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Written by Lisa Doyle
 Bailey was born wild. His feral mother delivered Bailey and his siblings behind a neighbor's woodpile. He was already a few months old when we first discovered him, in mock combat with his brothers, rolling around in the yard next door. His thickening long hair was almost entirely white. There were only hints of gray on his nose, ears, and tail. And his eyes were a rich deep blue.
Neither of us can remember why we started to set food and water out for these cats - we've both been life long 'dog people'. Nevertheless, they soon became regulars at our doorstep for morning and evening feedings. Lisa worked months with Bailey until she was able to pet him. (She named him Bailey because his coloring reminded her of Bailey's Irish Creme.) The other cats would have nothing to do with our physical contact but, to our surprise, Bailey became very comfortable with our affections. At the age of about six months we caught Bailey and his brother and took them to our vet to be checked and neutered.
Soon, Bailey started venturing through our opened front door and into the house. For over a year he was a regular in and outside our home. Each night he'd come in and sit beside us on the couch.
Then one day, Bailey didn't show up for his feeding. We waited three days before we became really worried. It was painfully clear how much Bailey had come to mean to us. We were heartsick. We searched the neighborhood for him, hung lost pet posters, and registered a lost pet report with the Humane Society. We also listed him lost on the Internet. We even checked with the city's dead animal pickup service. Happily, they had not 'seen' Bailey. Two weeks passed. We were overwhelmed with grief and had all but given up hope. Lisa, however, insisted we again go out and hang lost pet posters. I knew it was hopeless.
We pulled the car up to a light pole two houses down from ours. Lisa got out too hang a poster on the light pole. As we talked through the opened car door we both heard a faint meow. I jumped out of the car and we looked in bushes near the light pole, I could see nothing. Then another meow: weak, but sounding familiar. I called out for Bailey and again we heard the meow. It came from the storm drain which we were standing on. We couldn't see down into the drain as it was to dark, but we recognized that meow as belonging to Bailey!
We pried up the manhole cover and there sat Bailey glaring at us ("What took you guys so long?") His eyes seemed to be saying. Even with the manhole cover off though, Bailey couldn't jump out. He'd hurt himself while repeatedly trying to jump out of the storm drain. Lisa held my legs as I lay on the sidewalk and went headfirst through the manhole. At first Bailey backed away. Eventually I grabbed him and Lisa pulled us up and out of the storm drain. Between the three of us, I don't know who was more relieved!
We rushed Bailey to the vet. He was dehydrated, had lost two pounds, and needed the hip surgically repaired. Otherwise, he was amazingly well off considering the time he had been stranded in the storm drain. It took Bailey only a few months to fully recover from his ordeal and the hip surgery. He's now happy, healthy and strictly an indoor cat!
As for us; we've become known as the neighborhood cat people. We've taken in 17 feral kittens or abandoned pet cats. They all stay indoors, for we now fully understand why they shouldn't run wild outdoors. We work with other feral cats in a nearby park by trapping, fixing, and releasing them. We also keep the cats healthy with daily feedings. We have Bailey to thank for this life. He has been our best teacher. Bailey has grown very special to us, but don't let the other cats know!.
Following the Creed of the Rescue Worker, Lisa Doyle and her husband work tirelessly trapping and spaying and neutering all the feral cats near their home in Arizona. Volunteering at AzCATS they understand the need to help with the over population problem. Keeping many of these cats safe after they have been socialized is another aspect of their care for these animals. Bailey is one cat lucky enough to fall into their hands.
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