My Final Message- originally posted 10-31-2013

My Disciples,

If you are reading this, I have departed. Let us first just acknowledge the weight of that. Our journey together was not nearly as long as I hoped it would be, but please know that it has been an honor to have met so many wonderful people, furred and non-furred, and to have shared the trials and triumphs of My life with you.

It has been an honor.

I know that during My long convalescence many of you were hoping and praying for a miracle to happen that would save My life, and it may seem like that miracle didn’t happen. But I need you to understand something. That miracle did happen. It did happen, and it did save My life, but it happened at the beginning, not the end.

The miracle happened at the beginning, not the end.

The miracle that saved My life happened seven years ago when two humans looked out into their yard and saw a desperate, starving kitten looking back at them.  They didn’t know who I was or where I had come from. They didn’t know what potential lay within Me, or the cat that I could become. They only knew that I needed their help. The miracle happened when they made the choice to rescue Me.

This was the miracle.

Had the Guardians not made that one, simple choice, I might have slipped into The Shadows forever. I would not have experienced seven blissful years filled with love and happiness in their care. I would never have met The Brothers, or Thomas, or Mama Cat. You would not know Me, or even know that I ever existed. There would be no Cult of Otis because there would be no Otis. In My darkest hour I needed a miracle and I got it, and the life I lived afterward was better than I could have ever imagined.

I loved my life.

As all lives must, My life has come to an end. I know that, due to My young age, My end may seem tragically premature, but a life should be judged by its quality, not its length. I had a rich, full life, and all of you helped make it even more so. For that you have My everlasting gratitude.

Thank you all for enriching My life.

But now I must finally say it, My Disciples, the hardest word of all.

Goodbye.

Although My spirit has departed, a part of Me will remain. When you look out into the world without walls and see a cat in need looking back at you, I will be there by your side. You will feel My soft breath on your cheek and My purrs of encouragement in your ear. Listen closely, and through the purrs you will hear My final commandment come to you in a whisper.

Be the miracle.

So Sayeth Otis

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Who Saved Whom?

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here.

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

People and fur people who are Disciples of The Leader Otis,

It’s Thomas.

And it was Mama Cat, Cookie, Nacho, Zephyr, Domino, Whisper, and so many others.

And until October 31, 2013… it was Leader Otis.

But today it’s just me. It’s Kevin, the bigger Guardian and writer of The Cult of Otis.

That’s me in the middle. I’m the one with the laptop.

One Year Later The Queen Still Reigns

People and fur people who are Disciples of The Leader Otis,

It’s Thomas.

I cannot believe She has been gone for a whole year, but it’s true. Her Majesty The Queen Mama Cat left us on November 29th, 2013. As the first and only knight of The Cult of Otis, it was my honor and privilege to protect and serve The Queen, and it is my honor and privilege today to recount Her tale so that those who knew Her may remember, and those who did not may come to know Her now. Let us begin.

Queen Mama Cat was curious about The Cult long before She became a member of the Inner Circle. The Guardians, The Brothers, and Leader Otis first noticed her shortly after they moved into the house that is currently Cult Headquarters. She belonged to a couple that lived next door, but She always seemed to want to know what was going on inside Leader Otis’s Indoor Domain.

Mama Cat had a home, but She always seemed curious about what was going on next door.

In The Name Of The Queen

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

The anniversary of The Leader’s passing is now behind us, but yesterday evening my thoughts turned toward the second member of our Inner Circle who was lost in 2013. I speak, of course, of Mama Cat.

Yesterday evening, I found myself thinking of Mama Cat.

Being The Miracle For Tequila and Malibu

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here.

The Miracle has happened again! Twice! Disciple Amanda wrote to us with this happy news:

“For years I ran an animal rescue and fostered kitties. Since I moved last year, I went months unable to help the shadow kitties of the world. Once we moved into our new place, two very special girls made themselves known to me and have been adopted into our family.

First there’s Tequila. She is a gorgeous long haired calico. I was leaving my home one day to do some grocery shopping when I noticed three kids throwing rocks at and kicking something laying in the gutter. With a sick feeling I stopped the car and jumped out. This kids saw my crazy eyes and ran. I found a skinny, muddy little Kitty laying there. It took no time to get her to come to me. She purred all the way home. She is estimated around eight months old and has one silly personality.”

In the gutter no longer, Tequila was snatched from the jaws of cruelty and taken to the warmth and safety of The Promised Land.

“Second is Malibu. She is an incredibly sweet tuxedo girl. I found her at the gas station, hugely pregnant and starving. I brought her home and she clung to my daughter. We are now awaiting her kittens anxiously!”

Living outside a gas station is no life for a cat. Malibu is in the shadows no more.

A few days after receiving this email, Amanda sent us an update on Malibu. She had given birth to three kittens! Sadly, one kitten was stillborn, but the other two are healthy and will now be able to spend their entire lives in The Promised Land!

Malibu’s kittens will not live in The Shadows.

Amanda, we cannot thank you enough for your caring, your compassion, and your willingness to act on behalf of kitties in need. You are a shining example of what Leader Otis meant when he said, “Be The Miracle“.

In Otis’s Name,

Brother Henry

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Stella’s Miracle

People and fur people who are Disciples of The Leader Otis,

It’s Thomas.

Oh my gosh. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself! Another Disciple of Otis has taken The Leader’s final message to heart and become The Miracle for a kitty in need! Disciple Rhiannon wrote to us with this wonderful story:

“A week ago, I was on my way home from a walk when a small black cat came running to me out of the yard of an empty house. I bent down to pet her, as I always do with cats I encounter on sidewalks, and I could feel every bone in her back. She didn’t have a collar. I set off again and she followed me. When a car drove by or a person appeared, she froze, so I gathered that she wasn’t used to being on the streets. It was getting dark, and I decided that if she followed me all the way to my house – two blocks from where she found me – I’d keep her safe overnight and take her to our town’s animal shelter in the morning.

I didn’t know how my Luna would react to a strange cat, so when we got to my house I put Stella (my name for the stray) in my garage and brought her food and water. She was so hungry and thirsty! I made a bed for her by lining a small desk drawer with a towel and left a lantern-type flashlight burning. I spent about 20 minutes with her, and although she didn’t mind being petted, she didn’t want to cuddle. I think at that point, what she needed more than human contact was a safe place to sleep with access to food and water. It made me feel good that I was able to give her all three.

When I checked on her later, she was sleeping in her desk-drawer bed.

In the morning I put her in Luna’s carrier and took her to our shelter. It’s small, so she’s been transferred to the Humane Society (no-kill) in Santa Rosa. She didn’t have a chip, so I’ve put CAT FOUND flyers around the neighborhood. I’m going to visit her before I leave on a 2-month trip to Britain at the end of this month, and if no one has claimed or adopted her by the time I get back, I may adopt her myself, if she and Luna can get along.

This is the poster Rhiannon made.

I wouldn’t have rescued Stella if it hadn’t been for the Teachings of Otis. I used to think that cats were fine outside, able to feed themselves and find water, etc. But Otis and your boys and Mama Cat have done a good job of educating me.

I thought you’d like to know that Otis’s spirit continues to work in mysterious ways, performing wonders, and probably enjoying the odd catnip banana.”

If Stella was lost, the posters Rhiannon hung may help reunite her with her family. If she was abandoned, like I once was, she now has the opportunity to find a loving, forever home in The Promised Land. She will not be doomed to live in The Shadows like so many of our feline brothers and sisters are.

Thank you, Rhiannon, for truly showing what it means to Be The Miracle!

In Otis’s Name,

Sir Thomas

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The Copycat

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here.

Yesterday Brother Henry came up to me with a big, silly grin on his face. When I asked him what was so amusing he said, “Brother Oliver, do you remember what Leader Otis used to do when He was first swept up in The Capture and came to live with us in The Promised Land?” Upon hearing that, I started to grin as well. I said, “If you are talking about what I think you are talking about, yes I do. He used to try to copy us! Like, if I was sitting on the couch, He would sit down next to me and place His body and paws in exactly the same position as mine.”

I remembered Leader Otis sitting next to me on the couch and trying to do exactly what I did.

Abe Has Been Swept Up

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here.

A week after Olive was swept up in The Capture, Abe returned, and he was a living testament to why kitties should not be forced to live in The Shadows. Here is how Abe appeared back in December when the Guardians first started to work with him:

Here is Abe in late December.

When Abe returned this week, he looked very different. It was lankier, and his eyes looked haunted.

Here is what Abe looked like when he returned.

A closer look revealed the toll life in The Shadows was taking on this poor kitty. Abe’s head and neck was covered in wounds. Many of them were deep gashes that were clearly the result of fights with other cats. Patches of fur were missing around the wounds. This may have been due to ringworm or mange, or secondary to the wounds themselves.

The world without walls is a harsh place. All kitties deserve a better life than this.

The Guardians did not want to see Abe spend even one more day in The Shadows. They set the same live trap they had used to capture Olive a week before and then waited. Abe took an immediate interest in the scent of food coming from the trap.

Abe took an immediate interest in the food in the trap.

Abe moved in closer to investigate. Like all cats, he was cautious, but he was also very hungry.

Abe was wary, but the scent of food was irresistible. Note that the right side of his head is also riddled with scratch marks and missing patches of fur.

After several tense minutes, Abe entered the trap and was captured. He was taken to a nearby Bad Place that will transfer him to the same shelter that Olive, Jack, Theo, and several other Shadow Kitties from our neighborhood have gone.

Abe was frightened and angry in the trap, but he also showed signs that he was not completely unsocialized. He now at least has a chance for a life in The Promised Land, and I sincerely hope he can make that final leg of the journey. Even if he can’t, at the very least he will no longer be scared, alone, and suffering, while slowly wasting away in the world without walls.

All kitties deserve better than to be doomed to a prolonged, painful fade into The Shadows. It is up to all of us to bring as many of them as we can out of the darkness and into the light. Please continue to join me, Brother Henry, Sir Thomas, and the Guardians in our crusade to make sure all cats are happy, healthy, and safely confined.

In Otis’s Name,

Brother Oliver

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Olive Has Been Swept Up!

People and fur people who are Disciples of The Leader Otis,

It’s Thomas.

Earlier this week, the Guardians put out the same tricksy trap in which they captured me and they successfully swept Olive up in The Capture! He was a little afraid at first because he did not realize that his life had just changed for the better.

Olive was a little scared in the tricksy trap, but he calmed down enough that he ate his food while he was in there.

The Guardians took Olive to a nearby Bad Place that is a drop off point for the local animal shelter. There he was scanned for a microchip, but none was found. Olive was very tolerant of the the poking, prodding, and handling at the bad place so the good people there were confident that he would find a good home. Oh, and the shelter he was being sent to does not have time or space limitations for adoptable kitties, so he will be in excellent hands.

So another kitty has been taken out of The Shadows and brought into the light of The Promised Land. Now, we are all hoping that Abe will start to come back regularly again so he can soon follow in Olive’s footsteps. The Guardians will do all in their power to ensure that he does.

In Otis’s Name,

Thomas Out

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Two More Kitties Have Been Swept Up!

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here. I am happy to report that two more kitties have been swept up in The Capture and now reside in The Promised Land. News of the first of these kitties came to us from the cat himself, Dizzy, who had this to say:

Dear Guardians of Oliver, Henry, and Thomas,

My guardians told me about the work you do encouraging people to take care of fursons, and I thought you might want to hear my story.
My name is Dizzy… well, Distraction of Notchinghamshire… but that’s a big name for me since I’m only 6 1/2 months old.  I was swept up in the capture 14 days ago.  I was born in a feral cat colony behind a glass shop in Sacramento, CA, on a busy industrial street.  I didn’t fit in and the colony’s caretaker saw that.  I love people!  But none of the other fursons did. Whenever the caretaker came to check on my colony and bring us food, I snuggled her legs, and eventually she had to pick me up so she wouldn’t step on me.  I liked that too!

One day, something happened to me.  I don’t remember exactly what, but I started limping because my back hurt.  The owner of the glass shop called the caretaker to check on me.  I had a sore spot on my back but my limp was getting better. The caretaker asked me if I wanted to come home with her.  I clearly wasn’t going to fit in outside ever, so I said yes!  Then she took me to the bad place, but it wasn’t so bad there because there were nice people and I love people!  I got spayed and my left ear got clipped. I think it makes me look tough, but no one else thinks I look tough at all.  The caretaker put my picture on PetFinder.com, which I think they should call “Guardian Finder” because that’s exactly what I got.

I found two nice guardians in a house with Puddington, an older furson who needed a friend.  I try to play with her, but she just wants to sniff me.  I think we’ll be good friends soon though.  There are lots of toys. But I didn’t know what toys were either, just like Otis.  But I learned!  Before 24 hours passed in my new home, I learned to play with strings – I love strings! –  and a purple octopus – He’s got 8 legs to chew on! – and so many other fun things!

Being in the shadows for the first 6 months of my life took a toll.  I have some health issues that should get better with time and love, according to the people at my new bad place. (But it’s not bad because there’s nice people!  And I love people!)  I’m so glad I experienced the capture and I’m also thankful that the caretaker is still taking care of my colony.  I know she’ll keep them as safe as she can.

Sincerely,
Dizzy

Here is a photo of Dizzy in his new home.

Welcome to The Promised Land, Dizzy! Sorry about the ear-tipping though. Ouch. And hopefully the rest of the kitties who you used to hang out with can be brought in from the wilderness as well!

The second kitty that recently entered the promised land is apparently a knight like Thomas! His name is Sir Jasper Greystone, and Disciple Sonja had this to say about his Capture:

Hello Guardians,

I’m writing to share another story with a happy, feline-filled ending with you.

Recently, a family member called for advice about some noises they were hearing from the wooded area behind their home. They’d heard loud meowing most of the night and were alarmed because there are not many outdoor cats in the area due to predators. Concerned that a cat had gotten out of its home and was possibly injured or up a tree fleeing a predator, I urged them to go outside and call for the cat, armed with tuna to any attract hungry, lost cats in the vicinity. They searched high and low and, sadly, no longer heard the cat. I suggested leaving the food inside their yard so they could spot the cat if it was capable of getting to the yard on its own. Later that day, they called back to let me know that they’d heard the meowing again, this time inside the yard! Outside they found something they didn’t expect: a very tiny kitten! They whisked the tiny critter inside, provided food and water and quickly made an appointment to take him to a vet to ensure he was uninjured.

Days later, we learned that the kitty was 3 weeks old and weighed about 12oz. His cries were loud enough to rival any adult cat out there and it appeared he’d made his way to their yard across several 100 yards of wild, hilly undergrowth to reach safety. After a long conversation with the family about keeping him safely confined, they agreed to the cat joining their household on a permanent basis.

Sir Jasper Greystone recently celebrated his 3-month birthday. He currently weighs 5lbs and his one of the most spoiled and beloved cats in town! The picture included in this message is from the week following his rescue. Not only was another cat saved from the shadows, another family has realized the joys of sharing their lives with a feline friend. I think we’ve got some new ‘cat people’ in the family now as well.

Best,

Sonja
Guardian to Fuzz, Bean, Hicks, Emerson and Oscar (and associate guardian of Jasper!)

Here is the photo of Jasper shortly after he was swept up in The Capture.

Welcome to The Promised Land Sir Jasper! I’m so glad your cries for help were answered! Both of these stories would make Leader Otis so proud. Thanks to all involved for Being the Miracle for these kitties in need!

In Otis’s Name,

Brother Oliver

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