...because look what I spent the past 24 hours trying to catch:
This little mite woke me up 4:45 yesterday morning, screaming his head off outside my bedroom window. It has been bitterly cold the past two days (temps down to -20C, windchill down to -29C). I ran outside in my pajamas, boots and parka, but the little wailing kitten kept running away from me in the dark. Finally I had to give up and go inside. But I started looking for him again yesterday morning.
I found him in the carriage shed at the back of our granary (smart kitty to find shelter!) But despite much meowing back and forth (I do a fine cat meow), anytime I got too close, he scampered off. At one point he was outside in the snow with me chasing after him.
Later he crawled up under our friend's pick-up truck which is being stored in our yard for the winter. I lay down next to the truck, calling for kitty until I had to go inside because my hands were freezing.
I nearly caught him in the treed area next to our garage, but he scampered off again. I worried about him all last night. It was bitterly cold. We left food in the granary for him.
Here's a size comparsison with skein of yarn from Wandering Cat yarns on Etsy! I find the photos make him look big. I picked up Naomi after this and she felt huge by comparison (she weighs seven pounds.)
Finally this morning our cleaning lady Rosemary helped me catch him. He made the mistake of hiding in a pile of wood in the granary and getting himself stuck. I grabbed his hind end while Rosemary removed logs, and managed to extract him!
He's in segregation in the downstairs bathroom until he gets his vet check tomorrow night, although right now he and I are in segregation in the guest bedroom, having a cuddle.
Gordon caved three minutes after the kitten came into the house. I didn't have to say a word. Kitty gets to stay!
It's love at first sight for all of us. And I am so relieved he's in from the cold. I can't sex cats, but my friends who can think he's a boy! Name to follow. Hopefully he has no health issues like FIV. I'm sure he has worms... pot belly and farts from hell!
With four cats, I am well on my way to crazy cat lady status. Of course, compared to 39 birds in the barn, four cats doesn't sound all that bad...
He looks like a sweetie-pie. It was very compassionate of you and Gordon to take him in. Let us know how the other cats respond to their adorable new roommate.
ReplyDeleteOur Magic who passed away just a few months ago came to us in the same manner. It put such a smile on my face reading your post and remembering my own attempts to catch a stray kitten in the cold :)
ReplyDeleteHugs
Thank goodness for crazy cat ladies!
ReplyDeleteWhat a little scrap, no wonder you want to keep him. Well done for your heroic efforts!
I'm smilin' from ear to ear. I think you have a kitten that has some bengal in him. Those markings are stunning. I am so happy he is staying. There are so many in shelters now that to stay now with your family will be the 'cat's meow' for this little guy. I already have fallen in love with him. He's going to make a great photo subject. Woohoo! I know what you mean about them looking bigger in pictures. My kittens always looked much bigger when I posted on them. Must go...off to pick up Annie who is now spayed and will finally shut up. Can't wait to hear the name...cat-lady. Deb
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you captured pishi. Four cats is quite okay, Robyn, Ted, Boris and Bebe all agree
ReplyDeleteHe's gorgeous and I'm so jealous! I love the white stripes on his back - that's an unusual marking.
ReplyDeleteI'm also devising ways I can "find" a freezing cold kitty around my place, so I can convince Dave we need another one - preferably a handsome orange one like Julius.
Oh my, he/she is so cute. I'm sure he feels much better in a warm house. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteAw, what a cutie!
ReplyDeleteDo NOT forget the bats in your belfry! ha ha ha.
ReplyDeleteKitten is a Stone Cold DOLL. SQUEEEE!!!
Following over from facebook. My heart is singing knowing that the sweet, little kitty is now safe and warm and fed and loved. That kitten is ADORABLE!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweetheart YOU are! I hope his checkup finds him hale and hearty and the hellacious farts and the worms are easily remedied.
ReplyDeleteI suspect we'll be reading more about him.
What a cutie! You did good. How's your MIL? Hugs, nb
ReplyDeleteWhat a cutie! You did good. How's your MIL? Hugs, nb
ReplyDeleteWhat a handsome sweetheart! I love his markings too. This is just how my daughter and her family got their beautiful tortoise-shell kitty---meowing outside their window. Cat ladies rule!
ReplyDeleteHe looks soooooooooo beautiful. You are such a lucky lady to be with so many cats and dogs. I have my Kalu...I'm trying to coax hubby into getting a dog. It's just that since we are all out of the house the whole day, the poor thing will be miserable..so we just don't want to do that right now :(
ReplyDeleteHis markings are gorgeous. What a sweet and mischievous little face he has! Raising my glass in the hope that the farts from hell are soon history!
ReplyDeleteIt surely is a beautiful kitten....sooooooo adorable ....
ReplyDeletebtw I have 2 doggies and 6 CATS...:)
I reckon you'll find that there's an advertisement nailed to a post somewhere, at cat eye-level, along the lines of "Waifs and strays report to the following address..."!
ReplyDeletePurrrrrrrrsistence won the day.
I am happy for animal lovers like you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you thank you for rescuing little kitty! You aren't over the limit.
ReplyDeleteAhab, she is beyond adorable. Even if we weren't going to keep her, we would have taken her in and found her a home. But she won herself a home inside of three minutes after coming inside...
ReplyDeleteJohanna, another cold kitten rescuer! hooray! They really do have a survival instinct, don't they? Screaming their little heads off in the cold
Elaine, I swear four is my limit. I think. I was SO relieved when we caught her.
Deb, she has a face like our Alex's, but her coat markings are gorgeous. I first noticed them when I was chasing her around the snowy garden! She was not well camouflaged. ;)
ReplyDeleteJams, thanks for helping me feel less freakish. ;)
Wandering Cat, if I find another kitten scampering around out there, I'm sending her to YOU!
RHonda, she is so relaxed and happy now. I can't imagine how scared and cold she must have been outside.
LBM, she is.
Katnip, I squee too! As you can see, I'm not up to 13 yet, though!
Mimi, glad I could make you smile!
Marylee, she checked out fine and I am hoping that the deworming will lessen her odiferousness!
ReplyDeleteTTPT, this morning I realized we now have 46 mouths/beaks to feed... how did this happen??
Hoot, it's hard having a dog when you're out all day, especially if you get them when they are puppies. But you are right to wait. :)
Enbe, MIL is hanging in there but that's another blog post!!
CogDis, she's farting less already. And really, compared to a dog fart it's nothing!
Bingo, you make me feel MUCH better! :) I'm only at two dogs and four cats!
Owl WOod, I'm pretty sure the word has spread...
Willie, I can say the same for you!
Joanne, we will always help an animal in need, even if we can't keep them permanently :) But we're suckers for kittens...
I don't check back here for a few days, and wham - you've got a new cat! The second to last photo is adorable, but the kitty is cute anyway. I would have kept her too. I'm glad she found you!
ReplyDeleteOh my, this little one is so lucky to have found you!! Welcome to the CCLC!! We may be crazy, but we have lots of friends and support!
ReplyDelete