This is absolutely true. My neighbor a few blocks down owns a cat but he only stays at their house long enough to eat, then he rolls out. He’s actually at my place so much people think he’s mine. But I also see him going to and from a different neighbor that lives in the opposite direction from his true owner. Any time he’s coming from that place I can tell because he smells like laundry soap and they always groom him. I can also tell he makes it out of the neighborhood to see another house because he smells like a campfire occasionally . And I’ve seen him out hunting like a mile away when I was out jogging. I went up to say hi but he didn’t care at all. He just ran into the woods. And he weighs something like 30 lbs, so you know he’s eating many, many times per day.
Our last cat was a total volunteer.
Showed up one winter, looking like a kitten, hunting mice and birds that were drawn to a deer block I kept in the far back of the yard. Just a totally sweet little ketzel. So I named her "Sweetie". I started feeding Sweetie (canned salmon) and within a couple of days, she was knocking on the door to be let in. So we took her to the vet to get her shots and to be spayed. The vet took her in, then came right back out and says "Yes, your cat has not been spayed. But it has been neutered, and his name is "Sherm". Turns out that the cat was a rescue from Philadelphia, was chipped, and the owner lived a 1/4 mile away from us through the woods.
So the vet calls
Sherm's Sweetie's registered caretaker, who promptly rushes over to claim her prize. She's all apologetic, saying she didn't know why her cat didn't want to stay at home, but she'll make sure that he doesn't get out again. As she turns to leave with Sweetie, my wife turns to me and says "two days". Sure enough, two days later, Sweetie is trotting down our long driveway, and doing the serpentine-between-the-ankles bit with us. Well, after that, the owner gave up and handed her papers over to us.
At the same time that the cat arrived, we decided to get another dog. Our former canine came with our house. it was the previous home owner's last pooch before she passed away. Her estate asked us if we wanted to keep the dog that was still living in the house and we jumped at the opportunity. A smarter, more responsive, more self-sufficient, more affectionate dog I have never met. Wonderful sense of humor, and able to fend for himself no matter what. The previous owner would just let him out to wander. People three miles from out house knew him and loved him. But I digress. After 17 years, his time was up. Not bad for a 100 pound dog.
So we got these two puppies. labs. Sisters from the same litter. Well, that cat was as diplomatic with them as possible. Gave them the benefit of the doubt, even when they tried to put her entire head in their mouth. But when the situation dictated strong responses, she was in like Flynn. She kept thos pups in line, but still cuddled with them on the rug in front of the fire.
Here's to you, Sweetie: You kept us mouse-free, and kept us company with such affection. What a Sweetie.
