Back in June, I was tricked into taking four older cats for someone for “two weeks.” Well it is now October and the cats are still here and the people did finally sign the owner surrender forms on them in late July. The problem is the son keeps showing up at the house asking to see “his” cats and telling me their latest “woe is me” story. I do feel sorry for the family but I have told the son not to come by and expect to see these cats because “legally” they are now the property of the sanctuary.

Dimitri came by a few days ago and one of his cats a big old gray and white male has been living outside. He is outside, because when he is inside, he is a bully and he beats the buggars out of my cats. I have several hundred dollars added to the vet bill thanks to this cat. He is fine outside, he doesn’t fight. He hangs out in the back pasture and as luck would have it, as I was talking to the son in the driveway, Buddy (renamed Bugsby) walks up to see me. The son was in the car and asked if he could get out and against my better judgement, I told him okay. They visited for a bit and then the son started getting all upset that this cat was outside (although he was an outside cat when he was living with them). He demanded, I put him in the house and I told him I would but I also told him that if Bugsby started another fight or dashed for the door, he was going outside where he was happiest. I told the son that I had no problem putting this cat into a carrier and putting him in his car and he could take him with him- but he doesn’t have anyplace to keep him. I find it a bit odd that this kid can keep a pitbull where he is living now, but he can’t even have one cat? At any rate, the son left and about an hour later, Bugs jumped my oldest boy and had him by the neck. I was in the enclosure with the cats when it happened, and had just come through the door when the fight started.

I reached for Bugs to scruff him and was carrying him outside when he launched on to my chest and shredded my shirt along with some skin. The attack threw me off balance, I fell over landing on my back and shoulder and in the chaos, Bugs got loose and took off for the creek. Next time Dimitri shows up, I have to forget my sympathy and just flat tell him that he cannot keep showing up and to stay away until he and his mom have an actual place where they can keep their cats for the rest of their days. I personally do not see this happening- but you never know. All I know is when they see their past owners these cats go nuts and no pun intended- they bug out and go crazy.