In 2005, I discovered a liter of kittens in an abandoned building near my house. With the help of my awesome mother, we caught them & eventually, they all found homes. I ended up keeping one. There were three kittens but originally, I thought there were four.
After close to a year, this black cat shows up. Looks just like the kitten I adopted so I figured he might be the lost brother. I jokingly named him Ray after the outcast Ewing brother on "Dallas". I probably shared too much info there. I fed Ray everyday but was never able to catch him. We would have freezing winters & all I could do was offer Ray a heated shelter to stay in. Once, he was so cold, I was able to pick him up & bring him inside. He was nearly gone. He stayed in a few days & snuck past me one day & went outside. I felt good that I probably saved him though.
He showed up for his meals regularly until a winter about three years ago. It was again very cold but after a lot of pleading, Ray came inside on his own! Amazingly, he adjusted very quickly. He always went to the liter & interacted with the other cats well. In fact, he seemed to enjoy their company. The cat that I believed to be his sister always licked him & he so enjoyed that! He was the most affectionate cat I'd ever had. I think he was on my lap every night. Just a tremendously sweet cat who appreciated having a home. He appreciated lying on the couch & being able to close his eyes without fear. That this fierce alley cat would wrap his arms around my neck & purr was something I was very proud of. It's really a good story I think.
I lost Ray tonight. Living outside for so many years, I was never certain about his health. He always seemed to have trouble eating dry food & occasionally swallowed with effort. I never took him to the vet because he could be a bit wild but I was planning to take him tomorrow. He'd lost weight & wasn't eating. I believe he suffered from cat stomatitis, a periodontal disease. I could be wrong but he had all the symptoms. Unfortunately, he had weakened so much that he didn't make it until tomorrow. I'm very very grateful he's no longer in pain though.
It's a sad end but I thought it was a nice story overall. I picture him with the other cats he knew from his days on the streets and telling them "I had a home! I had people that loved me!" He had quite a journey. I'm so going to miss Ray. He was a good friend.
After close to a year, this black cat shows up. Looks just like the kitten I adopted so I figured he might be the lost brother. I jokingly named him Ray after the outcast Ewing brother on "Dallas". I probably shared too much info there. I fed Ray everyday but was never able to catch him. We would have freezing winters & all I could do was offer Ray a heated shelter to stay in. Once, he was so cold, I was able to pick him up & bring him inside. He was nearly gone. He stayed in a few days & snuck past me one day & went outside. I felt good that I probably saved him though.
He showed up for his meals regularly until a winter about three years ago. It was again very cold but after a lot of pleading, Ray came inside on his own! Amazingly, he adjusted very quickly. He always went to the liter & interacted with the other cats well. In fact, he seemed to enjoy their company. The cat that I believed to be his sister always licked him & he so enjoyed that! He was the most affectionate cat I'd ever had. I think he was on my lap every night. Just a tremendously sweet cat who appreciated having a home. He appreciated lying on the couch & being able to close his eyes without fear. That this fierce alley cat would wrap his arms around my neck & purr was something I was very proud of. It's really a good story I think.
I lost Ray tonight. Living outside for so many years, I was never certain about his health. He always seemed to have trouble eating dry food & occasionally swallowed with effort. I never took him to the vet because he could be a bit wild but I was planning to take him tomorrow. He'd lost weight & wasn't eating. I believe he suffered from cat stomatitis, a periodontal disease. I could be wrong but he had all the symptoms. Unfortunately, he had weakened so much that he didn't make it until tomorrow. I'm very very grateful he's no longer in pain though.
It's a sad end but I thought it was a nice story overall. I picture him with the other cats he knew from his days on the streets and telling them "I had a home! I had people that loved me!" He had quite a journey. I'm so going to miss Ray. He was a good friend.