
This month’s pet is Charlie, also known as Prince Charles of Thoroughbred the Second. Charlie lives in Villa Grande with Philly Zollner and Gary Sutherland, and the reasoning behind the genesis of his name is twofold. Philly’s parents were fans of the film The African Queen starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, whose characters were named Charlie and Rose, and her parents dubbed themselves by those names. Thus, this male cat was given the name Charlie.
As far as the rest of Charlie’s proper name, Thoroughbred happens to be the name of the street that Gary lived on back in the day. This friendly feline with his black and white pattern is now about four years old and weighs thirteen pounds. Known as a tuxedo cat for his bi colored markings that are reminiscent of human formal wear for men, Charlie is strikingly handsome with his shiny black coat, white chest and “spats,” i.e. white boots/paws. With white fur around his chin and nose, and big green eyes, Charlie is a dramatic ‘Tuxie.” By the way, he has a signature wardrobe of bow ties to complement his tuxedo and is always dressed to the nines.
Charlie’s early history was as a dumpster cat in Ohio, and luckily for him he was saved from that lifestyle when he was a six-week-old kitten. Gary, who grew up on a farm, claimed “I hate cats,” since his early exposure to cats was to those kept in the barn to serve a purpose, not cats as pets, and he has since changed his opinion. The requirements of Ohio’s pet rescue program is strict, and Philly and Gary met the qualifications. Plus, Charlie climbed the cage at Pet Rescue to choose Philly, and the rest is history. Neutered and chipped, Charlie headed to his new forever home.
Who ever said that cats cannot be trained? Not so. Philly has trained Charlie to follows commands to sit, roll over, and shake human hands with both paws, and Charlie especially enjoys being rewarded with liver and chicken treats for his efforts. He also understands and responds to several baby sign language commands such as “all done” and “help / do you need help?” Prior to the pandemic, Charlie would accompany Philly by walking on a leash like a dog, though he is not recognized as a service animal. He would go shopping with Philly and remain in the cart but without further reinforcement, that has gone by the wayside.
Charlie’s early food drop is at 6:00 AM and Gary fills an automatic food feeder that gives the cat the security of knowing food is always available. Charlie knows intuitively when it is 9:15 PM and paws Philly for his wet food. He drinks most of his water at night from a cup from which his humans have drunk. Unlike many animals who do not wish to be bothered while they are eating, Charlie loves to be brushed by Philly then. However, 10:30 PM is the time that Charlie calls his humans to go to sleep and he guards them outside the bedroom door. He finds a centralized spot to retreat to protect Philly and Gary when visitors are in the house. He is calm, not skittish like some cats, does not mind dogs at all, and welcomes people. Rather than meowing, he growls if he is wary or unhappy with something.
According to his owners, Charlie likes being included in human activities, and they refer to him as a “working cat.” He plays with the rummy cube tiles and when they are playing it is the only time Charlie is permitted on the table. His owners reading the newspaper is time for him to study the stock market pages. He is amused by playing with his toys and grooming himself. One of his favorite spots is on Philly’s shoulder when she is making the coffee. He happens to be a good traveler and has traveled with the family to Kansas, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
Philly harvests monarch butterflies in her butterfly garden, and Charlie is curious (a “Nosy Parker”) and helpful as he encircles the butterfly hampers. Aside from walking around on the patio, Charlie is an indoor cat with a loving personality and never escapes outside the house. This pet feline obviously understands that he is charming, loved by his owners, and anything but ordinary.
