Some of you may recall my post about a month ago, when the fire department helped me get a stray cat down from a neighbor's roof. Another neighbor alerted me to the situation -- she said this poor kitty had been up there for three or four days!
Well, ever since then, that kitty has apparently been living under my car, which is parked in front of our house... and whenever she feels threatened, she darts down into the nearby storm drain.
I hesitated to rescue her for fear that she might actually have a home -- albeit a poor one, if they're letting her run loose. But our house is on the corner of a street that's long and straight and popular with teenage drivers who think they're immortal when they're behind the wheel... so I've been very worried about this kitty.
Yesterday, I saw her lounging under my car, so I strolled out and made a slow and circuitous approach, finally sitting down on the sidewalk about eight feet away from her. "Mau?" she inquired, and I assured her, "Mau, yes, definitely mau." She thought that over and finally agreed: "Mau." She came out and sniffed me once... twice... and then she flopped right over and asked for a tummyrub.
As I petted her, I discovered that her front paws are declawed, poor baby, and that made the decision for me: this cat cannot live outdoors. So I put some canned food, some dry food, and some cool Ozarka water on the porch for her, and she was thrilled. Even the water seemed to be a treat to her! And she licked eagerly at the bowl until she cleaned up every last speck of the canned food.
She stayed on the porch all evening, having a pleasant conversation with our cats through the glass door. I went out several times to spend a few minutes with her, and after dark, I brought out some more food and a kittybed. I left the porch light off, so she wouldn't feel like she was in a spotlight.
This morning, she was still there, so I fed her again and gave her some scritches. Then I gathered her into a carrier and drove her to the no-kill shelter where I volunteer. I could have called first to see if they had room for her, but I wanted to make it more difficult for them to say no.
In the car, I tried out some names on her and finally settled on Dorothy. So I made up a little song for her as we drove:
Dorothy's goin' to find a new home
A better place she won't have to roam from
Dorothy's goin' to find a new home
A safer and happier home
Ah, but it was not to be. The shelter was overwhelmed, and there was not one single cage available... and a declawed kitty really needs to start out in a cage until she adjusts to being in a room with about sixty other cats. So the intake coordinator asked me to keep checking with her, and she hoped there'd be a spot within two weeks.
Back out to the car, and I had to rewrite the little song:
Dorothy's gonna stay with us for awhile
We'll make a nice place for her in the back yard
Dorothy's gonna stay with us for awhile
'Til she finds a furever home
So I set up her food and water in our fenced back yard, took the door off the carrier so she'd feel safer using it as a shelter if it rains, and sat down to keep her company for awhile. She was very suspicious of me now, since I had gone from being the hand that fed her to being the hand that catnapped her... but she soon came right back to me, mauing and nuzzling my hands. She's a very, very sweet kitty!
So... I'm sure the shelter will find room for her eventually, but in the meantime... is there anyone in the Dallas area who might like to come meet her? She's such a loving, gentle girl... and despite living outside, she appears to be in good health. As you can see in the pictures, she's mostly Siamese, and she definitely has the Siamese penchant for conversation, too. If you think you might like to add her to your family, please PM me and we'll arrange a visit!
Well, ever since then, that kitty has apparently been living under my car, which is parked in front of our house... and whenever she feels threatened, she darts down into the nearby storm drain.
I hesitated to rescue her for fear that she might actually have a home -- albeit a poor one, if they're letting her run loose. But our house is on the corner of a street that's long and straight and popular with teenage drivers who think they're immortal when they're behind the wheel... so I've been very worried about this kitty.
Yesterday, I saw her lounging under my car, so I strolled out and made a slow and circuitous approach, finally sitting down on the sidewalk about eight feet away from her. "Mau?" she inquired, and I assured her, "Mau, yes, definitely mau." She thought that over and finally agreed: "Mau." She came out and sniffed me once... twice... and then she flopped right over and asked for a tummyrub.
As I petted her, I discovered that her front paws are declawed, poor baby, and that made the decision for me: this cat cannot live outdoors. So I put some canned food, some dry food, and some cool Ozarka water on the porch for her, and she was thrilled. Even the water seemed to be a treat to her! And she licked eagerly at the bowl until she cleaned up every last speck of the canned food.
She stayed on the porch all evening, having a pleasant conversation with our cats through the glass door. I went out several times to spend a few minutes with her, and after dark, I brought out some more food and a kittybed. I left the porch light off, so she wouldn't feel like she was in a spotlight.
This morning, she was still there, so I fed her again and gave her some scritches. Then I gathered her into a carrier and drove her to the no-kill shelter where I volunteer. I could have called first to see if they had room for her, but I wanted to make it more difficult for them to say no.
In the car, I tried out some names on her and finally settled on Dorothy. So I made up a little song for her as we drove:
Dorothy's goin' to find a new home
A better place she won't have to roam from
Dorothy's goin' to find a new home
A safer and happier home
Ah, but it was not to be. The shelter was overwhelmed, and there was not one single cage available... and a declawed kitty really needs to start out in a cage until she adjusts to being in a room with about sixty other cats. So the intake coordinator asked me to keep checking with her, and she hoped there'd be a spot within two weeks.
Back out to the car, and I had to rewrite the little song:
Dorothy's gonna stay with us for awhile
We'll make a nice place for her in the back yard
Dorothy's gonna stay with us for awhile
'Til she finds a furever home
So I set up her food and water in our fenced back yard, took the door off the carrier so she'd feel safer using it as a shelter if it rains, and sat down to keep her company for awhile. She was very suspicious of me now, since I had gone from being the hand that fed her to being the hand that catnapped her... but she soon came right back to me, mauing and nuzzling my hands. She's a very, very sweet kitty!
So... I'm sure the shelter will find room for her eventually, but in the meantime... is there anyone in the Dallas area who might like to come meet her? She's such a loving, gentle girl... and despite living outside, she appears to be in good health. As you can see in the pictures, she's mostly Siamese, and she definitely has the Siamese penchant for conversation, too. If you think you might like to add her to your family, please PM me and we'll arrange a visit!
