Uns Katten   

vun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Wienmoond 1994)  

Veer an de Tall sünd dat. Jümehr Mudder, gnäternswatt, harr sik uns Schuur för dat Wekenbett utsöcht. Worüm jüst bi uns? Dumme Froog, harr ik ehr doch al ümmer Foder hinsett. Se wüür uns tolopen. Seker so een armes, utsett Deert. Wüür ehr antosehn, datt se bald Junge kriegen schull. ,,Denn mütt man jo sehn, so'n Deert meuglichst gau lostowarrn'', hebbt sik ehr Lüüd wull dacht. Se dünn uns leed! Wenn ik mit Foder in de Neegde keum, is se utreten. Freten hett se iers, wenn ik nich mihr to sehn wüür. Melk hett se ok düchdig slappt. Anfang Maimoond wüür de Katt warrer slank. Woneem harr se ehr Kinner? Hebb mi op de Luur leggt. Jo, dor wüür wat to hüürn, gans fine Kattenbabystimmen, un dat bobenkopps. Dor kregen wi jüm nich foot. Een wulln wi ehr jo liggen loten un mit den Rest no'n Vehdokter. Wat nu? Woveel Kinner müch se wull hebben? Afteuben heet dat för mi, ik bün een ole Kattenjule. Poor Weken vergüngen, ihr ik de lütten, seuten Katten wies wörr. ,,Heinz, twee swatt-witte hebb ik sehn. Swatte Snuten mit witte Boorthoor un een wittet Buschen. Oh de sünd seut! ober mi sehn, pch, pch, un af as de Deubel. Wat schall dat bloots warrn?'' sä ik to mien Mann. ,,Nun ja, darin haben wir ja Übung. Hast Du etwa vergessen, dass wir 2 1/2 Jahre für unseren Leonardo brauchten, ehe er richtig zahm wurde?'' meen he goodmeudig. ,,Nee, nee, wo kunn ik wull, hebb een ganse Pann vull Zippeln verbrennen loten, as he mi dat ierste Mool op mien Schoot hüppt is. Kunn doch den Koter nich rünnerjogen, nu he jüst Totruun wunnen harr. De Zippeln wüürn mi in den Momang schietegol'', anter ik. ,,Wir werden es schon schaffen, die Kätzchen zu zähmen mit unserer Liebe zur Kreatur'', hett mien Mann mi Moot mookt. Wüür gor nich so eenfach. No een kotte Tiet hebb ik faststellt, datt dat dree swatt-witte un een lütten, griesen Tiger, ok mit een wittet Buschen, wüürn. Fief wille Katten! Wat stünn uns bevör? Nodem ik moddens dat Freten un de Melk hinstellt harr, keumen se langsoom vertüüch. In een Afstand vun teihn Meter kreeg ik klook, datt de lütte Tigerkatt ümmer an de Siet stött wöör. Se wüür ok veel lütter as de swatt-witten. Dor kunn ik ober nich helpen. No dat Freuhstück is de Muddermuusch mit ehr Kinner op de Noberschupp gohn. Sobens, bi Klock fief rüm, jümehrn Disch harr ik al deckt, keumen se warrer an. Woans wüürn de tohm to kriegen? Hett veel Gedüür köst. Meter för Meter hebb ik dat Freten neuger an't Huus bröcht. Bi Regen güng dat torüch in dat ,,Geburtshuus''. Liekut seggt, twee Treed vör un een trüch. Een goden Doogs wüür Muddermuusch weg. Wi hebbt söcht un ropen, ehr ober nich funnen. Nu seet ik an mit de veer lütten Katten. Leonardo hett sik mit jüm verdrogen. Seker hett he an sien egen Opnohm in uns Huus dacht. 

Twee Johr hebbt mien Mann un ik bruukt, jüm in't Huus to kriegen. De dree swatt-witten sünd Koters un hebbt disse Nooms: Brokky (he is de Gröttst), Cäsar un Peter. Blifft de lütte Tigerkatt no, un de heet Püppi. Is ober ok een lütte Popp. Dat Kastreen hebbt se uns öbel nohm. Wi hebbt üm jümehr Totroon mit veel Gedüür un Leev rungen. Schu sünd se ober ümmer noch. Wenn Beseuk kummt neiht se foken in Draff dörch de Kattenklapp af no buten. 

So een unschüllig Deert wöör ohn' uns doch totol verbiestern. Dorüm sünd se ok all veer bi uns bleben. Leonardo is in de Week för Wiehnachten vun een Roser de nich lesen kunn, mit tachtig (80) Kilometer ümnogelt worrn. In uns Stroot sünd 30 KM vörschreben. 
 

Our Cats   

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(October 1994)  

There are four of them. Their mother, pitch-black, chose our shed as her delivery room. Why our place in particular? Silly question! I had always put food out for her. She had attached herself to us. No doubt one of those poor, abandoned animals. You could tell by her looks that she was going to have young ones soon. Her owners probably thought, "Then let's see to it that we get rid of the animal as soon as possible." We felt sorry for her! Whenever I approached her with food she ran away. She started eating only when I was out of sight. She lapped up a lot of milk, too. The cat had turned slim again in the beginning of May. Where did she have her little ones? I watched secretly. Sure enough! You could hear something, very thin kitten voices - above my head. We would not be able to get hold of them there. We wanted to leave one of them there and take the rest to the veterinarian. Now what? How many kittens might she have? For me this meant waiting; I'm an old cat lady. A few weeks passed until I got to see the cute kittens. "Heinz, I saw two black-and-white ones - black mouths with white whiskers, and white spots on their chests. Oh, they are cute! But as soon as they caught sight of me . . . shshsh, shshsh, and off they went like the dickens. How's this going to end?" I said to my husband. "Well, we've got practice with that. Did you forget that it took us two and a half years until Leonardo was really tame?" he said [in German] in his supportive way. "No, no! How could I? I let a pan full of onions get burned when he jumped onto my lap for the first time. I just couldn't bring myself to scaring the tomcat off now that he had just mustered some trust. I couldn't care less about the onions at that moment," I replied. "We'll eventually manage to tame the kittens with our love of animals," my husband encouraged me [in German]. It wasn't that easy. A short while later I found out that there where three black-and-white ones and one little, gray tabby one, also with a white spot on its chest. Five feral cats! What was in store for us? They would slowly come out after I put some milk and food out. At a distance of ten meters I found out that the little tabby kept being shoved aside. She was also much smaller than the black-and-white ones. But I was not able to help. After breakfast, the mother cat went around in the neighborhood with her young. In the evening, at about five o'clock - I would already have prepared their dinner - they returned. How could we tame them? It took a lot of patience. I put the food closer to the house, meter by meter. Whenever it rained they went back into their "place of birth." In other words, two steps forward and one step back. One fine day Mommy Cat had disappeared. We looked and called, but we could not find her. Now I was left with her four kittens. Leonardo got along with them. He probably remembered his own adoption into our home. 

It took my husband and me two years to get them to enter the house. The three black-and-white ones are toms and have these names: Brokky (he is the biggest), Ceasar and Peter. This leaves the little tabby, and her name is Pueppi [Dolly]. She sure is a little doll. They did not forgive us for neutering them, though. We fought for their trust with much patience and love. But they are still shy. They often run outside through the cat door in a gallop as soon as visitors arrive. 

Such an innocent creature would be totally lost without us. That's why all four of them stayed with us. The week before Christmas, Leonardo was hit by a speeding car at eighty (80) KM/H; the driver could not read. The speed limit in our street is 30 KM/H. 

Uns katten 

fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Wiinmaand 1994)  

Feir an de tal suend dat. Juem eir mudder, gneternswat, har sik uns schuur foer dat wekenbed uut-soecht. Waruem juest bii uns? Dumme fraag', harr ik ehr doch al uemmer fouder hin-sett. Sei woyr uns tou- loupen. Seker soo 'n armes, uut-sett deert. Woyr eir an tou sein dat sei bald junge krigen schul. ,,Den muett man jaa sein soo 'n deert moyglichst gau loos tou warn'', hebt sik eir luyd' wul dacht. Sei duen uns leid! Wen ik mit fouder in de neegde koym is sei uut-reten. Freten het sei eirst wen ik nich meir tou sein woyr. Melk het sei ouk duechdig slapd. Anfang Maimaand woyr de kat warrer slank. Wouneem har sei eir kinder? Hev mii op de luur legd. Jaa, daar woyr wat tou hoyrn, gans fine kattenbabystimmen, un dat bavenkops. Daar kregen wii juem nich faatt. Ein wullen wii eir jaa liggen laten un mit den rest naa d'n feidokter. Wat nuu? Wou veel kinder muech se wul hebben? Af- toyven heit dat foer mii; ik buen 'n olde kattenjule. Paar weken ferguengen eir ik de luetten, soyten katten wiis' woerd'. ,,Heinz, twei swat-witte hev ik sein. Swatte snuten mit witte baarthaar un 'n wittet buschen. O, dei suend soyt! Aver mii sein, pch, pch, un af as de doyvel. Wat schal dat bloots warden?'' see ik tou miin man. ,,Nun ja, darin haben wir ja Uebung. Hast Du etwa vergessen, dass wir 2 1/2 Jahre fuer unseren Leonardo brauchten, ehe er richtig zahm wurde?'' mein hei goudmoydig. ,,Nee, nee, wou kun ik wul? Hev 'n gansse pan ful tsibbeln ferbrennen laten as hei mii dat eirste maal op miin Schoot huepd is. Kun doch d'n kater nich ruenner-jagen nuu hei juest toutruun wunnen har. De tsibbeln woyren mii in den momang schiet- egaal'', anter ik. ,,Wir werden es schon schaffen die Kaetzchen zu zaehmen mit unserer Liebe zur Kreatur'', het miin man mii moud maakd. Woyr gaar nich soo einfach. Naa 'n kotte tiid hev ik fast-steld dat dat drei swat-witte un ein luetten, grisen tiger, ouk mit 'n wittet buschen, woyren. Fiiv wille katten! Wat stuend uns bevoer? Nadem ik moddens dat freten un de melk hin-steld har, koymen sei langsaam fertuych. In 'n afstand fun tain meter kreeg' ik klouk dat de luette tigerkat uemmer an de siid' stoett woyrd'. Sei woyr ouk feel luetter as de swat-witten. Daar kun ik aver nich helpen. Naa dat froystuek is de muddermuusch mit eir kinder op de naverschup gaan. 's Avends, bii klok fiiv ruem - juem eiren disch har ik al dekd - koymen sei warrer an. Wouans woyren dei taam tou krigen? Het feel geduyr koestt. Meter foer meter hev ik dat freten noyger an 't huus broecht. Bii regen gueng dat tourueg in dat ,,geburtshuus''. Liikuut segd, twei treed' foer un ein trueg. Ein gouden daags woyr Muddermuusch weg. Wii hebt soecht un roupen, eir aver nich funden. Nuu seet ik an mit de feir luetten katten. Leonardo het sik mit juem ferdragen. Seker het hei an siin eigen opnaam in uns huus dacht. 

Twei jaar hebt miin man un ik bruukd juem in 't huus tou krigen. De drei swat-witten suend katers un hebt disse naams: Brokky (hei is de groetst), Caesar un Peter. Blivt de luette tigerkat naa, un dei heitt Pueppi. Is aver ouk 'n luette popp. Dat kastrein hebt se uns oyvel namen. Wii hebt uem juem eir toutroun mit feel geduyr un leiv' rungen. Schuu suend sei aver uemmer noch. Wen besoyk kumt nait sei faken in 'n draf doerch de kattenklap af naa buten. 

So 'n unschuellig deert woyrd' aan' uns doch totaal ferbistern. Daruem suend sei ouk al feir bii uns bleven. Leonardo is in de week foer Winachten fun 'n raser de nich lesen kun mit tachtig (80) kilometer uem-nageld worden. In uns straat suend 30 [dertig] KM foer-schreven. 
 

Our Cats   

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(October 1994)  

There are four of them. Their mother, pitch-black, chose our shed as her delivery room. Why our place in particular? Silly question! I had always put food out for her. She had attached herself to us. No doubt one of those poor, abandoned animals. You could tell by her looks that she was going to have young ones soon. Her owners probably thought, "Then let's see to it that we get rid of the animal as soon as possible." We felt sorry for her! Whenever I approached her with food she ran away. She started eating only when I was out of sight. She lapped up a lot of milk, too. The cat had turned slim again in the beginning of May. Where did she have her little ones? I watched secretly. Sure enough! You could hear something, very thin kitten voices - above my head. We would not be able to get hold of them there. We wanted to leave one of them there and take the rest to the veterinarian. Now what? How many kittens might she have? For me this meant waiting; I'm an old cat lady. A few weeks passed until I got to see the cute kittens. "Heinz, I saw two black-and-white ones - black mouths with white whiskers, and white spots on their chests. Oh, they are cute! But as soon as they caught sight of me . . . shshsh, shshsh, and off they went like the dickens. How's this going to end?" I said to my husband. "Well, we've got practice with that. Did you forget that it took us two and a half years until Leonardo was really tame?" he said [in German] in his supportive way. "No, no! How could I? I let a pan full of onions get burned when he jumped onto my lap for the first time. I just couldn't bring myself to scaring the tomcat off now that he had just mustered some trust. I couldn't care less about the onions at that moment," I replied. "We'll eventually manage to tame the kittens with our love of animals," my husband encouraged me [in German]. It wasn't that easy. A short while later I found out that there where three black-and-white ones and one little, gray tabby one, also with a white spot on its chest. Five feral cats! What was in store for us? They would slowly come out after I put some milk and food out. At a distance of ten meters I found out that the little tabby kept being shoved aside. She was also much smaller than the black-and-white ones. But I was not able to help. After breakfast, the mother cat went around in the neighborhood with her young. In the evening, at about five o'clock - I would already have prepared their dinner - they returned. How could we tame them? It took a lot of patience. I put the food closer to the house, meter by meter. Whenever it rained they went back into their "place of birth." In other words, two steps forward and one step back. One fine day Mommy Cat had disappeared. We looked and called, but we could not find her. Now I was left with her four kittens. Leonardo got along with them. He probably remembered his own adoption into our home. 

It took my husband and me two years to get them to enter the house. The three black-and-white ones are toms and have these names: Brokky (he is the biggest), Ceasar and Peter. This leaves the little tabby, and her name is Pueppi [Dolly]. She sure is a little doll. They did not forgive us for neutering them, though. We fought for their trust with much patience and love. But they are still shy. They often run outside through the cat door in a gallop as soon as visitors arrive. 

Such an innocent creature would be totally lost without us. That's why all four of them stayed with us. The week before Christmas, Leonardo was hit by a speeding car at eighty (80) KM/H; the driver could not read. The speed limit in our street is 30 KM/H.