I might have a kitty. Long story. - Democratic Underground

redqueen

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Thu Jun-12-08 10:23 AM
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I might have a kitty. Long story.

I don't know... there was an older kitten (a tween cat?) in my parking lot when I got home around 9:30 last night. We see our share of strays but this one is young and very friendly. Most of them are grown and seem to shy away from people.

I would have driven right past her if I'd been alone, but I had the kids with me so I slowed down and then stopped so they could see the pretty kitty (I always slow down so they can look at animals if I can). I just assumed it belonged to someone in the neighborhood. When I stopped, she immediately came towards the car, and that worried me so I told the girls to hop out and try to get her away from the car so I could park. After I parked I see the girls walking towards me with the kitty still following them, and bumping their legs with its head. Super sweet kitty. They petted it for a while then we left to go into the apartment, and it followed us but only as far as the foot of the stairs. So that reinforced my assumption that it was someone's kitty, because it was so friendly and didn't follow us right up the stairs.

So then this morning I get up and who's outside? Kitty. The girls saw her and immediately started in on me with the lobbying. Pointing out how little she is, that she probably doesn't have a home, that there are big stray cats out there who are mean and will beat her up, etc. Ay. I got a good look at her in the light, and she did seem very thin... so I took some cold cuts out there to see how she ate it. She's pretty tiny, but she ate a hell of a lot... and she ate it like it was the first meal she'd had in days... she was clearly ravenous and when we went to touch her she picked up the piece in her mouth and moved away like she thought we were trying to take it. That was the only time she ever moved away from us at all... other than that one incident, she only ever tried to get closer to us. I conceded to the girls that ok maybe she doesn't have a home, gave her a little water and discussed the possibility of taking her in with the kids.

And then a while later, when I watered my plants on the balcony, she must have been alarmed by the sound of the sliding door, cause she rocketed out from under my balcony and halfway up a tree trunk, looking around for predators in the saddest most panicky way. My heart just sank.

And then two hours later, as I'm leaving for work, she runs right up to me as I'm walking to the car. She must have been sitting there under that balcony the entire time. I just said 'hi kitty' and kept walking cause I didn't want her near the car again, but when I looked in my rear view mirror as I left I saw her still sitting there under that balcony.

So I'm asking all the cat lovers and knowers here... do the behaviors I mentioned above seem to indicate to you that she doesn't have a home? I don't want to take in someone's pet. But I am worried about such a small thing being out there alone. There are stray dogs in the neighborhood too... and a 45 mph street right by my apartment complex... and some people let their pet dogs roam loose, too.

What do you think? I'd be happy to give her a home if she needs one. I'm just not so sure she needs one... my plan for now is to get some kitty food and a pet dish for food and water, a litter box and some flea stuff. If she's not still there when I get home, well then hopefully someone else took her in. If she is, and you lot agree that she most likely does need a home... then I'll give her one.