Yeah, I trapped the stray kitty!

That title doesn't sound good. Yesterday, we got a trap from the shelter and followed the directions. We put a tarp over the trap. Lucky for the kitty because the weather is so bad here. Rain and winds. Braved the rain and the winds this am to check underneath the tarp, and there was a BIG orange tabby who was not wet.
He/she (think he but haven't looked) is now in quarantine in the downstairs shower. Butzie cannot get in there (doors are closed) because we don't know what the stray may have.
The shelter will open in about 10 minutes. We are taking it there and if no one claims the cat after 3 days, I will. Hubby and daughter say no, but if Butzie is a princess, I am the queen. Enough said.
Wish me luck on the health of the kitty. It already let me pet it through the trap.

That's great news! Sending lots of "be healthy" vibes for the kitty!

Originally Posted by butzie

That title doesn't sound good. Yesterday, we got a trap from the shelter and followed the directions. We put a tarp over the trap. Lucky for the kitty because the weather is so bad here. Rain and winds. Braved the rain and the winds this am to check underneath the tarp, and there was a BIG orange tabby who was not wet.
He/she (think he but haven't looked) is now in quarantine in the downstairs shower. Butzie cannot get in there (doors are closed) because we don't know what the stray may have.
The shelter will open in about 10 minutes. We are taking it there and if no one claims the cat after 3 days, I will. Hubby and daughter say no, but if Butzie is a princess, I am the queen. Enough said.
Wish me luck on the health of the kitty. It already let me pet it through the trap.

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It is obvious to me that you are indeed the queen. Good luck with the kitty and thanks for your efforts.

Heres sending healthy vibes for the kitty

Originally Posted by butzie

Hubby and daughter say no, but if Butzie is a princess, I am the queen. Enough said.

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I love it!!

Sending lots of be healthy and Prayers for the orange man.

I have first rights to claim said kitty after 3 days. I have already named it Crookshanks, like in the Harry Potter books. If its owners claim it, I will be happy. If they don't, I will extremely happy and getting that microchip!

Update on the "stray." We took him (almost sure it is a him because most orange tabbies are) to the shelter. He has a microchip! So, we have to wait until the owners are notified and see if they still want him. Bummer!
There was this very friendly kitten there. If tabby goes back home, I am going to adopt the kitten. Just don't want 2 new cats at the same time, especially because 1 is a very large mature tabby, the kitten is little and Butzie is somewhere in between.

That is SO cool of you to have trapped somebody's cat for them! With a microchip, I've got to assume you're making some family VERY happy!

Sounds like maybe little friendly kitten may have a new meomy.

Keep us posted!

Laurie

By EOD Tues., I will either have a big male tabby (sex confirmed by shelter) or a little black and white kitty. Briefed Butzie on this and she gave me a "whatever" look.

Has Butzie ever had a kitty pal?

....because just in case you've never had to introduce a new kitty, you may want some tips to help things go more smoothly..... I just posted about it in a couple of places. Please do make sure you have a separate room for the new kitty set up before he (or she) comes home.

And just in case, here's a couple of links you may find helpful:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=153405
http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/4...cing-Cats.html

Our girls always take longer to accept a new kitty in the house, so keeping new kitty in a separate room for at least a few days to see how things go is a really good idea.

I'm so excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

....and thank you again for rescuing this kitty! If it's owners turn up to claim him, I hope they at least write a note to leave for you thanking you for your time and effort in getting him back to them.



Laurie

Great work!! Even if the owners do reclaim Crookshank and you are disappointed, you've done a good deed here.

You will post pictures of Butzie's new sibling?!?!?

Just called the shelter today. Microchip says that the owners of "Crookshanks" are in Chicago. We live in the SF Bay area. Hmm...
Just updated the paperwork to make sure that I turned him in and have first dibs on him.
I don't know if Butzie has had other cat friends at home. We adopted her when she was about 2 from the same shelter.
I'll keep you all informed.

Holy Cow! I lost my Mee Mee from LSB VA and thought there was a match in Solano CA named Addie. Everyone said I was stark ravers mad - but THIS goes to SHOW that cats CAN and DO travel!!

I hope for your sake you get to keep, but also the owners find out what happened to the little orange guy. They will be relieved to find their missing cat is okay and well, though I am sure they probably won't go to the trouble of claiming.

I think you have your cat! Now, if I could JUST find someone to check on Addie in Solano. If nothing else, maybe I could find that sweet sweet bobby tail cat a home...

OMG! San Fran from Chicago?????????????? This kitty must have hitched a ride with someone somehow! WOW!

So.... what's going to happen? They going to pay to have him flown home???????



Laurie

Maybe the people moved from Chicago and didn't update the chip information. Whatever the case, he has a home.

Well, I am not paying the airfare!
Now that the shelter found that he has a chip, I have to wait until 1/15 to make sure that the owners really don't want him Well, my birthday is 1/13 so maybe "Crookshanks" will be my present.
Oh, he is neutered so someone must have cared for him.

Flying a kitty from San Fran to Chicago is a big expense, and obviously if they want him back, they have to pay for it. The consolation, of course, is that if they're willing to pay for his travel, they really love him.

Hope it all works out - whatever happens!



Laurie

Let us NOT forget too - that ANY cat outside - MIGHT and often DO create a "second family".

I often wonder if my inside/outside cat had a second family where we used to live - and it was one of my fears that they thought he was a stray and thought he was their cat and might one day move and take him with them.

This is a HUGE reason why I prefer my cats to be inside ONLY - but when he was 2 years old - having never been outside we were forced to move into a roommate situation and the roommates cats were outside cats and though he swore he wouldn't let MY cats out ... he did let them out. My other cat had no interest though being a indoor only cat for his entire life, but the young one, he was hooked. He's a cat that once outside ... he will accept nothing else but both worlds. *sigh* I hate it, but what can I do?

But yeah it's possible that a second family scooped the cat when they moved and then THEY lost the cat. Or that they hitched a ride that wound up shipping them far away. OR they they hit a shelter that will ship pets to other states - other states ship their shelter animals to California's shelters and not all shelters will scan for a chip first.

So I'd say don't let distance mean it's not your cat. It COULD very be BE your cat. And maybe the folks in Chicago aren't at fault for their kitty going so far away from them too. Maybe a neighbor trapped it and threw it in a shelter.

People do really ugly things sometimes. Like throwing poisoned food into a feral colony or into someone's back yard to kill a pet they don't like for whatever reasons.

So glad though that you are giving them a CHANCE to possibly get a beloved pet back. And if they don't care, what luck for the cat that you are there and willing to love him and provide for him!!!

Oh wow! That's big news!

No matter the outcome - you've done a wonderful thing taking care of an abandoned kitty. If Crookshanks goes "home" - there are oodles of babies who need you!


Please please keep us updated!!