Mood:
a-okTopic: Crasher finds a home
On President's Day I came home late. It was getting dark and the dog was riled up about something. He and Jessica had been stirred up the entire weekend, but I had presumed it was the snowstorm we'd had. They were both acting rather disturbed, so I followed Ranger into the backyard and that's when I discovered a stray cat sitting on top of my furnace underneath one of the bedroom windows.
The black and white cat was friendly and meowed pitifully, probably because it was cold and hungry. It let me approach and pick it up. I carried it into the house and noticed he was bony and ruffled looking but otherwise sociable and appeared used to humans.
I noticed he had beautiful green eyes. It tugged at my heart to think that somebody had dropped him off and abandoned him.
His reaction to my two pets was less than friendly, so I removed the stray to the breezeway between the house and the garage, and gave him food and water for the night.
The next morning when I stepped outside, the black and white cat meowed loudly, wanting food, and I opened a can of Fancy Feast, which he consumed the entire contents. Afterwards, I was amazed that the cat reached his paws up onto my shoulders and gave me a "hug." I had won his affections from that point on.
Now what was I going to do? I didn't want or need another cat. He had reacted aggressively toward both Ranger and Jessica, so I thought, OK, I'll check around and see if there's an animal shelter I can take him to.
Meanwhile, he was getting caught up with missed meals and starting to relax a bit. He craved affection and I felt guilty about not giving him the attention he could have if I'd allowed him into my house. That was out of the question, of course. Jessica was already having a fit and not wanting to go outside with the intruder around.
By the time the weekend came around again, I realized I had to do something. I named the cat "Crasher," and took pictures of him with my digital camera. Then I whipped up a flyer and printed off a few copies, then drove into town and put them up at various locations. I hoped and prayed someone would find it in their heart to adopt this deserving kitty. As an incentive I offered to pay for his neutering and would provide two week's worth of food.
The next day I got a call from a local woman who wanted Crasher. She wasn't sure where I lived, but I got directions to her house and made an appointment to deliver Crasher that evening. Thank goodness she gave me her cell phone number, because I had trouble locating her house out in the country and had to call.
The first place I stopped at, which I mistakenly thought was her house, was an old trailer with scattered junk everywhere in the yard. I knocked on the door and could hear a television playing, but nobody bothered to answer the door. I quickly left. I didn't want to think that would be Crasher's home. I had a vision of some trashy person answering my ad because they wanted to collect the money I offered and didn't really care about the animal.
I drove on up the road and passed some nicer homes, then got lost and had to turn around. I called the woman's cell number and she directed me back to her place. What a wonderful relief to discover she lived in a beautiful house, neatly landscaped, and she appeared to be an animal-loving human who had several dogs and cats already.
She welcomed Crasher into her home and I had a very good feeling about her. I left with that happy feeling that even though it had cost me sixty dollars, Crasher had a chance for a good life and I had done my good deed for the day.
Ranger -- a perfect gentleman -- was relieved not to have to back off from a stray cat, and I think Jessica has already forgiven me, although I told her repeatedly she was my dearest and one-and-only cat and nothing would ever change that.
Thank you, Michelle, for giving Crasher a chance at a good life!
