A few days ago, a guy Mike used to work with gave us a call. They were being evicted and had no place to live. There were some broad hints about them parking their small trailer on our land, but thankfully, Mike had all his faculties at the time and didn’t even offer. We both know that if we did allow them to live with us, we would never be able to get them off our property, much less would they pay any rent. Then there was the cat, they were looking for a “boarding” facility to put him in. He is a 4 year old, neutered orange boy about 15 pounds. I told them I would take him in temporarily. He is upstairs now, most unhappy about his recently upheavaled world. He just started eating this morning and is still hiding underneath the futon.
I called around yesterday looking for the couple who owns the cat hoping they could help me get him jump-started to eating. I came to find out they have left the state and aren’t likely to return!
So now I have one more cat, quite likely for life. I suppose this was their primary objective when they appeared back in our life out of the blue. What better place to leave a displaced cat then with a crazy cat woman?
He isn’t a friendly boy. Their last two cats both died due to obstruction problems as they owned a tailor shop and let the cats play with thread! With Shad not eating, it was my fear he too had been allowed to eat thread (a dangerous, dangerous practice.) I am relieved that he is eating, but he is in full defensive mode- hissing, swatting and glaring at me whenever I interact with him. So, although he was “owned” something happened to him to make him so angry and it is like I have a feral cat once again under my care. Not what I need right now, not with everything else going on.
Our heater is still not working. The company will be out again today to figure out if this used heater is actually functional. It runs two hours then shuts down. Last night it dipped into the 40’s and it was really sad this morning to wake up and see the majority of the cats huddled around the portable heater in the living room trying to stay warm. I wish we had the $1,000.00 for a new heater, but right now the used one is our best hope.
Charlie was very helpful yesterday with the repairman. He kept running off with the man’s small screwdrivers, screws and various pieces of wire. Thankfully, the man likes cats and didn’t get upset as I went to fetch the latest trophy from Charlie’s clutches.
I have to get in this morning and clean the cat enclosure. It has suffered horribly since Mike has been so ill. The cats have just ripped down some of the platforms when they play and it has to be weather-proofed for the coming cold weather. Hopefully today, I can find time to do some repair. My friend Chris just did a video of her cat enclosure. It is on youtube. I wish mine were so elegant- but my cats love it and call it home anyway- I love the rock facing this cat enclosure has and I can just see my cats scrambling up the rocks playing- as they do that in the living room on our fake rock wall near the (currently) non working heater.