... who obviously thinks he owns us. He moved out from a loving home voluntarily because he thought the new dog was too much to handle. His family tried desperately to bring him back but he went AWOL immediately after he managed to get out of the house. They eventually gave up and asked all us neighbours to please look out for him, and to contact them if he fell ill or anything happened to him. He's been taken care of and looked after by at least four neighbours around here in the years since then. Last autumn he decided to honour us with regular visits for cuddles and maybe a nap indoors. Then one day we discovered he had a huge abscess below his left ear. Our vet is very kind. He came to our house to drain it on a Saturday evening. Then we had to keep the cat indoors for a week to let the wound heal and give him his medication morning and evening. He did NOT like that so we had to shut inside doors before going out of the house. After the last pill was given we let him back outside. After five minutes my husband opened the front door, and in jumped the cat. He went straight for the food bowl, then the toilet box, and then onto my good chair where he curled up and went to sleep. Seems like we're stuck with him permanently. He still goes off to visit his other families, keeping contact, and probably get some food variation, but he's back here after an hour or two. So, meet Miraco: I'm training him to sit, lie down, and give paw. He can sit and give paw most times, but lie down is a bit of a puzzle for him still. Or he's giving me the typical cat response: - I hear what you're saying and I might get back to you some time later...
Droopy, congratulations on becoming "cat staff". The other neighbors were being interviewed but obviously fell short of his requirements. You, however, met his standards and are the lucky one!
Awwwwww Droopy. He knows a loving home when he finds one. Apparently you made the short list and passed the trials. Congratulations Cat Mom. He's precious. ( I just want to rub that belly....ever so wary of the "pounce and kick" response that can sometimes ensue....) Good job on calling the vet and caring for him. He must feel so much better from your kindness.
We had same issue with a lot of Farrell cats around. I like to encourage them by leaving food out at same place certain times of the day. They are great mousers and cats can steal our hearts in no time.
Thanks all for encouraging words! We weren't getting a new cat after we had to put the last one down, but this one is sort of time-share so we can live with that. Yes, he's cute! Yes, he will kick-bite if we rub his tummy or touch his beans. He will sit and beg for a taste when we make ourselves breakfast, lunch, or whatever, just like the dogs we've had here. He snores too. Loudly. And he obviously knows soft-hearted idiots when he see them. He's no help with keeping other cats away from our garden, but it seems he's not trying to catch our birds.
Droopy, don't worry about your cat catching birds. We have a cat that is "catch and release". Timi has caught three birds in five years, and each time she shows us what a great little huntress she is and drops the bird, who then flies away. Timi, however, loves tummy rubs, and expects her cat treats each morning. Soft-hearted idiots? I don't think so. Kind-hearted folks oh, yes!
That's nice of you to say, @marlingardener. Thank you! As for catching birds, the neighbours' cats do quite a lot of damage that way. I loathe to kill a thrush the next-door cat caught, played with, but didn't kill. I am also not happy when I see one of the cats around here disappear with a sparrow in its mouth, but what can I do? We were adviced against that by our local vets and zoo shop staff. If the cat's outside at night and a fox comes a-hunting it might manage to chase down the cat because of that bell.
Our vet said not to collar a cat because our cats, being indoor-outdoor cats, the collar could be caught up in a bush and the cat could possibly be strangled. Mother Nature is "bloody of talon and fang" and the birds that do get taken are all part of life's rich pageantry. My husband says if any bird gets caught by our cat, it was probably on its last legs anyway.
When i had a cat i used to put a flee collar on him and it always had a piece of elastic sewn in when they were made, sometimes my cat would come back in without a collar.
oh. Yes I am very aware of the cat choking issue with cat collars . In fact you can’t find a cat collar in stores today that are not elastic stretchy type for cats. At least in my shopping experience. Isn’t in nice how many pet stores merchandise for the safety of animals. The type of collar I use are stretchy elastic. They pop off the cat . I find the collar in the yard and put the elastic collar back on with bell. It always stretches off him . It’s been on him -cat, for several years , and replaced a few times as the elastic wears out of course. Great reminder thanks…
Bless your heart, Pacnorwest! I was sure you wouldn't do anything to endanger your cat. Pet stores do have items to ensure the safety of pets, and it is a wonderful thing that so many people are thinking of making their pets safe (as your cat is!).
