cat library

I have a confession to make...exactly a week ago, when I was passing through Diarama Village I saw, yes, That Cat again.  Cat was sitting on a small pillar thing outside the gym, washing itself.  I went and spoke to the woman who runs the cafe attached to the gym: was the Cat a stray?  Yes, indeed, they had no idea where she'd come from but they'd been feeding her (hence the attachment to the gym).  The only problem was, the gym owners were about to go away for Christmas... They'd rung the RSPCA, who'd said that they already had thirty or more cats that they couldn't place and she'd almost certainly be put down.  Did I know anyone who wanted a cat?

Sigh.  How can people be so cruel as to dump a beautiful, healthy, young cat?

I didn't know anyone, I said.  But if they were going away, I'd try and find a home for her.

So, rashly, I picked up the Cat and flung her in my car.  She was very well-behaved, really, peering out the back windows, not pissing on the seats.  When I got home, the first thing she did was to use the kitty litter tray -- I know, marking her territory, but I was impressed.  At least she'd been housetrained.  (Do you want to hear anymore?  Is this all going from bad to worse?)

Cat immediately took up residence in the environment of the kitchen table, which meant sleeping on a chair underneath during the day, dangling down a long, decorous, white paw, and hopping onto table of an evening.  No one, ahem, is usually allowed to sit on the table itself, but could see that Cat was at disadvantage in the turf wars and needed some height for outstaring other cats.  Cat has been given a cat-mat from Mad Barry's to sit on, which will be strategically moved to another vantage point in time.

There has been much staring and making of bloodcurdling noises in general, but not as much fisticuffs as I expected. No spraying, either.  Leonard has maintained his presence on the downstairs couch; Otty and Jessie have disappeared to their rooms.  There is now dichotomy of forward, bumptious cats living downstairs and timid, shy cats upstairs.  The cat whom really seems to have missed out is Otty; he's retreated into his own private world on the balcony. 

Leonard, of course, is in high dudgeon over the intrusion of this upstart, and has sat with his back turned to us on a number of occasions.  I was surprised that he didn't put up more of a fight over protecting his downstairs territory, but I'm beginning to realise that in comparison to a big, young, healthy cat, he is actually a fragile little old man.  Leonard is staring his mortality in the face in form of young upstart cat.  Also realised that it is a long time since I have had a cat pull back the blind and chortle at birds outside, hurtle self at screen door at sight of gecko on the other side, chase imaginary creatures or collect all old toys together under the table.  In fact, have hitherto been living in a Feline Retirement Village.

As D said, 'It'll be good to have some young feline energy about the place,' an exceptionally kind if New Age-y thing for a dog-lover to say.

Good for me maybe, but less so for the other cats.  I don't think I can find a home for her before Christmas, because so many people leave town then.  However, have cunning plan to palm her off onto Charlene, another cat-lover. 

But Charlene & Sebastiene have been less kind than D over sudden cat acquisition.

'Surely this qualifies you as a Mad Cat Woman!' they said, Then turned to ask the Extreme Exercising Vet, 'How many cats do you have to have to be a Mad Cat Woman?'

'Four,' said EEV.

And: 'What? You want me to come round to visit a cat?'  C said. 

I see nothing strange about that myself, having visited a tortoiseshell in Elizabeth Bay earlier this year.

Other cunning plans include: making Cat the outdoor cat (something she'd enjoy tho it's unlikely to be that fair on the local flora and fauna).  Or starting a Cat Library: could loan out cats to people unable to have felines for sustained periods, due to need to go out bush for work, etc.  Would be a bit like a Toy Library, a concept I've never quite got my head around (can understand that you would want to avoid getting drawn into too much useless consumerism buying toys.  However, prospect of borrowing toys slagged and puked on by other people's children seems less than attractive).

Anyway, for now, Cat has set up shop in kitchen until at least January.  I call her 'Lucy' or 'Lulu'. 

(And no, I haven't told my mother yet.  Leonard was difficult enough.)

Comments

[Pavlov's Cat]

Oh, come now.

Do you really think anyone will really believe that you are really not going to keep a beautiful housetrained young cat you've already given some territory and a name and a long blog post to herself?

*Snickers*

[Zoe]

Yeah, what Pav said. Embrace your mad old cat lady-ness, elsewhere.

(And you have to clean the toys before you take them back to the toy libary. There's one of those officious overbearing types there to make sure.)

[Laura]

If it makes you feel any better I went to visit five kittens yesterday. When I arrived they were all lined up on the couch, sleeping under a pink blankie with a satin binding.

[elsewhere]

Well, the other cats won't live forever.

Actually, we found a tattoo on her ear last night, which indicates spaying, vaccinating, etc. I'm going to take her to the vet and see if she has a microchip. If she has one, it shouldn't be too hard to find her owner here, unless they've left town.

[Mel]

Hurry up! I have been waiting with my fingers crossed to see if the cat has an owner. Her beautiful colours resplendent on your table.. I think she is perfectly matched with you and the other cats.

[elsewhere]

Yeah, she matches the blog. She's a beautiful creature!

I'll make an appt today. The thing that bothers me is that if the owner is still in town, they might just go 'well thanks', and dump her again.

[sandy webster]

She's so beautiful (said as owner of tortoiseshell)! I can absolutely see what you've lifted her and agree with poster above that you should embrace cat madness with pride. Though Leonard's pose says much of his state of mind - a portrait of injured, upset pride.

[Kate]

She is a pretty cat. (Makes me itchy just looking at her actually.)

I visit dogs, so I don't see why visiting cats is so weird.

[Mel]

Have you named her Amelia (Or Ophelia) or Josephine yet? Got her cat Christmas stocking hanging next to Leonards and Otty's? Tried giving them useless human talks about sharing and caring? Caught them preening each other when they think YOU are not looking?

Dogs are just the same really. Lucky for me there is a law on how many dogs I can have.

[TPS]

Oh Lulu! will they track down the tattoo-er of your ear? will leonard gracefully give up the table and surrounding territory? when will Elsewhere crack and accept ownership as fait accompli???

and anyway, sounds like other options are limited. Lulu shouldnt be hanging around that dingy gym?? and further, I hear that, ahemm, charlene and sebastiane are moving in together, and do not think that sebastiane, nor sebastiane's crazed kelpie Razor, would approve of little Lulu....

[elsewhere]

Well, now, that is surprising news. I heard that Jez was moving in with Charlene...but perhaps it will be a menage...

Saw EEV at the pool -- she says the tattoo means desexing but not microchipping -- that's rare in the Territory, apparently. I'm taking Lulu to see her on Weds for the final verdict.

But even desexed etc dogs get dumped here.

Mel -- yes, she has a name. It's Lulu (tho Lucy on documents). Officially, I'm meant to write a letter to the Body Corp, asking if I can have her there, but, hmm, haven't done that for any of the other cats yet.

Plan C is to give her to my mother, whose dog has just died...

[redcap]

Oh, what a sweet little puss. I'm a sucker for cats, but I'm afraid my little boy is so fierce he wouldn't allow an interloper in the house.