A homecoming, of sorts

littlegreenman

About 10 years ago me and my brother took in a couple of feral kittens that the RSPCA had caught, along with their mother who was spayed and re-released. They basically hid in our kitchen, hissed and growled, and ate the food left out when we weren't about.

Then one day they managed to escape, still no idea how they did it, probably out of a window! We'd very occasionally see them around and about but they were still wild. The Ginger male (Steve-O) being the more bold one came by once or twice to get fed.

Fast-forward to a few months back, and the little Tortoise-shell female (Missy) started to hide out in our yard a bit. She's very slowly inched her way towards the back door, a little at a time (she was always a very timid little thing), tempted obviously by food. Still hissing and biting when approached though, but getting a tad braver. Still very cautious of the humans but getting more accepting.

Last week though, she allowed me to stroke her and even purred a bit! Now she has taken to headbutting my ankles as a hello, and has even managed a weird miaow. Stayed inside overnight last night for the first time since she was a kitten, and slept in the same spot she used to.

It took a few years, but Missy has come home

Strat_a_tat_tat

Awesome stuff.  Congrats on your kitty-care.

littlegreenman

Quick update:

She's stayed indoors again, and figured out what the litter tray is for! So no cleaning up today.

And Mr. Doofus seems to be OK with her being around, she headbutts him just like BB8 did R2D2! This looks to be working out well

littlegreenman

Another quick update:

Missy asleep on the couch

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littlegreenman

A sad update, and it's taken a few weeks before I posted this as it really has upset me greatly. We always had cats as I grew up, but Missy was "my" first proper cat, and now she's gone.

I got back from a trip to Edinburgh and she was layed out in my yard, obviously not well (I share a place with my brother who also looks after her, but he was at work. So she'd only been there a couple of hours tops, which is normally fine, she liked it out there sunbathing). Her back legs were so weak she could barely stand and she'd lost a lot of muscle control. And bowel control too.

We have no late night emergency vets nearby so I stayed up all night with her trying to keep her comfortable, but she was in serious distress and it was horrible. I spent the last night with my Mother as she died and this was easily the same, not going to deny how much I cried when she winced in pain, knowing there was nothing I could do. Wish I could have known how to have helped her on her way but I don't and attempting it would have probably just hurt her even more.

So the morning visit to the vet for the inevitable followed. In a way it was a relief that I'd finally done the right thing, and giving her the final headbut as she got the injection was heartbreaking, but she butted back as, I hope, a little thank you.

I hope her last year or so with me, in a safe and loving home with food, fluffy pillows and lots of fussing made up for those hard years she spent out there alone. She certainly seemed to enjoy it. RIP Little Missy

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Alnico

You know I have Millie and you know how I feel about her.
That's broken my heart.

You've been amazing to her man, you both have and knowing you both the way I have for so long, it's exactly what I'd expect from you.
Are you ok?

DanR

I'm just off to my Jess a hug.

littlegreenman

Alnico said:

You know I have Millie and you know how I feel about her.
That's broken my heart.

You've been amazing to her man, you both have and knowing you both the way I have for so long, it's exactly what I'd expect from you.
Are you ok?

Sad for the loss Mark, but yeah I'm OK dude.

It's my older brother Alex I share with, who I don't think you've met? Perhaps you know Alex from earlier times back in Crosby?

I was very fortunate that my "close friend" Cassandra was over here visiting from Canada at the time, she helped me through what was a very shitty time, being a confirmed cat-lady herself. We had to cancel our planned trip to Dublin on account of the vet visit but that was understandable.

So we made the best of a bad situation and did the Museums/ Galleries/ Ferries/ Beatles thing here and then went for a day out in North Wales to visit Conwy Castle instead. Turns out that Canadian gals prefer 13th Century Welsh castles, a walk on the Welsh hillsides and fish and chips on the quayside much more than a Guinness on the town, so perhaps in all of this it worked out in the end?

Alnico

Good to hear.

No, I don't think I ever met Alex, at least not properly.
I'm just glad you had people with you and not in some empty flat on your own.
Your friend sounds really nice, especially for liking all that instead of just going out and getting pissed !

Wish there wasn't so much distance between us man.
My health still isn't wonderful but if I get up your way anytime this year I'll let you know.

Keep smiling.

littlegreenman

London and Paris were kind of a necessity while she was here, you do kind of have to I suppose?

But we did it with a twist, the Catacombs instead of the Eiffel Tower

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And then there was the graveyards, tombs, underground dwellings and curry houses in Edinburgh, lol.

If you are up this way any time soon, PM away and we'll organise something for sure.

Alnico

^
I'd love that.
Let's see if this latest round of health challenges actually is Lupus or not and go from there.
As soon as I get some mobility back I'll be able to think about doing stuff like that.

Keep smiling man.

littlegreenman

DanR said:

I'm just off to my Jess a hug.

Give Jess big hugs, every day dude

littlegreenman

Alnico said:

Keep smiling man.