The look
London, Ontario, September 2007 [Click to enlarge]
No one knows where this little cat came from. He (or she? I can never tell. I'll use the male gender as a default) started appearing on our front step earlier this week. He seemed friendly enough, but without a collar, there was no way to know if he had a family somewhere. He didn't have the bedraggled look of a stray.
He wouldn't go away. He hung around our house for days, bouncing between our bushes, our car and the big rock under the leafy maple tree on our lawn. Our dog, who wants to play with everyone, would strain at his leash on every walk, hoping we'd let him get to meet the newcomer. Um, no.
He'd follow us around as if we were the modern incarnation of the Pied Piper, almost coming into the house on more than one occasion, driving the poor dog crazy as he sat outside the front door and softly meowed.
And that's the rub. As sweet as this little one's face is, and as friendly as he seems on the surface, you just never know. So you stand back and resist the urge to pick him up and hold him. You warn the kids to stay away in case the clawed interloper suddenly turns on them. You keep the dog well back, just in case the cat has a nasty streak or a nasty bug.
And you hope that this little being has a real human family somewhere. And that they're looking for him. Because the bush underneath the kitchen window isn't the kind of place for a young kitten to call home.
Your turn: Rescuing strays. Please discuss.
P.S. We haven't seen him in a couple of days. The kids ask about him every time we go outside. Frasier still strains at his leash, forlornly looking under the car every time we take him out for a walk. We're hopeful that he found his way back home. Wherever he is, I hope he's fine, and wish I could have done more than simply write about the experience.
Update, Friday: I've pasted in a comment that my next-door neighbor e-mailed me, so feel free to click on the Comments link to see the latest in this sweet little critter's life. Long story short, it's a girl, her daughter's boyfriend temporarily took her home, and we're hopeful someone will come forward to adopt her.
Update, Saturday: Good news! Looks like the furry little girl has found a home. Our neighbor, Nicky's, colleague will be adopting her. Thank goodness for amazing neighbors. Thank you all for being so generous with your thoughts and suggestions. I love a happy ending, don't you?
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30 comments:
ya know i rescued a stray. she was three weeks old and we found her in a dumpster. she turned out to be the best thing even though sometimes she is evil :)
I rescued a stray cat once. . . but from a shelter. In fact, he is the reason I am awake at 5:07 a.m. I've probably posted the same old tune a hundred times. The cat has a bowl full of food but won't believe it's edible unless new food is poured on top of it.
I think you did the right thing. You could have called a shelter, I suppose, but with everything going on in your life, it's understandable that you didn't. The cat could have been a family cat whose family was on vacation, or just a cat whose owners let him roam the 'hood and decided your house was a nice place to hang for a bit. Besides, as you said, you don't know where this kitty (whose name is Allen, I think, or maybe Cookie), came from, and you don't want to bring anything communicable in to Frasier.
He's a cute enough little guy, though. Definitely a kitty face. I hope it all works out for him.
he is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
Okay, Carmi....
I think you know what I'm going to say before you even begin reading this, for we were just discussing this very topic less than a week ago.
This little darling has chosen your family. Plain and simple.
I know a "cat-initated family selection" when I see one -and this clearly fits the bill.
You already know what my advice is, too, don't you?
Should you succumb to the sad little eyes and decide to rescue this little desperate life (I'm not laying it on too thick, am I??), then here is what you do... (I am a master at this very thing):
1) Go get a litter box (or even a big tinfoil turkey roasting pan for the time being), some litter, a box of meow mix, and a cheap flea comb.
2) "Collect" the kitty and bring him/her into a secluded room in your house. Make sure it is a room that can be the designated
"kittyroom" until further notice -no Frasier.
3) Check for fleas and make a vet appointment. Every time I have done this, I have contained the fleas (and there were fleas on one occasion in that room -they were easily treated there.
4) The vet visit is for a blood test and an overall checkup. You don't want to bring a strange animal into your home and introduce it to your children and other pet until you know that it is relatively healthy. FIV (equivilant to HIV for cats) is not visually detectable, but unfortunately, many strays get it, and it is a painful way to die.
5) Once he/she is checked out/flea treated (if necessary) and you are given the green light, you can then slowly introduce him/her to Frasier. The dog will want to play and it may seem like he/she is a little rough, but they will work it out. Every time I have a new cat come in, the others get their noses out of joint for a couple of weeks, and then one day, I find them snuggling on the couch together.
Remember, Carmi. This cat has chosen you for a reason. They know. My 2 cats, Jeebus LasVegas and Piglet came to me in the very same manner. They CHOSE me. Both cats were very ill, but we made it though my little "initiation program", and they are living happy, healthy lives -and get along great with everyone.
The best part of a rescue: they are the most grateful little creatures out there. My cats literally thank me every day. There is something about a bond with a rescued animal with which no pet-store creature could compete. You know -look at how much Frasier loves your family already. If you are lucky enough to be able to share your life and home with another gentle, yet desperate soul, by all means, take advantage of it.
But, you didn't even need to read that, did you. I'm fairly certain that you knew what I was going to say before you even posted this note, didn't you?
Laurie
P.S. If decide to go ahead and take this little one in, and you have any questions about the "procedure", you know how to reach me!
Hopefully he/she found their way home ... :)
When I was younger, we had a stray cat that would roam around our neighborhood. Everyone knew him...but nobody did anything. He was harmless. For the first few months he wouldn't come near people, just meowed and hissed from the woods in my backyard. Bound and determined to tame him, I began leaving bits of food outside for him. Slowly he would come and eat and I would come out to try and pet him but he would quickly run away. As time went on...he soon would stick around longer and longer until finally...he took food right out of my hand!! I was thrilled!!! The longer time went on, the more comfortable with me he became until one day, he followed me inside the house. I let him sniff around the foreign land and when he was satisfied, he curled up on my lap. He was finally tame. I named him Mufasa...because he was the size of a lion...I'm not kidding. We made him our cat, buying him a litter box and such...but still let him roam outside as it seemed as though he were most comfortable out there.
Then...about 4 months later, I went to go let Mufasa in and sitting beside him was another cat. He had brought a friend. I laughed and laughed and called her princess...and she became ours too.
I'm all for rescuing animals, especially if they choose you. Animals need just as much love and affection as the rest of us. We took them to the vet..got them checked out and everything was fine.
Awww, I miss those kitties.
It sounds like the little furball has chosen your family. Cats do that. For what ever reason you are worthy of his attention. That is a beautiful tuxedo cat that looks like he might need a new home. If you see him again and you can't take care of him, you might want to call the shelter. Or maybe your heart will melt and you'll take him in.
BTW, Cali, my female cat was an abused stray and she is a loving and valuable addition to our family.
I completely agree with Laurie and Heather. That cat likes your family. Its disappearance could mean it's back with its own family, or ... something not so nice. If it comes back and you can't care for it, a no-kill shelter is always a great option. I blogged about a similar experience about a year ago, and we've used "procedures" much like Laurie's many times. I always feel better knowing a stray is safely sheltered, fed and watered, rather than still roaming the streets.
Carmi, you know I love you, but if you bring that adorable creature into our house I will have a nervous breakdown and then I will be forced to kill you. :-)
That kitty is so cute but if I have to take care of one more thing, I will go crazy.
I really think it has an owner, it looks to well kept. He definitely was cute, though. We haven't seen it around for a couple of says, so it is probably snuggled up in his house right now.
Let's stick with the brood we have!
What a beauty he/she is! Both of my girls - Thelma & Louise - were strays (they are sisters from the same litter so I had to take them both in!) I work at a power plant and recently a stray kitten made its home under our office trailer, we named her 'Sparky' (get it? Electricity plant? Sparky? LOL!) Everyone feeds her and cares for her now so I guess she's staying as long as she wants to!
Hopefully that black beauty of yours wandered his/her way home again...
Carmi,
I don't believe in accidental happenings. Perhaps solving the quandary could be as simple as looking at the situation from the cat's perspective. From that standpoint, your decision as to whether or not you should accept "him" is somewhat moot. What matters is that "he" chose your household.
Pets have a sixth sense about these things, and something tells me his insistence should be embraced as a fortuitous omen. And if the kids are already asking incessantly, the connection has already been made.
As Saedah Garrett once remarked: "You never know the places you find love..."
Namaste.
R
Excellent photograph! Coming up with unique and strinking angles for cat pictures it quite difficult. You have succeeded!
best
rashbre
I think he's yours. By the way, beautiful shot!
How cute, I hope he found his way home too...
most of our pets as I grew up came as a result of us being adopted as opposed to us going to look for them... though only after a suitable length of time and checking for microchips etc and advertising for owners and the rest...
our current cat was born wild and our next door neighbours were taking the litter to the animal shelter, where I think they would have been put down, so we rescued her and she is gorgeous...
ps thanks for popping over and commenting :)Katie
Carmi, he is/was adorable. No way could I have resisted picking him up, bringing him in and feeding him. We rescued a kitten from certain death in a snow storm once; had him for 14 years!
I posted about black and white animals just now. Come see. MIchele says you have to!
Ohhh, he's charming.
We have an orange tabby that likes to live in our front hedge, but even if it didn't skedaddle every time we cracked the door open, we couldn't adopt it - my dogs are not cat-friendly, and truly sharpy-clawed cats and bulgey-eyed dogs (chihuahuas) aren't a smart mix.
The cat must have found his human family and as happy as could be. I suppose you did well by ignoring him.
Long time no see. No wonder Michele sentme here.
Oh...he's SO sweet looking....I would adopt him in a minute.
Strays? They LOVE me. When we lived in Georgia, the house rented came with a family of kittens. Apparently the previous tenants had cats they kept outside. The mom had kittens, and when they moved, they took the mom and left 5 kittens, about 10 weeks old, to fend for themselves. I began leaving food for them. Our neighbor fed them as well. We named them (the neighbor named them differently, lol). He caught 2 of them and the Humane Society came to get them. Because they were on the verge of feral, I don't know what happened. There remained a male and 2 females. Both females had a litter of 2, then the male disappeared. The neighbor caught 2 kittens as babies, again the Humane Society came to rescue them. When we left, one of the 3rd generation had just had babies, under the house in the crawl space...right by the garden tub in the master bedroom. They were so incredibly feral, these cats, yet they KNEW they could count on us to feed them. I photographed every one of them. And the 2 young lab pups that followed my hubby home from a run. And the black cat who would walk into the house as soon as the door opened.
I will always hope to rescue a stray if I can.
If he comes back...you've been chosen. How could anyone resist that face anyway? He's a giant furry Awwwwwwwww...
On my 10th or 12th birthday party my friends and I were making a lot of noise in our back yard. A stray puppy kept coming up to the fence. After my friends had left, my brother and I talked my mom into keeping the dog "until we could find the owner." After all, we had an empty dog house and he was so cute...
Of course there was no owner, and that mutt became a part of the family for a number of years. Weirdest mix of breeds, but super-friendly.
He is cute and reminds me of some of our cats. Living in the country, you accumulate cats whether you want them or not! We have so many scampering about it's ridiculous...all the same...a few weeks ago my two kids ran across a couple of strays on their way home from school and brought them home. Sigh. All we needed were two more kittens, but they blended in with the rest of the herd, and so you have it!
The good news? We have no mice!
That is a beautiful kitty....expression caught perfectly!
Hope you have a super weekend, but you must come visit me at the Castle and watch me dance....I am doing it just for you!
~xo
Lee Ann
Hi everyone. I'm posting this comment on behalf of my next-door neighbor, Nicky. Katelyn is Nicky's daughter:
Hi Carmi,
Interestingly enough...Katelyn took the cat to her boyfriends...he already had a cat, Stella. Stella is not impressed with the new visitor and Katelyn wanted to bring it back home.. I do not want another pet. Don't get me wrong, I love cats and this one is certainly a very cuddly and friendly little girl (we checked). But one more pet/person in my home...too much! So, if you have anyone who is interested in "adopting" the little cutie, please let me know.....
Thanks for link to your blog.....I read some of the replies and must add that I laughed out loud when I read MorayMommy....this must be Debbie and I share her sentiments!!! I'm still smiling....
I tried to put this comment in your Blog for your readers to see, but this was my first time in a "Blog" and was not sure how to post....so feel free to share this with your readers. Maybe someone will want to adopt her...
Have a great weekend!!!
Nicky
I have to agree with everyone else, cats choose people. I do hope the little fella is safe, he does not look very old. That is a smashing photo of him. I cna tell he has such a sweet nature form his eyes :)
Oops, I forgot to say that Michele sent me to say hi while I'm lying here on my sofa feeling poorly and sorry for myself.
I have to say that reading this post and some of the comments is bringing tears to my eyes. If you don't mind a long comment...
When I was 16, I was sitting outside on my front porch one night, waiting for my boyfriend to get off of work. (He worked at a restaurant across the street.) I heard a rustling in the bushes in front of our house. It scared me, because my mom once heard something rustling at night and whipped open the front door - to a very startled skunk! So, I was on guard and ready to bolt if necessary.
Up from the edge of the porch popped the face of the most gorgeous black cat I'd ever seen. And he was meowing. Repeatedly. As though he had a story to tell me. He came over to me and climbed into my lap, put a front paw on either side of my neck (and yes, this made me nervous) and began to lick my chin.
When my boyfriend arrived, he ran off. I saw him again a couple of days later and he was just as affectionate (and vocal). We took him into a vet and discovered he was male and fixed. My mom and I wondered if he'd belonged to someone elderly who had recently passed away. This cat loved nothing more than to sit on your lap and let you pet him.
He lived with us for a few years and two moves. Then, the summer I was pregnant with my twins, he inexplicably disappeared. The last time I saw him, he was sunning himself on the porch. We never found out what happened to him. The only thing that we can figure is that he knew something was up in the household and that I'd soon be able to spend a lot less time giving him attention. It breaks my heart to think of it.
He was the best cat I've ever had, and it's because of him that I have a particular fondness for black cats (even more now that I've learned they're frequently passed over because of the superstitions attached to them). I can only hope that he managed to find another home where he was loved as much as we loved him.
I hope the sweet girl you found manages to find a loving home as well.
I had a similar situation this last spring, I believe... I blogged it with photos... and curiously, it was a little black and white kittens not so different. But... we have FOUR already. I have a soft spot for cats. I really "get" them. And they know it. He visited for a couple weeks. I fed and watered him occasionally. And petted him. And I was about to collect him and take him to a place that would find him a home... when he stopped visiting. I think he had an owner, cuz he was always groomed and clean. And a cat with white would show the wear and tear of outdoor life.
I hope your little guy finds a home.
Michele sent me again! (persistent, isn't she?)
~S
I meant to add... really nice face portrait of a cat... not easy to get, and I have 4 and plenty of practice!
~S
I've always liked these types of cats that remind me of groucho marx. I think they're good luck.
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