Lost Soul
For the past couple of days, we have had a visitor on our doorstep. Not a relative, or a friend, but a small, not-quite-grown cat. She's an unattrative mixture of colors and she will not reach full size I suspect. We have two cats, Cooper and Eli, whose growth stopped short of their reaching full-size. At any rate, the new cat was standing on the sidewalk when I left for work yesterday. She was nervous, but she wanted some attention, so she let us pet her and, being the bleeding heart cat lovers we are, we gave her food and shelter in the form of a cat bed that our fat cats can no longer fit into.
She hasn't used the bed as far as I can tell, but she does enjoy the food. Today, she was sitting on the porch when I came home from work. She again was scared but later let us pet her and we again fed her. Anyone who is familiar with animals knows that feeding them is as good as claiming them. She will likely come around from now on, until something happens to her or someone takes her into their home. I fear the former is more likely. Is that pessimistic or realistic? I say realistic.
My first instinct was to bring her into the fray. What's one more cat when you already have five? My girlfriend was not going for it. I have the good sense to know it's not feasible to take on another cat, but seeing that poor little thing out in the twenty degree weather breaks my heart. Her fate is to have litter after litter of kittens and/or get run over by a car. I can barely stand the thought.
So, what does someone do in this situation? Do we just continue to feed her and care for her the best we can until one day she disappears or gets killed on the street? My girlfriend keeps saying she may have a family since she allows us to pet her. I'm more skeptical. I think she's abandoned or lost or simply neglected and unwanted. Reminds me of Sammy, one of our other cats. I found him on the streets of downtown with no sign of an owner.
We actually didn't learn her sex until tonight. I suspected she was a female, but all cats seem like females to me for some reason. She is so cute and small and her future is dire. That all said, I think I'll name her Sally.
She hasn't used the bed as far as I can tell, but she does enjoy the food. Today, she was sitting on the porch when I came home from work. She again was scared but later let us pet her and we again fed her. Anyone who is familiar with animals knows that feeding them is as good as claiming them. She will likely come around from now on, until something happens to her or someone takes her into their home. I fear the former is more likely. Is that pessimistic or realistic? I say realistic.
My first instinct was to bring her into the fray. What's one more cat when you already have five? My girlfriend was not going for it. I have the good sense to know it's not feasible to take on another cat, but seeing that poor little thing out in the twenty degree weather breaks my heart. Her fate is to have litter after litter of kittens and/or get run over by a car. I can barely stand the thought.
So, what does someone do in this situation? Do we just continue to feed her and care for her the best we can until one day she disappears or gets killed on the street? My girlfriend keeps saying she may have a family since she allows us to pet her. I'm more skeptical. I think she's abandoned or lost or simply neglected and unwanted. Reminds me of Sammy, one of our other cats. I found him on the streets of downtown with no sign of an owner.
We actually didn't learn her sex until tonight. I suspected she was a female, but all cats seem like females to me for some reason. She is so cute and small and her future is dire. That all said, I think I'll name her Sally.
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