- Joined
- Jan 12, 2014
A week before last Christmas, as I was taking the trash out, I heard a cat cry-meowing repeatedly from under my car. I'm not familiar with cats and their sounds, but a cry is what it sounded like.
No collar. A bit skinny but not terribly so. Fur looks good and not matted. The cat isn't afraid of humans - it came up to me without much of a coersion and rubs its body on my legs. Kept wanting to come inside the house. From my uneducated eyes, it's not one of those "street cat". Maybe the poor thing was lost.
The neighbor next door (whom I don't know much at all) was outside, getting ready to leave for work. I asked him if he has a cat, he said no. Told him I found this super friendly cat, and not sure what to do with it. I couldn't bring him inside, as I have a dog who has been "the only pet". Also, I didn't want to risk any potential problems (diseases, peeing etc)
I live in Phoenix, but it does get really cold at night in the winter. Neighbor said he loves animals and can keep him temporarily. Great!
Next couple days I checked around for any lost pet posters or listings. None that matches the description. I brought a cheap bag of cat food over the neighbor's house. Well, seems like the neighbor has decided to keep the cat. He told me he got attached (heh! it was a super sweet cat), and said the cat seems to get along with his dogs. He also told me he's bringing it to the vet to get fixed and to get some vaccines. Oh, and the cat is a boy and has a name now - Keanu. (LOL don't ask me, I didn't name him!)
So glad the kitty has a home, and I don't have to worry about finding one for him. Happy Christmas!
Fast forward a month.....
Yesterday when I was outside dealing with a ultra tardy plumber to fix a leaky outdoor faucet, here comes Keanu and his same super-friendly self. Rolled over on his back as if he wanted a belly rub, which I thought was weird for a cat, but I really don't know cats!
Then I saw something. His right ear looked to be infected. Not a rash, but more like it's been injured(?).... like he suffered a bite or claw or something. It was at the base of the ear, not the tip. What an odd place to be bitten, I thought. Looks bad, but the cat wasn't itching it with his paw.
The cat kept following me and the plumber around. While the plumber didn't seem to mind animals, Keanu was getting in the way of his work. So I had kitty follow me next door (to his home, or so I thought). Told the neighbor his cat was on my porch, and casually brought up about the ear infection. I have a bad feeling, but I don't want to be confrontational. Neighbor said the cat has been spraying in the house (marking?), so now he stays ouside. They have a kennel for him in the back yard. And added he has a vet appointment this weekend to 'get him fixed'.
Sure hope I didn't hear that wrong, because I thought he was supposed to be neutered weeks ago. Maybe he meant get the ear fixed up. I don't know what a neutered cat would look like 'down there', but seems like he still has his balls(?). The overall impression I got was, the cat has food and water, but not much else. He seems to be neglected. :sad21:
Keanu was on my back patio in the evening. I set out a box with old towels for him. Not sure if he slept in there. It was cold last night, ~40F. I kept telling him to go home, but doubt he understood what I said.
I'm so upset! Wanted to knock on neighbor's door again, but I don't want to be "that nosey neighbor". Why does the cat keep coming to my house, wanting to be let inside? What else am I supposed to think? Maybe Keanu turned out to be a handful, more than what he bargained for. If I have extra money, I'd bring the cat to a vet myself. Husband doesn't mind keeping an outdoor cat, but I don't think he'd agree to a random vet bill.
Not sure what to do. It's not my cat to give away (which is harder now with the injured ear.) I can't call the Country Animal Care & Control, because I have no proof of anything. Besides, shelters might as be renamed to animal death row, especially for cats.
It's really windy here today. Right now the cat is on my back patio again, laying in the box I set out, probably to shelter himself from the strong winds.
No collar. A bit skinny but not terribly so. Fur looks good and not matted. The cat isn't afraid of humans - it came up to me without much of a coersion and rubs its body on my legs. Kept wanting to come inside the house. From my uneducated eyes, it's not one of those "street cat". Maybe the poor thing was lost.
The neighbor next door (whom I don't know much at all) was outside, getting ready to leave for work. I asked him if he has a cat, he said no. Told him I found this super friendly cat, and not sure what to do with it. I couldn't bring him inside, as I have a dog who has been "the only pet". Also, I didn't want to risk any potential problems (diseases, peeing etc)
I live in Phoenix, but it does get really cold at night in the winter. Neighbor said he loves animals and can keep him temporarily. Great!
Next couple days I checked around for any lost pet posters or listings. None that matches the description. I brought a cheap bag of cat food over the neighbor's house. Well, seems like the neighbor has decided to keep the cat. He told me he got attached (heh! it was a super sweet cat), and said the cat seems to get along with his dogs. He also told me he's bringing it to the vet to get fixed and to get some vaccines. Oh, and the cat is a boy and has a name now - Keanu. (LOL don't ask me, I didn't name him!)
So glad the kitty has a home, and I don't have to worry about finding one for him. Happy Christmas!
Fast forward a month.....
Yesterday when I was outside dealing with a ultra tardy plumber to fix a leaky outdoor faucet, here comes Keanu and his same super-friendly self. Rolled over on his back as if he wanted a belly rub, which I thought was weird for a cat, but I really don't know cats!
Then I saw something. His right ear looked to be infected. Not a rash, but more like it's been injured(?).... like he suffered a bite or claw or something. It was at the base of the ear, not the tip. What an odd place to be bitten, I thought. Looks bad, but the cat wasn't itching it with his paw.
The cat kept following me and the plumber around. While the plumber didn't seem to mind animals, Keanu was getting in the way of his work. So I had kitty follow me next door (to his home, or so I thought). Told the neighbor his cat was on my porch, and casually brought up about the ear infection. I have a bad feeling, but I don't want to be confrontational. Neighbor said the cat has been spraying in the house (marking?), so now he stays ouside. They have a kennel for him in the back yard. And added he has a vet appointment this weekend to 'get him fixed'.
Sure hope I didn't hear that wrong, because I thought he was supposed to be neutered weeks ago. Maybe he meant get the ear fixed up. I don't know what a neutered cat would look like 'down there', but seems like he still has his balls(?). The overall impression I got was, the cat has food and water, but not much else. He seems to be neglected. :sad21:
Keanu was on my back patio in the evening. I set out a box with old towels for him. Not sure if he slept in there. It was cold last night, ~40F. I kept telling him to go home, but doubt he understood what I said.
I'm so upset! Wanted to knock on neighbor's door again, but I don't want to be "that nosey neighbor". Why does the cat keep coming to my house, wanting to be let inside? What else am I supposed to think? Maybe Keanu turned out to be a handful, more than what he bargained for. If I have extra money, I'd bring the cat to a vet myself. Husband doesn't mind keeping an outdoor cat, but I don't think he'd agree to a random vet bill.
Not sure what to do. It's not my cat to give away (which is harder now with the injured ear.) I can't call the Country Animal Care & Control, because I have no proof of anything. Besides, shelters might as be renamed to animal death row, especially for cats.
It's really windy here today. Right now the cat is on my back patio again, laying in the box I set out, probably to shelter himself from the strong winds.