Made himself at home, he did...a cat story

[LadyCook61]

It's funny; every evening I stand, freezing feet in the snow psss pssing away and calling 'here maxi, c'mon maxi'...and every time Facciabrute shows up. I'm convinced his name really is Max. So, now I feed facciabrute and find myself getting lost in his lovely eyes. And Fisher's Mom.....Facciabrute has those two clues you were talking about, plain as day. I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps Max really is a Maxine. Facciabrute is about 3 pounds heavier than Max, has much bigger back feet, and a much lower sounding meow.

I'm thinking of taking a ride to the shelter this week for some adoption proceedings.

And the thing with Facciabrute that really kills me is that he comes right up the front steps or sings to me from the back yard...and seems to be saying, 'hey won't I do?'

All told, there are 4 cats that meander through my yard on any given day. One is black as night, one is a grey long hair bushy tailed thing, one is Facciabrute and the other is Maxi. I get the feeling they all might be related except the grey hair. He really has a different look and hair/tail than the others.

My kids are concerned that I'll start taking in all the strays and move just one step closer to complete dementia....which really would be perfect as I'm already steamrolling towards menopause. Why not do that bit of nastiness with a house full of strays? We can all catterwall together.

Sorry Max has not come back yet. Having a group of cats is not dementia Love is a many splendored thing... in this case... many cats
I had 9 cats and 3 dogs at one time , does that make me demented ?

 

[VeraBlue]

No, LadyCook....unless you were also steamrolling towards menopause at the time.

Back in the 80s there was a news article about a reclusive family in the town my husband grew up in. Eventually, the board of health had to be called in because the stench wafting from the house was visible to the naked eye. In the home 65 cats were discovered, along with about 10 years worth of newspapers, a developmentally disabled adult who refused to ever leave his chair (and yes, all that entails) and one kooky woman who insisted all was well. There was no running water or electricity either. (for the record, my husband grew up about 6 miles outside of NYC...so we all had running water and electricy). There are times when I see the simplicity of that woman's life. Don't know whatever happened to the family, but most of the cats were placed in loving homes.

 

[Mama]

Poor Facciabrute, don't give up. You may get adopted yet. Show how smart you are, how sweet you are.....you know what to do....
Your friends, Sadie and Celia

 

[LadyCook61]

No, LadyCook....unless you were also steamrolling towards menopause at the time.

Back in the 80s there was a news article about a reclusive family in the town my husband grew up in. Eventually, the board of health had to be called in because the stench wafting from the house was visible to the naked eye. In the home 65 cats were discovered, along with about 10 years worth of newspapers, a developmentally disabled adult who refused to ever leave his chair (and yes, all that entails) and one kooky woman who insisted all was well. There was no running water or electricity either. (for the record, my husband grew up about 6 miles outside of NYC...so we all had running water and electricy). There are times when I see the simplicity of that woman's life. Don't know whatever happened to the family, but most of the cats were placed in loving homes.

wow that is a lot of cats! I can only imagine the stench. At the time of 9 cats , I was steamrolling towards menopause , it was around 1990.
All cats were given to me over a period of time in need of a home, even the 3 dogs needed a home. Anyway, I would not change a bit of it .

 

[expatgirl]

you've heard of the underground wailroad.......your name has been hissed along from miles beyone........pssssssssssst...........Miss Vera Blue is an easy stop and shop.........jest kidding......nice to hear that you help the poor things out...........we need more like you...........

 

[VeraBlue]

First of all, let me thank all of you who have read and replied to this thread. It makes me feel real good to know that you all get what I'm feeling over here.
Honestly, I've never been a cat person. Never really been a dog person, either for that matter; but we did have a dog for a short time when I was growing up. As my own kids were growing up we never had a pet in the house. I know they would have wanted a dog and I didn't want to get involved with all the walking and picking up of the poops. The house isn't all that large, either and the rooms tend to be very small. Maybe not getting a pet for the kids was a mistake, I don't know. So, now, my son lives with his lovely girlfriend, upstairs from her parents. Now, he has (because they have) 6 cats and two dogs, so he's covered. My daughter still lives here at home but stays in the city several nights a week with a friend who has a dog....so she's sort of covered, too. When these cats started coming around last sumer it was cool to feed them because they were friendly and didn't seem sickly. Once the weather turned, I began leaving food out for them every day. I think they are as hooked as I am, ya know?

I'd like to take them all in, but I saw what Max went through...always looking at the two doors in the house, waiting to be let out. I think it was bound to happen, Max getting out, that is. I'm worrying about all of them, today, but I think they like roaming around and doing their cat thing outside. If Max shows up again, I'll open the door. If he (she?) comes in, great...but I don't want to be the one to force the issue. I'll feel like a cat napper if I have to physically pick the cat up.

On the other hand, all your stories and pictures; the fact that Lou just had to put his late mother's Missy to sleep last month (that's a whole other story...he was so broken up about that); the fact that I have the house to myself most of the time; and finally the fact that I liked having a cat here makes me ready to really adopt one, possibly two. I'm going to go to the local animal shelter and see who needs me.

I do have a couple of questions for all of you, since you've hung out with me this far...
Why do you think they all of sudden showed up when they did? They were not abandoned kittens when they first came around...all were full grown. Lou suspect that someone may have put them out, or they may actually belong to someone who lets them roam freely.
Second...what are your thoughts on getting two kittens? My reasons for getting two is that I'd like them to be able to interact with each other because I'm gone from 5am till usually around 6pm most days. I see the two as company for each other.

Again, thanks for the complete conversion.

 

[Adillo303]

Hi Vera - First tow cats is a good idea. The interaction makes a better life for them.

I can't really say about why the cats came around when they did, but, they may well have belonged elsewhere. I had an orange cat for years, who would sometimes be missing for a day or so. I later found out that she had a regular route established and many of my neighbors had different names for her.

I have had pets most all of my life and definitely feel that they enhance you life. I have 2 labs now and while tow male labs are quite a handful, I really enjoy them. In another life I had up to 5 cats.

Coming home to an empty house is better with someone waiting for you. I will leave you with this - "Dogs have owners, cats have staff." Not a deterent, or a commercial for dogs. I loved every minute with my cats.

 

[ChefJune]

I do have a couple of questions for all of you, since you've hung out with me this far...
Why do you think they all of sudden showed up when they did? They were not abandoned kittens when they first came around...all were full grown. Lou suspect that someone may have put them out, or they may actually belong to someone who lets them roam freely.

All these things are possible, but if I had a cat I let out, he or she would wear a collar with an ID tag on it.

Second...what are your thoughts on getting two kittens? My reasons for getting two is that I'd like them to be able to interact with each other because I'm gone from 5am till usually around 6pm most days. I see the two as company for each other.

Again, thanks for the complete conversion.

My late, lovely Julia was a spoiled only child. When she was about 6 months old, I tried to introduce another kitten into the house (actually twins) and Julia nearly killed them. I really wish I had gotten 2 at the time I got her, but she was rescued as a solo, so that wouldn't have been possible. I always thought it would have been good for her to have a feline playmate. (She thought I was just a big cat.) so if you are going to get one, I'd vote for two. Same sex, so no chance of "accidents."

You might want to wait a couple more weeks, tho, to see if Max comes back. Then keep him inside, or collar him before letting him out.

 

[ChefJune]

ah.. don't forget...
“Dogs have Owners, Cats have Staff.”

and that is why my home is named "Chez Julia." She allowed me to pay her mortgage and provide her with the creature comforts.

Im just waiting until I feel like getting another one. Right now I'm still missing her too much..

 

[PieSusan]

I have always had cats in pairs as well. I think it is better for them to have company. One can't be home all the time and I wouldn't want them lonely. I have mine microchipped but they are indoor cats. A was told that collars--even the break aways are choke hazards so I stopped using them. My pet boarder insisted and her arguments made sense to me.

 

[cara]

Vera,

there are some things you should think about before you go to the shelter...

Do you want to have two young kittens? Maybe cats about one or two years old would do to? Mostly they are harder to place..
Maybe they have a "couple" they want to give away together, because they are used to each other...
do you want them to stay in the house or will they be able to go out, too?
I'm not a fan of collars for cats, sometimes there are stories about cats who strangled themselves with it...
What about chipping ot tatooing? Is it usual in your country?

But after all it's a great idea!!

 

[VeraBlue]

So, when I was posting earliler this morning I was sporting the mother of all headaches brought on by Lou and I consuming overmuch quantities of really great rum the night before. I'd made up my mind to go the shelter but adoptions didn't begin till 1pm. Horrid as I felt, I had to get to the market first...so I went out to start the car.
When I came back in to take a quick inventory I glanced in the yard, as I always do. There was Maxi (I'm pretty sure it's a girl) sunning herself on the potters bench as she always does. I ran down to the basement and opened the back door, calling for her. She came running across the snowy icy lawn, almost slipping on it, stopping right in the open doorway. I was so happy to see her that all thoughts of catnapping went right out my head as I scooped her up. I put her down on the floor and she immediately went to where I'd had her dishes. Only the water dish was there, however. While I may be a poor housekeeper, even I won't leave a crusty cat food dish lying about. I took the dish stand upstairs and she made it up the stairs faster than I did. I opened a 6oz can of food for her. She proceeded to wolf it down in less than 5 minutes. I'm convinced no one is feeding her or the others, for that matter. If that was the case, no way she would have eaten all that food. She even drank half the bowl of water.

I had to leave for the market, and continued to shop with a mixture of happiness for the return and misery for the ice pick that was still imbedded in my left eye.

I bought a cat carrier while I was out. I'm going to take her to a vet tomorrow. They are open on Sundays, yes?

I see absolutely no clues beneath her tail. Does that not suggest girl?

 

[Katie H]

Oh, Vera, I'm so happy for you I have tears streaming down my cheeks. Maxi clearly loves you.

Don't know about vets being open on Sunday. The ones here aren't. You could probably seek out an emergency animal hospital but that would be $$$$$, so I'd recommend another solution.

If you can keep Maxi inside and comfy until someone can get her to see the kitty doc, that would probably be your best bet.

As for determining if Maxi is a male or female, look at MexicoKaren's thread about her new baby. I posted a link on "sexing" kittens. That might help you.

Hang in there and give Maxi a nice big snuggly kiss for me.

 

[LadyCook61]

Yea for Maxi !! I am so glad she showed up ! I don't know which vets you have in your area , not all are open on Sundays, so better check the phone book or if you have family or friends who go to a vet in your area , and can recommend one . Maxi knows which side the bread is buttered. I am sure she picked you for her servant ....errr I mean owner.
Do post some photos when you can...

 

[VeraBlue]

Whenever Coco gets home I'll post pictures. Or, more correctly, she'll post pictures. I can make profiteroles like nobody I know..but cannot get the technology of my own camera.

 

[JustMeToo]

OH VB, I am so glad he/she returned. I have been following this story and hoping she would find her way back. This is such a great ending. Please post some pictures.

 

[Mama]

I'm so glad Maxi is back, VB! It's worrying when they disappear like that. It sounds as though she may have been accidentally locked in a building or garage somewhere and as soon as she could, she came running home!

I don't know of any vets other than emergency hospitals that are open on Sundays. My vet is open in the morning on Saturdays so there may well be one open there on Saturday mornings (sometimes it's by appointment only so you may want to find one that's open and schedule one for next saturday).

 

[Fisher's Mom]

WooHoo! Maxie has returned. The lack of visible cojones suggests either a female or an altered male. If Maxie lets you cuddle much, you might take a glance at the underbelly. Often times females that have kittens stashed somewhere will display erratic comings and goings. If you notice mammary glands that seem prominent and/or each nipple is very visible, Maxie may be a female with nurslings somewhere. If Maxie gets very desperate to get out later, that may account for it. If you are able to get a closer look at Maxie's nether regions, an altered male will have a urinary opening that resembles a little dot. A female will have a urinary opening that resembles a vertical line.

I love reading your installments, Vera. It's way better than TV!

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Vera, this might help you tell if it's Max or Maxine!
How do you tell the sex of a cat? | Ask Metafilter
Scroll down to the second reply and click on the links in a post by 31d1 titled Warning:Kitty Pron.
HTH

 

[expatgirl]

Vera, I know the economy stinks right now but if you do decide to keep Max or adopt any kittens-- and you definitely have a "cat profile" (you're creative) get them neutered.....that in itself will help them to stick around and not roam as much (though I'm not sure about Max), and become "randy" and throw off more kittens.........I'm really glad that Max or Maxine showed up......face it, Girl, you're hooked