Steph had the prime rib in the oven. We had some time on our hands. Joan said, "Let's go back to Black Bear Diner and look for that cat again."
"Yes, Ma'am."
We went equipped with cat food, water dish, gloves, a towel, and a carrier. Black Bear was packed - hard to find a parking place! Who knew so many people went there for Christmas dinner?
We eventually saw the little silver and gray cat, parked the car, and tried to coax her towards us...
She is a cute little thing, and so tiny...
When we saw this little girl climb up into the undercarriage of a car, that cinched it - Joan was not leaving without her.
One of the waiters stepped outside for a break - he said, "You know how to get that cat to come to you, don't you?"
I said, "Yeah, have David your manager call her." David wasn't there.
After about 20 minutes of trying to get her to come close, David pulled into the parking lot. He recognized us and came over. Joan explained that we were trying to catch the little silver girl, take her to a vet to see that she's healthy, and keep her safe. Joan was very concerned about her "living" in the parking lot, especially with all this extra holiday traffic.
I said to David, "We are not trying to take her away from you. If you want to take her home, we'll take her to the vet, make sure she's healthy, get her spayed, and get her back to you. But, living in the parking lot is dangerous for her."
He said, "I have talked to my wife about her. I won't stand in the way of her getting a loving home, and it is very obvious you two care."
He knelt down and Skittles came right to him. We put down the carrier, he put her in it, and said: "She probably thinks I'm a traitor..." We exchanged phone numbers and told him we'd keep him in the loop. And then, back to the house. Skittles did not make a fuss or a peep while in the car
Not knowing her health status, we moved the catio to the garage and put her in there, still in the carrier, but with the door open if she wanted to move around...
She reminded me of Izzy when we first got her: so small and unsure of what was going on. We talked softly to her, got her some food and water. Then decided to give her some space to chill.
It was now time: the prime rib was ready to come out of the oven. While it sat to "breathe" Joan told Steph about what was going on - of course, Steph had to come to the garage to see for herself. "She is beautiful!"
Joan and Steph talked: "Skittles doesn't fit her - she needs a Christmas name"... "Noel,"... "Scarlet"... I suggested "Star," as in: the star that rose in the east over Bethlehem. Yeah, we are getting invested.
Joan got online to see if we could find a vet that might have an open appointment tomorrow. In the meantime, we have to keep her segregated from Murphy and Steph's cats. The catio is the perfect solution.
And then, time for our Christmas dinner...
The prime rib was delicious! Steph made sides to go with it. A wonderful meal, with those we love.
When we were done eating, Joan decided that the little silver girl needed a bath. So, bins with warm water, cat shampoo, and lots of towels...
Little Skittles did not make a fuss. She let Joan handle her, soap her up, and rinse her off. I know all this must be scary for her, but I hope she knows it is all out of concern for her welfare...
While Joan did the drying and wiping her eyes and face, Steph worked on cleaning her ears...
Yep, the whole spa treatment. Joan looked close through her fur - no sign of fleas or any other skin issues. Skittles was compliant through this whole process.
While the three of us were working with this new little kitty, Dan and Murphy were watching football.
It's all good.
Looking online, the soonest Joan could find a vet appointment was Saturday. We'll try calling around first thing in the morning. In the meantime, Skittles (or name to be determined) will spend the night in the comfort of the catio, with fresh food (hard and soft), water, and a litter box. And "blankets" (towels). We will be checking on her regularly.
I thought I might get out for a bicycle or motorcycle ride today. Maybe another day. Joan is looking to do a good thing for this kitty, and I am a willing participant. Joan talks like this is an "until we find her a good, safe home" situation. We have always been a one-cat household, but something about this little girl grabbed Joan by the heart strings the moment she saw her. We'll see how this plays out.
5 comments:
You guys are toast! Some cats just know how to make that instant connection. Skittles has already burrowed into your heart and will not let go. Hope that Murphy likes having a little sibling. Skittles sounds so sweet and seems to understand that you are caring for her. Merry Catmas.
I am trying to give care while staying neutral. After fending for herself, she is not sure about all this. When I went to check on her early this morning, she seems less fearful and let me pet her. I got her fresh food and water. She ate and then curled back into a little ball.
This is new territory for us all.
Oh, and regarding that "instant connection," I saw that with Joan and Izzy. Before going to the shelter, I said to Joan, "Let's look for an older cat who may have been overlooked." Izzy was about 6 months old, and had been just put into the "general population," since she had medical issues (she had been in their quarantined section for over 3 months). Joan and Izzy saw each other, and that was it. I looked at Izzy (her shelter name was Caramel) and saw an underweight kitten with thin fur and an upper respiratory issue - Joan saw a kitten that needed to be saved.
I can't say that there was any kind of connection on Skittle's part, but Joan was obviously taken with her, since we went back 4 or 5 times before getting her corralled. Seeing the little girl crawl up into the undercarriage of a car was an immediate deciding factor.
We were not looking for another cat.
They find you when the time's right, and people often have very little choice in the matter. As for the instant connection, I saw that happen once in a Petco in Anchorage. There was a lovely gray medium coat girl there in the adoption area. She and Alice locked eyes from about 40 feet away and I knew it would be an issue. It took a lot of convincing but we managed to not adopt that one (I'm sure she did not last long without going home with someone else). We had two already, a 14 year old Siamese and a shy five year old Calico. I've tried to talk folks into a 5-7 year old at the shelter before because they are harder to place, but they usually go for the younger ones.
Just picked up my new desktop computer. so the rest of today is shot coping with that. Goodbye to Win 7.... That is how infrequently I get new machines.
I am going to save up to buy a clue. I didn't have one on Christmas Day when we came back once again to check up on this little girl. I have mentioned another cat in the past, but Murphy has his "cousins" right next door. Like you, I envisioned a mature cat who could use a loving home. But, this was a dangerous situation, and Joan can be very determined. I though this might be a foster situation until we could find her a good home. Last night, I said, "Let's pick out a name because this little girl is now a part of our family." My brain said, "Did you just say that??" My mouth said, "I guess I did."
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