The Tales of Tugboat Timmy!

As we departed our summer slip in Watkins Glen, I was emotionally devastated. I felt certain some little kitten would be waiting for me at every port of call as we headed south last fall. Not to be. I think I was still searching for an OC replacement…and I knew there could never be an OC replacement. When we arrived in Green Cove Springs the week before Christmas, my heart still wounded from my loss, I knew I was ready to accept another fur-baby into my life…on his terms, with his personality. This was the first time we sought a furchild out! I started opening my heart again by taking food to a colony of feral cats just outside of town. They were an incredible family and I quickly realized I was ready to fall in love again!

Deciding to try the rescue approach, I searched and searched online until “Timmy” appeared several times. Ted and I were both taken in by his sweet expression, his ear tufts and his ‘eyeliner’. We filled out the adoption application and emailed it. Lo and behold, a return email arrived and communications began. Timmy was only 8 weeks old. He had been found on the side of a road in Palatka, Florida, picked up by their county animal control folks and was scheduled to be euthanized just after he was rescued by Lisa.

According to strict guidelines for adoption, Lisa was a bit hesitant to allow “boat people” to adopt. She felt an onsite interview was critical. I was shocked!! Someone questioning MY cat-mothering? This resonated through our friends as incredulous as asking if the Pope is Catholic! I, too, wanted a face to face meeting with Timmy. Heart still grieving, I wasn’t totally sure I was ready. All concerns were quickly dispelled on my behalf when Timmy came for his initial visit. This precious little baby was going to be ours! After a look around, Lisa, too, understood how wonderful life aboard a boat could be for a cat!

We introduced her and Timmy to our 18 year old Schnitt… she seemed appropriately aloof and annoyed! “Tugboat Timmy” became our forever boy on December 29th. He adjusted very quickly to life onboard a boat…once he survived a serious upper respiratory infection that almost cost him his life, and Schnitt’s as well. Stabilized after several weeks, we finally departed Green Cove Springs for a winter down in the Florida Keys. We spent a month swinging on a mooring ball in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon. Tugboat Timmy acquired his full name in Marathon (previously, he was just Timmy), as well as a human “Godmother” Lois, onboard Puffin, a sistership we often travel with.

On our way north in early March, he just one day, or so it seemed, lost his incredible cheek tufts. His ‘lynx points’ on top of his ears diminished, but his huge feet just kept getting bigger. We had thought he’d grow into those feet of his, but as of this writing his feet are simply massive and apparently we still have lot’s of growing to do! Tugboat Timmy is quite the talker…and has a variety of voices to communicate to his humans with.

He is also a ‘fetch-it’ cat. He has an entire kitty-toy box and has several favorites. His all time favorite toy is his ‘pipe-cleaner’ toy…one of those chenille craft sticks we keep on board to clean out small water lines with. He loves to start a game when friends are over…he returns it to everyone at least once and when he does, he wraps his paws around your ankles….especially dangerous if you are sock-footed! At night, after we’ve settled in bed, he retrieves a noisy plastic ball with a bell inside and attempts to do his cat-version of Pinball Wizard, as the ball flies across the hardwood floors into his food dishes!

As per our agreement, he is not an outside cat, though he does have his ways of escaping. We do let him out on our dock from time to time when we are out there with him. He enjoys these outdoor times, but seems perfectly well adjusted inside. He refuses to adjust to a leash, though we tried very hard for several months. A collar just about sends him into some kind of petrified hysterics. I’ve never seen a cat so freaked by a collar. He’s also very clever and has removed them, hidden them and smugly looks at you when he’s done just that! A harness doesn’t win any brownie points, either. So, we are committed to his being an insider.

When we arrived at our summer slip in Watkins Glen, we took him to our vet up here. He weighed in at ten-and-a-half pounds at seven months of age! The vet was quite taken aback at his size. He asked us “if we were prepared for this!” After much research, we are convinced Tugboat Timmy is of Maine Coon ancestry… again, KitnHevn was right! They said he was part Maine Coon. He displays many of the personality traits, to say nothing of his physical stature and size. He loves water and is beginning to thoroughly enjoy riding in our dinghy. His sweetness is amazing. Concerned a few weeks ago when I misjudged a set of boat stairs and fell, he came running to my side and didn’t leave. He is a gentle giant. His tabby stripes have become spots. His bushy tail is stunning! He loves to be groomed, and enjoys belly rubs.

The human heart is an amazing organ. Love has a way of breaking it in two and at the same time, returning it to wholeness. Tugboat Timmy has helped to heal our broken hearts and we cannot imagine how different our lives would be today without his precious spirit surrounding us.