they asked me her name. Still do. Just struck a chord in me. One of those things.
KathEats says
Oh no Alex!! I think it’s a beautiful name, it was just the last name I was expecting her to utter!! (I was thinking Tiger, fluffy, snowball types
Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me says
Aw poor kitty cat!!! 🙁
Jennifer says
Esperanzo made me laugh. 🙂 I wasn’t expecting that as his name. Yeah, stick with Tig. 🙂
He’s so cute and I’m glad he’s okay.
Alex says
Oh my…poor kitty…
Taylor says
The same thing happened to one of our cats when I was little! I just remember our poor kitty coming home with a bloody stump (tmi?) and we had to take him to the vet. He was fine after a trip to the doctor though! 🙂
K says
Pet owners like that make me really angry.
KathEats says
Oh I don’t blame the owner – he just got into some trouble
Kristin says
Poor El Tigre 🙁 I have a kitty that looks a lot like tig, his name is Bodie, but we call him Bob – crazy I know!!
Emily @ Savory and Savage says
Sounds like he got into a cat fight which are always very nasty.
At least the little orange guy is back and healthy!
E says
Poor kitty! The outdoor cat that had been hanging around our house for a year disappeared about a month ago, too. 🙁
Kris says
It’s irresponsible of Tig’s owner to think he can fend on his own outdoors. At least he’s alive. He could have been hit by a car or killed by a coyote.
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance says
LOVE the ongoing supply of watermelon in your meals 😀
Katherine says
I am so glad the cat is okay!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
Poor Tiger! He’s still looking as cute as ever though. And I am with you on the watermelon thing.. I think I’ve already eaten at least my body weight in the stuff!! 🙂
Fallon says
AWWW poor kitty!
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
Lavender Mint! oh my gosh that sounds perfect right now! I am melting from this summa heat 🙂
rumfunandsun says
Oh my gosh poor Tig! I can’t believe his name is Esperanzo….oh and that whole thing with the tail too! 🙂
Sonnett says
on the fur&paw subject….. when are the kid retuning home?? seems like gran must be spoiling them waaaay too much – and has persuaded them to stay 🙂
Sonnett says
typo: meant to be : {kids}
KathEats says
Haha – they are having a BLAST!! Too much candy, I suppose!
Tara says
Poor kitty! Kath (and others) I wonder if I could get your help. I was always a healthy eater (for the most part) and wouldn’t gain much weight. Then I had two kids back to back and for a while I had to eat a very high fat/calorie diet to increase my milk supply (the doctor ACTUALLY told me to down some cheeseburgers). Anyway, now I have an addiction to sweets. I ate almost a HALF a jar of nutella yesterday. After I eat a meal, my mind won’t STOP until I’ve eaten a sweet. I could nibble, but my mind wants MORE. I have tried the no sweets in the house thing, but hubby keeps them around and I swear to you I would DRIVE TO THE STORE for a container of Haag’n Daas (that I down in one day). I have never been like this. I was a 120-pound girl forever, and now I am at 145. Any advice what to do. I am so sad!
KathEats says
Tara, I’m a tough love type. If you want to stop, STOP!! if you don’t, maybe see a counselor? They can be very helpful!
Caroline @ The G-Spot says
One of the things that has always worked for me, Tara, is telling myself that “there’s always tomorrow” for another sweet. There’s always tomorrow for another slice of cake … tomorrow for a scoop of ice cream … tomorrow to try a new dessert. This tactic seems to help with portion control (i.e. I want ice cream AND a slice of cake AND a handful of candy) in the sense that it reminds me that I don’t have to squeeze EVERY LAST sweet into one day. I have a serious sweet tooth, but my “there’s always tomorrow” is a helpful reminder that sweets can be enjoyed in moderation every day of the week! 🙂
Tara says
Thanks Caroline, that is very helpful!
[email protected] says
AWWWWWWWWW that is so sad about Esperanzo!! But so great that he’s kind of okay now~
And I love that name–so legit and Spanish-sounding. Like the cat from Shrek? 😛
Molly @ RDexposed says
This reminds me of my childhood in a way…
My dad had a sheep farm when I was itty bitty and when the lambs were born he’d tag their tails to fall off. I always played a game involving grabbing at lamb tails. Some grabs would result in yanking off the tail!
Carrie @ Nutrition By Carrie says
Oh no! Poor kitty!!! I wonder if he’ll have phantom tail syndrome, where he feels like he’s swishing his tail but of course nothing’s there.
Great tip on the yogurt. I’ve been planning to make more grain-based salads, and it will be nice to have an alternative to vinaigrettes to mix things up.
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Awwwe poor guy. 🙁 Our dog went through kind of the same thing except it was because he got hit by a car..so now he has a stub. He kind of looks better this way, though! And so does Tig..it gives him some uniqueness. 🙂
Amanda says
bahhhhh, so so so sad. i dont understand how people can be so terrible to animals; that is, i’m assuming a human beat him up. i love this post though, even if you’re not a total animal lover, you still are friendly 🙂 also, do you have a recipe for the millet salad? 🙂
KathEats says
You think it was a human?! I dunno. I’m thinking Raccoon or something scary
Silvia @ skinny jeans food says
oh dear, I am sooo sorry about Le Tigre! hopefully, he had a cat fight and not one with a mean human..
Robyn @ Blueberries and Oats says
Ahh! Poor kitty! =( I’m glad he’s alive and well at least.
Jen says
It really p!sses me off that your neighbour STILL lets her cat outside even after he came home in such rough shape. They’re lucky he didn’t have far more serious complications from whatever mess he got into. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to own pets. Totally irresponsible.
KathEats says
Aw, do you really think he should be inside? Then he wouldn’t be our friend!
Heather says
Jen – do you really think that?!
The cat obviously is used to spending heaps of time outside. They kept him inside when it was medically necessary, but do to so beyond that would just be cruel! Who are we (as humans) to decide if/when our pets (living, breathing animals!) can go outside? Especially if he’s already used to spending much of his life out of the house, it wouldn’t be much different than if somebody took away your access to the outside entirely. If you were stuck in your house 24hours a day, relying soley on the things that somebody else brought in for you, physically incapapable of changing anything… I can’t speak for you, but I’d be miserable.
If he was kept inside forever, yes he’d be “safe”… but utterly miserable. And personally, I think that the person who intentionally keeps their pet permanently miserable in an attempt to “keep it safe” is the one who shouldn’t have a pet.
krista says
Love this Heather!!!
Christine (The Raw Project) says
Poor kitty, glad he seems to be doing okay. Something similar happened to one of my cats when a neighbor tried to trap him and do I-don’t-want-to-know-what to keep him off his car – awful!
Annie says
Your neighbor is a very irresponsible pet owner.
KathEats says
Guys, I dont’ think it’s her fault!! He got into some trouble. At least she took him to the vet
Cathleen says
Honestly, why the beating up on the cat’s owner? I feel sorry for cats that are kept indoors!
Emily @ Comfortable Home Life says
Poor Tig! He still has the most enrapturing, beautiful eyes, though!
Lavender mint iced tea? Sounds absolutely refreshing!
Kayla says
Turned black?! Wow, poor Tig! He looks fine now, though!
RunEatRepeat says
Ahhhhh!!!! I have an orange cat that always gets in fights 🙁 Now I’m (more) scared for him.
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
Aww poor Tiger! 🙁 Seeing animals with missing body parts always makes me so sad!
Marissa says
Aw, poor kitty! That’s why I’m afraid to let my cat outside… she’s such a delicate flower; some mean cat would try to kill her, I’m sure! There’s some vicious ones around the neighborhood… Just ask my poor dog. Or my dad, who had to pay the $$$$ vet bill.
Wow, what a name! But its actually a really good fit, in my opinion… he looks like an “Esperanzo”. All regal, tall, and thin like a Spanish man, lol.
Hilary says
SO sad about the poor cat! And mmm to the lunch. Watermelon is just so crave-able all summer long!
Stephanie @cookinfanatic says
Poor Esperanzo!!! By the way, that is the most hilarious yet awesome cat name everrrr might I say. So nice that our temps have cooled off finally, it’s feeling freakishly fallish in the mornings?!!?
Cyclist Kate says
Poor little guy! We’ve always been outdoor cat people and have had healthy, happy cats who have lived for many years. I’d actually feel guilty keeping them *in,* because, although I know they might be safer (but probably less healthy), they’d be so unhappy (as is the case with my parents cats now who had to go from being outdoor to indoor due to external circumsances), so I’m a little surprised at all the outdoor-cat hate! We rescue kitties and keep them up on their vet visits–how does letting them play outside automatically make me an irresponsible cat owner, I wonder? My brother’s dog was once playing with my Mom’s cat and the kitty ended up with a broken leg–indoors. Anything can happen! Happy to see that Tig looks happy as a little clam again :).
emily says
^^this! We’ve always had outdoor cats too and (depending on where you live) I think it’s a little strange to have indoor cats!
krista says
We should probably keep our kids inside too, much safer if they stay in a bubble and live with us until their around 80 or so!
Jenn says
Aww, poor kitty! I’m glad at least he’s ok now and that he’s back. 🙂
Halley says
MEOW! That is sad he lost his tail… but hilarious that you asked if she was Tiger’s mom! I’m glad he healed up well, otherwise. My silly cat scratches his own face off and has to wear a cone!
Jackie @ That Deep Breath says
Poor kitty 🙁 that makes me really sad.
Hannah says
I’d totally forgotten how good yoghurt is mixed with grains! Thank you!
Jess says
Wow seriously? The poor cat owner, and of course the poor cat. Cats are animals first and pets second and I for one think its cruel to keep cats inside when they should be outside playing and frolicing and whatnot. All of my (5!) cats are outside cats and yes, sometimes they get into fights. Most are minor and they learn not to go into another cats territory, some are more serious. My baby came home with a hole in her tail once. Grossed me out, she didn’t even seem to notice. I took her to the vet and got her stitched up and she is as good as new and she still goes outside. That doesn’t make me a bad pet owner, that makes me realistic about pet ownership. If a kid skins his knee running around do you make him walk the rest of his life and never run?
Aine @ Something to Chew Over says
I think the kitty just needed some time to get better?!
MarieN says
Indoor/Outdoor cats always spark some heated debates! Just something to consider for all you outside cat fans: as an animal lover, I really dislike having outdoor cats in the neighborhood. Reasons? I hate (HATE) to find kitties killed in my busy neighborhood street and most don’t have collars or tags, so I can’t even let the owner know. My HOA has strictly enforced rules about dogs: have to be leashed at all times, must pick-up after them, no excessive barking, no critter killing, have to wear identification, have to be registered with the HOA, etc. But cats have free run of the place to kill the baby bunnies in my yard, poo in my plant pots, leave kitty prints on my car, and my favorite – sit outside the french doors to torment my dog by pointedly ignoring him whilst grooming or napping in the sunshine (I do find the humor in this particular cat’s evil genius :). I guess my point to outdoor kitty owners, just consider that maybe not everyone wants to deal with the after-effects of a cat’s behavior. And while my husband and I are nice to our neighbors’ cats, not everyone is. In my childhood neighborhood, people would turn water hoses on cats, shoot them with BB guns and more to keep them away from their homes. I won’t even go into the more disgusting animal cruelty that would crop up in the news. Or the subject of spaying and neutering and pet overpopulation.
Tiff says
Poor little Tigre. I am so glad nothing worse happened.
Janna says
Omg El Tigre is now a Japanese Bobtail kitty!
JenATX says
The color in the photos of the watermelon are amazing.. look so juicy & watermelony haha… great pics Kath 🙂
Kat @ Cupcake Kat says
Poor Tiger!!! Yogurt in rice sounds really good, I have to try it. I’m also craving watermelon now
Dani Delicatessen says
This is awful! If my cat ever came home in that condition I would have a heart attack and he would be indoors for life. Glad to see he’s back to visiting though.
Caitlin says
aww poor thing! feed him a snack next time you see him!! lol 🙂
bitt says
doe esperanzo’s mommy know he is famous? he has a following. well, at least with me.