My cat Poo has a developmental delay that makes him, at 7 years old, the largest and oldest kitten on the planet. He was the only surviving kitten from a 10 month old stray's litter (this would be Ivy, who chose to live with us) and i shall very lovingly say "he ain't right". He falls off things and never gets his feet under him so he lands like a sack of potatoes on his side. He poops on the floor of the garage (always has). When he jumps up on things he lands hind feet first. He still plays like a kitten...all of the time. He's our loving weirdo.
Problem is that Poo has no idea how to defend himself, or even that he may not be the best fighter on earth....maybe not even out of a paper bag. So when a local tom started to come into the yard during the day (Poo and Ivy are tucked safely into the garage every night before sundown), Poo.......well, Poo was certainly out of his league (like 2000 of 'em!)
The Interloper
Since February when we got the kittens from the humane society to foster, we've had a stray coming into the yard at night...looking in the windows and watching the kittens play through the sliding glass door in the room. I reckon it was like "kitty tv" to him. It was apparent that he lived outside by the ratty matted tail and the foxtails and other burrs in his long hair. But he kept his distance, only coming around when Poo and Ivy were tucked in at night. Well, about 2 months ago, this began to change. The stray would come around and meow by the front door....it sounded so lonely. Then it began to meet me at my car when i got home from work....just after sundown....oh oh. So I began to feed him on the far side of the yard, so that I'd be able to have someone trap him and find him a loving home. Well, one day he came into the yard early....yep, Poo thought he'd be the hero.....he only ended up being a patient at the local vet.
So now i had to do something. I found a local rescue lady who had a trap and told me that she'd put him up for adoption if no-one claimed him at the shelter. The stray tom that I called "Notouchie" (cuz i didn't know if he had any contageous cooties, so I didn't want him touching my clothing which i take inside with me to the kittens) walked into the trap the first night and then joined me on an hour long drive the next morning to Animal Control. I was soooooo sad. I felt like such a traitor. He'd trusted me to be his friend, and then i trap him and take him to a scary place
(Notouchie at the Animal Shelter)
that's not outside and not anything he knows....but you know what was sadder?? No-one even put up a poster looking for him. That made my heart break. If I think about that rather than the first bit, I feel better inside. Anyhow, that was a week ago....Notouchie is now ball-less, vaccinated, tested (thank GAWD he was FELV/FIV negative!!!!) and on his way (via the rescue lady) to a local petstore to find a loving home that WILL put posters up if he ever goes missing. For that I am grateful and happy. So another accidental "second chance" story is posted in this blog, this one with a cheery ending!! Hooooray!!
(happier pictures of Notouchie coming soon)
OH!!!! VERY IMPORTANT INFO FOR KITTY OWNERS!! When I went to the vet, they gave Poo a shot of Convenia....this stuff RAWKS!!! It's a 14 day antibiotic injection....i didn't have to give Poo pills at all! It looked pricey at first, but when compared to the usual immediate injection and then the Baytril for 14 days it was only $20 more.....Way worth it for not giving pills! Hooray for advances in medicine!!!! [=
