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One day in late September, when I was going into work after teaching class, I saw a cat walking near the new visitor center. I got out to try to get close enough to see if it had a collar or anything, but it went into a drain pipe before I could get to it. I sent an email out about the sighting just in case it was sighted again or needed help.
Several weeks later, two colleagues separately sighted the cat again, and one was able to actually catch it and took it home. It was a large white and brown tomcat with a white triangle on his face like my Adrian and tabby stripes on his forehead like, well, my Tabby. My colleague wasn't able to keep him long-term, but put him up in her study until either the original owner - if there was one - was found, or someone else adopted him. Her husband took the cat to the vet to see if he had a microchip, which turned up negative.
I actually came very close to taking him myself. He seemed like a sweet boy and, at first, I thought it might be a good idea - I've often regretted that Tabby doesn't have another cat that actually wants to do things with her, and while I wasn't so sure about Adrian, I thought that maybe having a third would at least distract Tabby from annoyting her, and maybe she'd even be friends with him too.
But when I got home, I realized it probably wouldn't be a great idea. Looking at the space I have available, it definitely works for two cats, but three would probably be a crowd. Then, while exercising that night, Adrian hissed and swiped at Tabby, and I thought - if she still does this occasionally (not as much as she used to, but still occasionally) with a cat that she's lived with for several years, how will she react to a new face? Adrian was, and in many ways, still very much is a nervous alley cat, and I wouldn't want to add stress to her. And on her part, Tabby too can be a little diva sometimes and can get jealous if she feels Adrian is getting attention and she isn't.
Later that night, I was on the couch watching TV or gaming a little before bed, and Tabby came and laid down on my left and across my lap and then Adrian came up and laid down on my right, and I wondered... if there is a third one, where's the room for them?
So, I came to my senses and realized that as much as I wanted to help this cat, I wouldn't want to put either him or my girls in a bad situation, and have to possibly rehome him again. It wouldn't be fair to anyone involved.
Fortunately, after a week or so my colleague's husband actually found a listing for this cat on an area lost pets board, and was able to reunite him with his original - very grateful - owners, who didn't expect to see him again. He was actually from across the river - apparently, in the town he came from there has been a bizarre wave of pets being kidnapped and dumped elsewhere, and that's how he ended up at my workplace.
As it turns out, his name is Thomas.
This really kind of made my month. Happy to have had at least some small role in saving him (the original sighting and email), though of course the lion's share of credit has to go to my colleague for catching him and putting him up temporarily. I'm certainly glad we were able to get him out of the wild before it gets too much colder. And, selfishly, I'm glad that I don't have to feel guilty for not taking him in.
Good luck, Thomas, I'm glad you're safe and warm in your real home.
Several weeks later, two colleagues separately sighted the cat again, and one was able to actually catch it and took it home. It was a large white and brown tomcat with a white triangle on his face like my Adrian and tabby stripes on his forehead like, well, my Tabby. My colleague wasn't able to keep him long-term, but put him up in her study until either the original owner - if there was one - was found, or someone else adopted him. Her husband took the cat to the vet to see if he had a microchip, which turned up negative.
I actually came very close to taking him myself. He seemed like a sweet boy and, at first, I thought it might be a good idea - I've often regretted that Tabby doesn't have another cat that actually wants to do things with her, and while I wasn't so sure about Adrian, I thought that maybe having a third would at least distract Tabby from annoyting her, and maybe she'd even be friends with him too.
But when I got home, I realized it probably wouldn't be a great idea. Looking at the space I have available, it definitely works for two cats, but three would probably be a crowd. Then, while exercising that night, Adrian hissed and swiped at Tabby, and I thought - if she still does this occasionally (not as much as she used to, but still occasionally) with a cat that she's lived with for several years, how will she react to a new face? Adrian was, and in many ways, still very much is a nervous alley cat, and I wouldn't want to add stress to her. And on her part, Tabby too can be a little diva sometimes and can get jealous if she feels Adrian is getting attention and she isn't.
Later that night, I was on the couch watching TV or gaming a little before bed, and Tabby came and laid down on my left and across my lap and then Adrian came up and laid down on my right, and I wondered... if there is a third one, where's the room for them?
So, I came to my senses and realized that as much as I wanted to help this cat, I wouldn't want to put either him or my girls in a bad situation, and have to possibly rehome him again. It wouldn't be fair to anyone involved.
Fortunately, after a week or so my colleague's husband actually found a listing for this cat on an area lost pets board, and was able to reunite him with his original - very grateful - owners, who didn't expect to see him again. He was actually from across the river - apparently, in the town he came from there has been a bizarre wave of pets being kidnapped and dumped elsewhere, and that's how he ended up at my workplace.
As it turns out, his name is Thomas.
This really kind of made my month. Happy to have had at least some small role in saving him (the original sighting and email), though of course the lion's share of credit has to go to my colleague for catching him and putting him up temporarily. I'm certainly glad we were able to get him out of the wild before it gets too much colder. And, selfishly, I'm glad that I don't have to feel guilty for not taking him in.
Good luck, Thomas, I'm glad you're safe and warm in your real home.
