Clarence McClacken, The Cat That Quacks

All photos property of T.K. Millin

What’s faster than a speeding bullet, can catch a squirrel with its bare paws and double dips on meals from the neighbors?  

Not Clarence.  At least, not anymore.

It was the summer of 1999 when Clarence first showed up in the condominium complex my husband and I lived in at the time, and was he ever cute as a button!

At first, I didn’t bring him inside to live.  I had four other cats at the time (two of them are featured in my post, A Tail of Two Kitties) and he seemed content in living outdoors.  After all, he was King of the jungle!   Well, at least in the undeveloped woods that faced our back patio.  

I delighted in watching him stalk and outrun squirrels, sunbathe on the patio and even laughed when I found out my neighbor was also feeding him, which explained his rapid growth.

That fall, my husband and I were going to spend two and half weeks traveling Europe and even though I knew my neighbor was also feeding him, I worried about what would happen to him.  So, after my carefully planned and thought out conversation with my husband, (ok, there may have been some manipulation involved), he agreed I could board Clarence at the Vet’s office, but with one stipulation... Clarence would have to go back outside when we returned.  I agreed to the terms for it was better than me worrying for over two weeks about him disappearing, or even worst.

By the time my husband and I returned to Europe for another vacation in the fall of 2000, Clarence had warmed his way into our home, and into my husband’s heart. 

These days, Clarence couldn’t catch the world’s fastest tortoise if he tried, however, he does still spend most of his time sunbathing, and double dipping on meals!

"Mmmm, I wonder what's for dinner?"

Why do we call him, Clarence McClacken?  Because, when you talk to him or ask him a question, he responds with either one simple, “cack,” or several, “cack, cack, cack,” turning him into, Clarence McClacken, the cat that quacks!  

Every tail has a story.  What’s yours?

The Tail of Two Kitties

Boog (R) and Bunny (L) - Sisters for life  Photo property of T.K. Millin

The Rescue

I can still feel the heat of the day trickle down my back as I made my way from my car parked along a side street, in my best unexperienced attempt at parallel parking, headed toward the run down automotive garage where it was rumored inside there was a mother cat and four kittens barely alive.  

It was Wednesday, July 6, 1994, and I was angry, and it was that anger that helped to replace my fear.  On any given day, you never would have found me traipsing high heeled through that part of town which was known only for people who fed off living on the wrong side of the tracks.  However, today none of that mattered, because today it was not about me.      

A bell jingled as I swung open the glass door covered in handwritten paper posters that I was unable to read.  Only able to speak English I knew my communication skills would be limited in the all Spanish community.  The only hope I had to rely on was my short skirt, pumps, and long strawberry-blonde hair.  If not, I prayed my youth would be a factor in my ability to outrun the three old men whose eyes never made it past my hot pink blouse.

Relying on experience, I gave my best impression of my favorite game, charades.  I made make shift ears out of my index fingers and let out a soft sensual, “Meeooow.”  The men looked at each other and smiled and then the oldest looking one of the three pointed toward the back of the room.

I cautiously made my way past their gawking eyes and into a small bathroom where there on the floor was an emaciated cat and four tiny grey kittens.  It took me a minute to adjust my blurred vision and when I did, my heart sunk.  The momma kitty and her little kittens were dead.

I stood in silence wondering what I was going to do, and worst, how I was going to get out of this awful situation when suddenly, I noticed one of the kittens flinch.  I bent down and softly touched its paw and with every bit of its last strength it lifted its head and looked at me.  

I immediately spun into action and lifted the kitten up into my arms and then I noticed a second kitten squirm.  I bent down and lifted it too, but when I did its head dropped back as if it had an anchor tied to it.  I knew it was too weak to support it’s head so I gently placed the first kitten in my shirt pocket and lifted the weak kitten’s head, looking straight into its ocean blue eyes.

Before leaving, I painstakingly ensured the momma kitty and the other two kittens were unable to leave that day with me and to this day I can still see the heart wrenching look on the mother’s face as she laid silent still grasping her babies tightly against her maternal bosoms.  

I made it out of that rundown dirty garage that day, but not without a fight.  They attempted to accuse me of stealing their property, but in the end love prevailed, thanks to the help of The Humane Society.

Happily Ever After  

It turned out the two little kittens were not grey, after all.  Upon taking them home and cleaning them they turned out to be pure white kittens with ocean blue eyes.  And, they were sisters.  

At first, I had rescued them with the intent of finding each one a special home, but after consideration of the events that had unfolded that day, there was no way I was going to separate them.  So, instead, they lived with me for over 16 years. 

In the end, I endured the same gut wrenching pain I experienced on the day I rescued them, only this time, I knew they had lived a happy, furry pawed fairy tail life, with me.  

Rest in peace my baby girls, 


T.K.Millin

Boog - 1994 - November 22, 2010 (she had a precious soul)

Bunny - 1994 - June 23, 2011 (she loved Christmas!)

All tails have a story, what's yours?

The Beginning

Dandy Wandy, rescued in March of 2008

Being a writer of fiction, I have a passion for creating worlds that have never existed and people who have never tasted a drop of life.  The same passion I have for writing is the same passion I have for real life.

Welcome to Love, Rescue, Live: Real Stories of a Rescued Life, where our number one goal is to highlight true stories of rescued animals.  

In a time when the world seems to be spinning out of control; Love, Rescue, Live, wants to be a beacon of hope for animal lovers all over the world to showcase their passion of rescuing abandoned animals through writing.  

Writing is one of the greatest gifts we have in expressing our passion.  So, whether your an experienced writer, an aspiring writer or just someone who wants to share their story of rescue; Love, Rescue, Live: Real Stories of a Rescued Life, is your platform to shine!

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All tails have a story, what's your's?