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?

Sweet Suzy

Guest post by author, Jackie G. Williams

Three small children were running riot around the house, with four dogs of different sizes chasing after them.  I was chained to the kitchen sink peeling potatoes, trying to imagine a seaside retreat, where silence reined supreme.  When my husband walked in carrying a bundle under his arm.  I stopped what I was doing and looked at him.  He placed the bundle on the floor.

“Another one?” I asked.

My husband looked at me.  “Her owner didn't want her any more.  He'd had his fill of breeding from her.  If I didn't take her, he was giving her to the dog warden.”

I sighed, shook the wet off my hands and knelt down in front of the little dog.  Her eyes gazed up at me, moist and dewy looking.  I stroked her head.  She seemed a little overweight, but I could see it was from over breeding.  Suddenly, the children and our other dogs came pounding into the kitchen.  The children jumping on my back, laughing.  Then my four year boy piped up.  “What, another one?”  They gathered around our new edition, smoothing her and chattering away.  The little dog loved it.  She seemed to take to the children straight away.

“So, what's her name?”  I asked my husband.

He stared at me, a blank look on his face.  “I don't know love, I didn't ask.”

“Again?”  I said, this wasn't the first time he brought a dog home without a name.  “So it's guess the name time again is it?”  I smiled.  “Okay kids, our new dog doesn't have a name.”  I rolled my eyes.  “So we have to call out names and see which one she comes to.”

The children thought it great fun, even my husband got involved.  I left them to it and continued to make dinner.  After an hour of names we sat down and ate.  I gave the new addition a piece of meat off my plate.  “What is your name, old girl?”  I said.  “Then suddenly from nowhere, the name 'Suzy' slipped out of my mouth.  She started wagging her little tail.  “It's Suzy, her name is Suzy!”  I laughed.  From then on, she settled right in.

We often took the dogs in the car up to the moors for a run.  Suzy never needed a lead.  She would walk proud at the side of us.  She was never one for playing, like the other dogs, she prefered our company, but did love a tummy tickle.

One day our little dog Ginny, escaped the garden and came home 'pregnant'.  Oh no, more dogs I thought.  Luckily, she only had two.  While the puppies were suckling, if Ginny went to sleep, Suzy would gently take a pup and hide it in her bed.  Poor Ginny would be frantic looking for it.  But in the end, they shared care of the pups, it worked out quite well.  We found good homes for the two boy pups, but Ginny and Suzy, were unhappy for a few days after they left.

About three weeks later, I noticed that Suzy seemed to be putting on weight.  I rubbed her tummy.  I couldn't remember Suzy coming into heat?   My boy dogs didn't bother her.  What was happening?  I decided to wait and see.  When it was full term for the pups, Suzy went into labour.  I sat with her all night long.  She kept pushing, I kept watching and waiting.  Then about twelve hours later, Suzy gave birth to a ... blob!  Bless her, she missed the pups so much that she had a phantom pregnancy.  A week later, she was back to her usual self.  Her birthing days were over.  I was relieved, it seemed to me, that she had done more than her fair share of that.  

Suzy remained with us for seven years, we have no idea how old she was when she passed.  But while she was part of our family, we loved her, and she loved us back.  Sleep peaceful sweet Suzy.  xxx   

                                                                                              ^^^^^

(Bio provided by Jackie G. Williams)

Jackie was influenced a lot by her father, when she was a child.

Her father told her stories with a moral, and of course ghost stories.

She loved the fear factor of the creepy tales, though they never did give her nightmares.

Today, she is a mother of three grown children, and six grand children and lives in Wales with her husband and menagerie of pets.

Her hobbies are reading, her animals, and art.  She finds drawing very relaxing.

To date, she has written quite a few books.  A Feast Of Horror, which is a complete book of horror stories and poetry. Road Kill, Gerald's Car, Wonder-feed and Geisha. Short stories.  Highest Hill, a novelette, and Yesterday's Children, a book of today poetry.  She has also been published in quite a few anthologies, including the Satan's Toybox three by Angelic Knight Press.

Jackie has a good sense of humour and likes to smile.

Her favourite saying: “‘If someone is without a smile, give them one of yours.’”

Click here, Jackie G. Williams to discover her books!

Copyright 2012 Jackie G. Williams
Photo property of, Jackie G. Williams

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!

Share your story today, and if you have a blog of your own, please provide a link to spread the word.  After all, it is a small world!  

Beginning on Saturday, June 16, 2012, all photos and stories submitted to our Facebook event, Imagine This, will be entered into our drawing to have their story featured here on our Blog and shouted out in Twitter land!


Click here to join!


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