Monday, November 5, 2007

How to Get Rid of Stray Cats in One (Not so Easy) Swoop

(Note: This post is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. If you need helpful advice about dealing with stray and feral cats, click here for my post about feral and stray cats, plus helpful comments from readers.)


Last summer, I found a huge raccoon-sized cat under the leaves of a hosta in my backyard. He had blue eyes, blond/grey fur, and was abolutely gorgeous. It was a hot day, so I brought him water and food. After he ate, he lazed around for several hours before making his way across the street to the forest.

He returned several times over the next week. I can't blame him--my backyard had become his holiday resort. I thought he might have been lost, so I attempted to put him in my cat's carrier to have the vet look for a chip. I gave up on the carrier after 15 minutes of struggling with what must have have one of the strongest cats I've ever encountered. He never bit or scratched--he just put his muscle into the job of staying out of that carrier. Finally, I just placed him in the backseat of the car and left the carrier behind.

Dripping with sweat after the workout, I drove to the vet, while my feline Arnold Schwarzenegger gazed out of the passenger window. The vet said the cat was old, neutered, well-cared for, but without a chip. So back in the car we went. When we reached my house, I opened the car door, he hopped out and took off across the street.

I always imagined that if he could talk, this is what he would have told his owners when (if?) he got home that night:

"Meow! You can't even begin to imagine the kind of day I had. I get invited to lunch and before I know it, BAMM! Some crazy lady tries to shove me in a box, traps me in her car, then takes me to the vet (and you know how I hate the vet). "

Well, surprise, he never came back. Until this summer, that is.

He visited me once more, had a bite to eat and a cool bowl of water then slept in the shade of the garden for the afternoon. I guess the cat's memory was bad (the vet did say he was old), and he'd forgotten all about last year's 'episode'. Nonetheless, I was very pleased to see the big guy was alive and well.

5 comments:

Shannon Perry said...

I have a foul-weather friend named Oreo (he's black and white) who comes around only when it starts getting cold. I guess he "summers" elsewhere. Anyway, I'm glad to see him because he and the other stray, Siam, cuddle up together when the weather starts to get cold, usually on the hood of my car!

NuclearToast said...

Wow, that visitor cat went through the feline version of an alien abduction. You just know all his friends are making "he's crazy" signs to each other behind his back.

Lynn Sinclair said...

Angst, you mean that Oreo and Siam only hook up for the winter? Let me know when Oreo returns.

LOL, NT, I can totally see the other cats doing that, and saying, "Oh no, here he goes with his alien abduction story again."

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear the big guy came back, Lynn.

Cats know when someone is really looking out for their best interest. (They happen to be among the smartest and most "perceptive" animals on the planet.

So I'm happy to know that he popped in again for a quick snack and to say: "Hi, friend...by the way, no hard feelings about that last time I was here." :-)

Great post.

Lynn Sinclair said...

Thank you, Georgie.