Kitty lifestyle: Saving a cat’s life with love

Stray cats have a rough life. With dangers lurking around such as predators, lack of food, bad weather, bad shelter, it’s not a great existence. The kitty’s life is often short and they  are in poor health.

Given those odds, if you can make a stray cat’s life better, go for it.  A year or so ago, a black and white cat showed up at my work with a clipped ear which designates the critter was fixed, given shots and was in relatively good shape. How it got here was a mystery  but work became  the cat’s home.

I started to feed it regularly , as it grew comfortable with my presence. I also recruited other folks to feed it too when I was not around or as an adjunct.  The kitty thrived under the care of all of us. She was clean, her coat was healthy, and loved to be near by.

It was still cautious but I developed a close relationship with the cat and named her Miss Porter, after the country club I worked for.  Miss Porter allowed me to brush her, pet her, she sat  in my lap and did all the wonderful things that cats do.

We had a routine that followed about the same every day. I would call for her in the morning and she would come running from the bushes which was one of her hiding spots.  She waited patiently most of the time while I opened a can of cat food and then of course ate it with fervor. At times she would play by climbing a nearby tree or give me head butts. Basically we were a team but she was the manager.

She slept in several places but chose them carefully with regards to safety. Most of the time she slept in a secluded storage area with was closed at night but with a gate she could get through. The gate was too  small for Coyotes to fit  and she found comfortable spots to sleep on such as a golf cart.

This was her life and she became a favorite of the country club. Only a select few were able to feed her or pet her and it was always a privilege to be part of her entourage.

However, as outdoor cats are never totally safe , a threat is always presence. It can come from any direction or can be just about anything.

Sometimes you can get a  vibe that cannot be explained but it’s in your bones.  This was the case this past Thursday when I could not find Miss Porter despite constant efforts to locate her. No one else saw her which was not a good sign.

Friday rolled around and I again tried to find her. Finally did spot her coming towards me but it was a rude shock. Miss Porter’s tail was stripped to the bone in the majority of the middle section. It was an intense wound  with a horrible appearance. She managed to eat but must have been in intense pain. I knew she needed to see a vet right away.

I spoke to several people who were connected to pet rescue groups and we managed to put a plan together to get Miss Porter to a vet. An injured cat is not an easy catch but the plan was to get her trapped or grabbed in some manner.

I came back to work on Saturday to see if I could coax her to come close and then I could grab her. I did see her , made an attempt to corral Miss Porter but failed to actually make the grab. The tail was getting worse with the real fear of a infection that would spread into the rest of her body and kill her.

Through another series of conversations and phone calls , we connected to an experienced cat rescuer who had the traps, and the knowledge to get Miss Porter.

The bottom line was on Sunday night she was captured , brought to the vet who performed the surgery to amputate her tail. The tail was turning black and the danger was quite obvious.

The cat community came through with the convergence of people who love cats with the understanding all cats need to be safe, loved and healthy.

Presently , Miss Porter is at the vet’s hospital recovering and will be put up for adoption. I plan to visit her today to see the precious Miss Porter, now renamed Portia and give her my love.

I do miss the kitty but her life will be better if she is adopted by a family that appreciates her good nature, personality and her spirit to live.

 

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