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Humane Society bids Franco a fond farewell

A Sheltered Life – photographs, and stories, as told to Maggie Haylock-Capon, by Liza, resident greeter at the Loyalist Humane Society. File photographs by Alan R. Capon and photos by Gilles Robert.

(If you are unable to adopt a cat or kitten, there are many other important ways to help the LHS. Donations of Javex and other household cleaning products, garbage bags, grocery bags, litter, cat food and kitten food are welcome. The Loyalist Humane Society is located on County Road 4, (Talbot Street), near the intersection of Tripp Road.)

 

Hello, Everyone,

 Liza

Liza

It’s Liza, here, coming to you live from The Laundry Room, the “in” spot at the Loyalist Humane Society. This week, I have been asked to give up the space usually devoted to my breezy reports of shelter happenings, to a piece written by our roving reporter, Franco. When he came to me with this request, I was annoyed, at first, then I read what he had written and I understood. I know that you will, too.

Franco

Franco

FRANCO’S FAREWELL

Hi Ya, Everybody,
I was kinda hopin’ I wouldn’t hafta write this, but it’s pretty plain I got no choice. I bin poorly lately – no energy an’ noisy breathin’ but I kept on agoin’ thinkin’ it would pass. The doc says different, though. Looks like it’s me time an’ that sure makes a fellar think.

Franco-tudeI bin here at this shelter fer a long while. I used ta be the mayor o’ Prince Edward Heights an’ the livin’ was easy. Lots o’ female companions, if ya catch me drift, good huntin’, an’ plenty o’ handouts. I even found meself a empty house where I could rest up. Folks up there liked me but nobody wanted ta take me in. That suited me just fine. Then one do-gooder told Mrs. M. about me an’ it was game over. They all felt I oughta “come into care”. I wondered was they off their rockers? I’d bin carin’ for me just fine, since I was a rug rat knee high to a grasshopper. But they went an’ rescued me anyway.

Franco

Franco

First thing they did was get ridda me fleas. Hafta say, I ‘preciated that. Then they started ta feed me up – a lotta gourmet stuff that come in tins ‘n bags. I et it ta be perlite, but it were no match for a good snake stew or a tasty mouse wrap.

That Mrs. Moffat soon figgered out that me family motto was Live Free or Die. We had ourselves a few talks an’ she finerally give me somethin’ called Freedom o’ Der Kitty. Anyways, it meant that I could go outside ta hunt an’ catch some rays, so long as I come back when she called. I said Thankee by catchin’ snakes and leavin’ ’em by her SUV – that means Snake Under Vehicle for yer info.

Anyways, the years went by an’ my ferever family never came. Hafta say I never felt too bad about that. I had me a pretty good life – lots o’ eats, hot gals like Spitty Riley an’ Hissy Missy an’ buddies like Zeke, who jus’ passed on, an’ Cruiser. That ol’ biddy Liza was always complainin’ about me an’ me an’ the boys used ta play tricks on her all the time. Never let on ta her that she and her pals got me good once. I used ta eavesdrop when her an’ her silly book club met. One night, I here’s her sayin’ “Franco, phone” five er six times, so I goes runnin’ ta answer it, thinkin’ it might be that foxy chic Dee Frost wantin’ ta hook up. But there was nobody on da line. Then, I finds out they was talkin’ about Quebec and some peoples there called Frank-O-Phones. Who knew?

I gotta confess, I used ta tease Liza somethin’ fierce, but I really liked da old girl. She had spunk,like da time she swatted that TV interviewer who was tryin’ ta put the moves on her. Who knows, if we’d a met when I was in me prime, we mighta made a team.

So, now that I’m packin’ for that trip across the Rainbow Bridge, I wants ta say thanks ta Mrs. M. an’ all da shelter volunteers who was me family. I loved ’em all. I jus never said so before.

I’m sorry that I bit so many o’ the shelter visitors, but it was sure a lotta fun. Most o’ ’em made tracks in a hurry and the old gals I nipped hollered like I was a tiger. Kinda made me feel good.

Figurin’ I didn’t have long ta go, I went on me last safari this month an’ fetched Mrs. M. back a snake. It was a kinda thank you fer all she did fer me. I sure got her goat but she loved me anyways.

Well, I guess this is goodbye, but don’t feel bad fer me. I got a lotta pals over the Rainbow Bridge an’ it’ll be good ta see ’em agin. I had me a good life. Guess I was a lot like that Blanche Dubois gal in some book Liza tol me was called A StreetCat Named Desire. Ol’ Blanche used ta say she always depended on da kindness o’ strangers. That were me alright. A lotta strangers was good ta me an’ I had a long an’ happy life here. I don’t have nothin’ ta will ta me friends but me best regards an’ nothin’ more ta say to me readers exceptin’ for one bit o’ advice. If ya liked me an’ wantta do somethin’ in me memory, adopt one o’ Mrs. M.’s rug rats or take home one o’ her seniors. That way, I’ll kinda be payin’ it forward through you all, for all da love an’ care I got here.

See ya, on da other side o’ da Raimbow Bridge someday.

-Yer Friend, Franco

Franco's farewell party. - Gilles Roberts photo

Franco’s farewell party. – Gilles Robert photo

Note from Liza
Franco crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Friday, after eating a hearty breakfast and biting a volunteer who had stopped to commiserate with him. Some would say he was “only a cat”, but those who loved him knew better. Like Frank Sinatra, he could proudly say, “I Did It My Way”.

On a happier note, Franco and friends enjoyed a party shortly before he crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but someone spiked their catnip tea. This photo of the morning after shows front to back, Fred, Lollipop, Franco, Saylor, BMW, Steak, and Cherry Cola.

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Click here for previous Loyalist Humane Society blogs

Filed Under: Margaret Haylock-CaponNews from Everywhere Else

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  1. Suzanne Smith says:

    So sorry to hear about Franco. He was known as Chin-chin to me. He would stop by for a meal at my place once in a while.I am glad that the LHS was there for him in his final years. RIP

  2. Sharon King says:

    I’m so sorry to hear about Franco.

  3. Janeyb says:

    What a great story!! I loved it!! I still have tears in my eyes even though I am not a cat lover. I am a doggy person. but this was a super, emotional story. Great writing by someone who really connects to the animals.

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