Greta

Recently a friend of mine, Kim,  asked if I would feed her kitties while she and her family were on vacation.  This is the story of Greta, a former street urchin turned indoor kitty. 

I met Greta 4 years ago when I received a phone call from another friend about a feral kitty and her kitten.  Could I come and catch the kitten so she could be socialized and a home found.  Off I went and within a short time I had the little black and white kitten that we judged to be about 7 or 8 weeks old.  Much to my delight I found a home for that little kitten very quickly.

Greta,the mom kitty, continued to live outside under someones front porch through three more winters.  During that time she was trapped and taken to a vet for spaying and then returned to her outdoor life.

Last November Kim phoned me to ask if she could borrow my "kitten cage".  She was going to try bringing Greta inside to live.  For a few weeks Greta lived in the kitten cage in the master bedroom and it wasn't long before she was allowed out and had the entire bedroom as her space.

I got to meet Greta again in late June when I went to Kim's to learn the routine.  Greta was still living in the master bedroom because Puck, the resident handsome boy kitteh was not too thrilled with Greta living in his house and was a bit aggressive towards her.  Kim wasn't sure how she would respond to a stranger, but she was fine.  She allowed me to pet her and we even played with one of her toys.

During the three weeks of feeding and caring for the kitties, I grew very attached to Greta.  She is so loving and friendly and sweet.  I think she must have been someone's pet at one time because she loves attention.  I find it hard to believe this dear little cat lived outside for goodness knows how long and then in a short time with lots of TLC from Kim became a sweet laid back little cat.

A few days ago it became evident that Puck was very sick with no chance of recovery and he gently crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  It was very sad because the week before while I was caring for him he was an energetic 9 year old kitty that loved chasing the lazer beam.  On the bright side, Greta is now allowed free run of the entire house and I dare say is loving the indoor life even more now.  I love you sweet Greta and I am so happy you have a home to call your own.  You're a little gem.  Hug hug hug

Meet Valentine - Colony Matriach

It was a few days before Valentines Day in 2003 when I first met the beautiful brown tabby I decided to call Valentine. And she was pregnant. I was concerned for her and the arrival of her babies because it was mid February and it was cold. I called a local cat rescue group for some advice and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed in the response I got. They assured me Valentine could not be pregnant at this time of the year - it was too early in the season. Well she did have kittens. I'm not sure where or when she delivered but I could tell when she was no longer pregnant.

In early April Valentine came out from the lumberyard with the other cats from the colony to have breakfast. She ate and then wondered off and a few minutes later returned with 3 adorable wee kittens. She was weaning them and teaching them where to come for food. I was mezmerized. There was a little brown tabby that looked exactly like Valentine and two black kittens. I was so impressed with the way Valentine sat quietly as the kittens bounced around. They came for a bite of food but the slightest move from me and they dashed back behind the chainlink fence and the "safety" of the lumberyard. I named the shorthair black kitty Jet, the longhaired black F.J. which stood for Fluffy Jet but changed to Frances Jane when I learned she was a girl. The little tabby kitten disappeared shortly after I first saw her.

In late July Valentine delivered 5 more kittens. These wee babies were discovered by one of the workers in the lumberyard and thankfully he was a kind hearted man. He told one of the women employees about the kittens which set off a series of phone calls. The kittens were removed and Valentine was caught in a humane trap. Arrangements had been made with a vet who would allow Valentine to care for her brood until they could be weaned. Afterwards she would be spayed and homes would be found for her family.

Valentine returned to the colony about the middle of September. I was concerned she would be shunned by the others in the colony after her absence but she marched right back into their midst and resumed her roll as the matriach.

I'm not sure when it happened but eventually Valentine allowed me to pet her, and even groom her. She loves to rub up against my legs when I arrive with the food. In the 8 years I have been feeding this colony, I think Valentine has only missed about three meals. She loves her food.

Sometimes Valentine plays and runs and carrys on like a young cat but I think she is at least ten, maybe even a bit older. She loves catnip. When she finishes rolling around in the little pile I give her she will walk over to another kitty and take over their catnip. Valentine just has to look at any of the other cats and they move off.

The past few days she has been particularly affectionate. She has made a point of rubbing against my legs so that I will stop and scratch behind her ears. She is a sweetie but when she has had enough she is swift with the paw.