Vile temptress, thy name is Torbie already-spayed stray kitten!

First, sorry for the length but this is a story and a half.

So, I think I may have been adopted by a third cat after all (http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=225764 for those that don't know what I'm talking about). I was taking the trash out to the dumpster in the alley, when I heard light, scared mews coming from between two garages. I look, and here is the adorable face that greeted me.





She was filthy, half frozen (it's 11 degrees out with windchill), has a minor case of fleas, and she's pretty skinny, but otherwise looks to be in good health. She was so dirty that I thought she was a Tortie at first, not a Torbie. I got the cat carrier and took her inside (she wiggled too much for me to carry her), bathed her, flea combed her, and fed her (not a single one of those things was easy, she is really scared), and she is now asleep in a hockey skate in the corner of my roommate's mostly unused walk-in closet, seperated in case of FeLV and to prevent the unfrozen fleas from spreading. The maddening part is it looks like she was a TNR on the streets of chicago! No effort to bring her to a shelter or anything, just abandoned back onto the winter streets. She looks to be about 3 months old with a fully healed spay incision, though the area is still bald.

I'm 95% sure I know she's not someone's pet cat because I couldn't feel a microchip like I could on Tails when he was that age, and her general state before I bathed her looked.... "people independent". Also, I believe I have seen her mom, a calico cat with the same colors, in the alleys behind my building since we moved in. Months ago she looked a little plump, and last week she was on my back deck (I live on the 2nd floor and my deck has a low gated entrance, so it wasn't an idle visit), skinny and with teats hanging down like a nursing, or just-had-been-nursing, mother. At first I thought she was sniffing the cats' refuse bags I keep in the outside trash , but now I think she was seperated from her kittens (assuming multiple, might just be this one) when they were TNRed and she might have smelled cats and came to investigate .

I am torn about what I should do, after I take her to the vet to have her looked at, tested for FeLV, flea medded, and scanned for a chip of course. I will put up some posters on the corners, but if that fails like I think it will due to her not being anyone's kitten, I am at a juncture. This seems like fate that a kitten finds me just as I'm facing the decision to get a third cat. However, I do realize I still have not made that decision yet, and I shouldn't let happenstance be my guiding voice when real issues are present like finances (though if you read my old article, yes my parents will help me by giving me loans for emergency surgeries, etc, and my mom does bring up a big bag of cat food, some litter, and cans of wet food whenever she comes to visit). I can always bring her to the SPCA and know she'll be immediately adopted because of her age.

Even if I do decide to give her to a shelter, I would foster her first at least until she has fattened up; I don't like the definition I can feel in her individual vertibra. I have time to decide, since I wouldn't be able to begin introductions until the fleas are eradicated and FeLV is ruled out anyway, so I am looking to the wise members here for guidance. My heart says keep the kitten, but I am electing YOU, the members, as my brain and possibly common sense in this situation. Even if you don't have advice, you can still post about how cute this scared little angel is, I don't mind

She's beautiful! I bet with consistent food, a warm bed, and constant care and attention, she'll become a great cat! Bless you for taking her in.

You've already made the decision to keep her. If you were considering not keeping her, you wouldn't ask us for advice, because you know we're all going to tell you it's fate and you need to keep the little darling

What have you named her? ;-)

She is absolutely stunning... and bless you for saving her. With those markings, and her young age, she IS likely to be adopted fairly quickly... just make sure it is a no-kill shelter or rescue, K? But I have a feeling, as SarahP pointed out... that you are more than halfway to sure about keeping her yourself. But only you can decide that. I am the WRONG person to ask. Which is how I ended up with SEVEN! (miserable abject failure of a foster mom.)

She is a darling little cat. Thank you for rescuing her.

Around here, which is just a few miles from you, when they do tnr they ear tip them. That hasn't been done.

Only you can judge what you can handle and afford regarding number of cats. I always found 3 the perfect number for me. Of course I have more now. I constantly have to check myself that I don't take in more since I spend so much time at a shelter.

If you do decide to give her up, Paws is a reputable shelter in Chicago.

However, I do believe in fate and if she had happened to me, I doubt I could give her up.

More cats means not only more expense but more behavior issues also. Something to consider.

Have fun with her whatever you do. She's very lucky you found her.

I just remembered, I had a cat for over 18 years that was found in an ally in Chicago. Not by me. I got her in a bar. She was the best cat ever!

Robin

Sounds to me like YOU have been chosen my dear! She is absolutely beautiful... Now give that sweet princess a name and get used to the fact that she's your 3rd kitty.

She is beautiful! Just beautiful!

If it were me, I'd say that it was fate's way of finding this little girl a forever home with you. Sometimes The Paw works in strange ways.

At the very least, yes, keep her until she's no longer so skinny and flea-free. She should be tested, too.

And if you do decide to keep her? I'd say she's going to be one lucky little girl!

The way I see it, she's already spay, probabaly already vaccinated, and parasites aside is likely pretty healthy. So unless she has an owner actively looking for her she's where she should be and you have a kitten with a few of those thing out of the way already.

I think she looks like a small girl closer to 4+ months than three, though. Has she lost any baby teeth yet?

As I said in my reply to your first post about adopting another kitten, if you're not financially ready, this may not be the right time to adopt BUT I didn't know your parents would help you out in emergencies.

Do get her to the vet first as you planned, then it is your decision what you want to do. In any case, it was great that you saved her from the cold winter and have given her a chance to get a forever home whether it be with you or another loving person. Let us know what you decide.

If this were me, I would keep her, because I would believe I was meant to find her, I was meant to have her. But that's what I would do based on my beliefs. She's a very beautifully colored cat

If it were me, (and it always is around here) I would keep her. She's (as my husband would put it) won the kitty lottery. She knows you love her already, so why not give in to that love and keep her already?
That's how I ended up with 7. Good luck with her, she's beautiful!

God doesn't necessarily give us the ones we want, but He does give us the ones who need us the most.

It appears that you have been chosen! Why fight it? She looks absolutely adorable. Congratulations!

Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

God doesn't necessarily give us the ones we want, but He does give us the ones who need us the most.

It appears that you have been chosen! Why fight it? She looks absolutely adorable. Congratulations!

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Well spoken. And she is beautiful. I love her sparkly coat color - if that is an accurate description. She looks like she has a silver halo all over. Thank you for saving her.

Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

God doesn't necessarily give us the ones we want, but He does give us the ones who need us the most.!

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Well, that made me cry. Four of our six were strays, and thinking back over the years, that's how most of our babies came to us.

Just for a moment, let's assume she is someone's kitten. She has, after all, been spayed so someone put some money into her. Have you seen any flyers, any ads in the lost and found, anything to point to her 'owner' looking for her?
Our Katie came to us the same way; she had been very recently spayed, with the stitches still in place, and she was wandering the neighborhood. I knew she had to be someone's kitten, so I placed an ad in the paper. A week later, a girl calls to tell me that sounds like her boyfriend's kitten---but he moved and couldn't take her with him. Believe me, if someone cared about this little girl you've rescued, they would be looking for her.
If it will make you feel better, by all means post some flyers. Personally, I'd say you've been chosen by that little girl. And as the meowmy of a torbie myself, I have to say your new 'daughter' is just beautiful.

Congratulations on your new addition!

Originally Posted by sarahp

You've already made the decision to keep her. If you were considering not keeping her, you wouldn't ask us for advice, because you know we're all going to tell you it's fate and you need to keep the little darling

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My thoughts exactly!

She's beautiful!!! She has such a beautiful fur coat pattern!

Of course, it's always possible she may turn out to be too feral to be tamed. Not likely, but it could happen, and that could be why she was TNR'd.

Quite the little beauty, though. Amazing how tame they can get when they're cold and hungry.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Quite the little beauty, though. Amazing how tame they can get when they're cold and hungry.

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Isn't that the truth... My roommate heard her eating behind his closed closet door this morning, but she will not leave the hockey skate while anyone is around, or with the closet door open in general. Moving close results in her trying to back up even more into the toe of the skate, and her shivering with fear. I assumed she was cold last night, but it looks like it was a combo of cold and scared. Giviing her a bath right away probably didn't help, but she most definitely needed it.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep her, but I'm not making any decisions nor will I name her at least until I get the FeLV- result back (and it gives me some time to think of a name, which is usually the hardest decision in the world). I become easily attached, and I don't want to be devastated should she be infected.

How's she doing today? Did she do well overnight? Have you had any more interaction with her?

Originally Posted by stephanietx

How's she doing today? Did she do well overnight? Have you had any more interaction with her?

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She came out of the closet for a few seconds, then scurried back in. We left the closet door and my roommate's bedroom door open a crack with Tails and Memphis shut in my room. I figured the noise of the TV in the adjacent living room might draw her out if we let her be, which it did, but my roommate got too excited and startled her back into the closet She had made it all the way to the bedroom door. This is definitely progress, as I believe a cat with feral instincts wouldn't have even ventured out within 24 hours of getting here.

She is eating, though less than I woud have thought. I think TOTW probably tastes as rich as foie gras to her.

She's just taking her time to get used to her new environment. It's good that she wanted to explore some. As you know, don't get in a hurry and let her lead the way.