Hello all - meet Buddy

Hi, I stumbled on this site while searching for other cat related things.......and boy am I glad.

I am a new mommy to a free roaming 3/4 year old cat.  I met him 2 years ago, he was hanging out at a local convenience store.  He was kinda the mascot there.  He was vetted by a local rescue and became a TNR cat.  People would feed him every day, give him water etc....but no one was taking medical care of him. he was covered in ticks and fleas.  I tried to drop some flea liquid on him several times, but he would just run away from me.  When I called the rescue that vetted him to ask them to pick him up and clean him, take care those parasites, I offered to pay whatever it cost the reaction I got was "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  HE WILL SCRATCH AND BITE THE S**T OUT OF ME.....NO WAY"   I was shocked to say the least, as I not only pet him....fleas and all.....so did many other people.  I am really not sure if he was dropped off outside as he never has exhibited the behavior of a feral cat.  There is a huge feral colony where I believe he was living.  I started calling him Buddy, he is cream and light orange with spots on his belly.....very similar to a Bengal. He always came running whenever i called his name and would head butt my legs to let me know he was there.  On several occasions he walked up the hood of my car and would look right at me in the window when I would go to leave.  I am not being pig headed when I say he loves me.  I love him too....One day there was a change of management at the store and he was targeted by the new manager.....she wanted him gone.  I witnessed her trying to put him in a carrier.  It was just after a huge snow storm.  He had come out of hiding and was hungry.  What she didn't count on was me........I knew he would be there too.  I asked her what she was doing.....she replied she wanted to trap him and give him to her 6 year old niece......?????? RED FLAG!!!!!  I told her I could trap him that he trusts me and it wouldn't be a problem....I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew he was not going with that person.....I went to my vet and told them about the situation, especially about the fleas.  They sold me a pill and said the fleas would be gone in 24 hours and  put the flea drops on him too.  So....I went back fed him 1/2 a can with the pill........I went back there that same night with my own carrier and a can of tuna.....I called him, he came to me and followed the tuna right into the carrier.  I put him into a borrowed cat cage, and took him to the vet.  He was very sick, he was infested with worms especially hook worms, he had a bad case of ear mites and a respiratory infection.  I also micro chipped him.  He became very sick over the next 3 weeks as he had to be de wormed again.......he came down with a urinary tract infection and also had coccidia.......he was on some form of medication for almost 3 months.  During this time he was caged in my garage but when the cold temps came I moved him in the house in his cage.  I also have a 15 year old pom..........

That's how I got Buddy.....I love him and want to allow him in the house but I can't put my pom at risk........

Thanks for accepting me in the group......I'll tell more of his story when I find the appropriate thread......

 

    You are too sweet! I live in an area where everyone thinks that when they move they can just leave their cats behind, I'll never understand that. Buddy is so pretty, I'm so happy he found you I rescued one of those abandoned cats too, and he was amazing.

    Give buddy a chanse with your dog, I'm glad I did. Bageerah, the stray, and maggie, my black cocker spaniel, became the best of friends. The story is funny because Maggie chases anything that moves, but not Bageerah, he didn't run, so Maggie just ran into his side. Now granted Bageerah was almost as big as my dog.

    This was years ago they have both passed now, and I'm onto another big male, panther like cat, Boo. I guess I'm just sayin' give them a chance to meet, oh and don't be all stressed when they do meet, your dog will really pick up on that. Good luck!

Thank you for your kind words, Buddy is a big boy too.  When I first took him to the vet he was under weight for his size at 11 lbs, he said he should be about 15 lbs once he gets better, and he is.  Delilah is all of 8 lbs and very fast still, my concern is she will make him nervous. 

Over the weekend I cleaned out my laundry room....put his cage in there with his litter box and toys and opened his crate door, of course I have kept the door closed.  I rigged two baby gates @ the opening of the doorway leading into the house as I am going to let him out in there too to meet my Delilah.  There will be a gate between them and we will see what happens......

If the initial meeting goes well, get a nice size cat tree that would allow Buddy to get higher than the dog if there are complications and introduce them into the shared space together.

Great job grabbing Buddy, I'm sure he's so much happier in a warm, comfortable home than hanging outside a store.

He is such a handsome cat! Thank you for saving him.

Welcome again to TCS!

I'm so glad to hear you were able to get Buddy and take care of him! 

Welcome to TCS & bless you for saving Buddy. We look forward to more pictures!

Thank you all for your kindness!  Buddy is a very special boy.  I have never been a cat person, as I grew up with dogs my whole life.......that has changed.  I really never knew how sweet and much fun cats could be.....I especially like his aloofness at times.......When I sit with him I will stop petting him on purpose.....I just love his little tap tap tap on my knee when i look down at him he has the look that says "you kidding me.....pet me more" and I do.....I discovered he loves to be brushed!  so now he nudges me for brushing.  I just love him.....He won't let me pick him up yet....any suggestions?

Buddy adjusted really well to the laundry room for now.  Buddy isn't interested in my make shift barrier, he comes out to walk around the perimeter of the space and goes right back to the laundry room...Delilah wants to play......

Aw!  I would just give it time.  Some cats never like to be picked up.  My cat Noodles has to come to me on HER terms.  I've had her since she was 10 weeks old, she is 7 now, and she still has to sniff us before we pet her or she'll give us the evil stare and run off.  Or smack us.   But she will come sit with me sometimes and just purr her little heart out.  I tend to fall asleep on the couch for a few hours and then make a "pit stop" to the bathroom on my way to bed.  Noodles likes to come to me then...and sit in my pants.  I call her my sour patch cat, first she's sour then she's sweet.