Cats

Boo on fence patrol

You guys know I love cats, dogs, and animals of all kinds (okay not scorpions or flies, or mosquito's)

Three years ago, just after we had made the BIG move from Calgary Alberta to Prince Edward Island, I had come down, opened up my place and let the warm summer air pour through my digs.  

Very pretty, Boo

While the air was circulating and I was watching some television, a tiny little kitty hopped onto the couch at my arm, with a little bitty meow, I was not only intrigued at this bold interloper but instantly in love with her.  She stayed with me that night and the next day I found out she actually belonged to one of my neighbors,  Boo as she was named lived barely feet from my front door.  She had been rescued soaking wet from under Judy's son's truck and adopted by this loving family next door.

For the following three years, Boo has patiently waited at my door during the week prior to my arrival.  How she knows when I am coming is still a mystery to us all, but she will sit there on the stoop in vigilance for my arrival.  

When I get off the Super Shuttle blue van, she is either sitting at the door step, up in my tree or waiting around the corner, but it never takes her more than a few minutes to arrive.  

Typical of felines, she's give a stretch, maybe a faint meow and tell me in no uncertain terms, "where you been, I've been sitting out here for a week, now open up and bring on the Friskies!" 

Boo has been a great companion allowing me to sleep on the same bed as her, to pet her at her pleasure and convenience and I'm sure we both look forward to spending our Arizona time together.  Mom doesn't seem to mind in fact often when Judy pops in to check on my place, Boo accompanies her.  

Several years ago, in 2010 in fact right before Christmas Brenda and Anna on a short visit brought me a soaking wet, very tiny little fur-ball, whom I named Phoenix for obvious reasons, and when I could not find a home for him, I packed him up and drove him back to Canada.  Then all the way across the country.  Just over a year ago, we found out that little Phx who had traveled a very long way to get to the east coast, was suffering from what turned out to be inoperable cancer and just prior to my return to PEI, he passed away the day before I landed back home.

Seeing little Boo climbing about 'his' tree and patrolling my fence as Phx himself did as a kitten, brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. A couple of months before this latest trip our sweet female Abby was hit and killed by a car across from our home.  That made for two of my pals gone in less than a year.

Shortly before I came south we had gone and brought home a new kitty, appropriately named Isabella or Izzy for short.  She has been keeping Willy our toothless boy in the bubble entertained in my absence.  

How can you not Love that!

Anyway, this time round as I am opening up my place, sweeping the years worth of leaves off the little patio, what do I find but yet another young adult cat.  

Third day.

She has been holed up out there under a cover for goodness knows how long.  

It takes several days with food and gentle coaxing before her head poked out. She was very reluctant to come out and given that she had little shelter I made her a box, rode the scooter to Value Village and bought her a chair pillow to place in the box.  

They love my tree! Bring on them birds!!

It warmed my heart to see her climb in there rather than just sitting on the concrete.  

Eventually Cocoa (her color is very similar to Boos as you will notice) warmed up to my gestures and began sleeping in the house during the day but still heading outside into her box at night.  She was skin and bones her ribs stuck out clearly under her fur and she has been damaged, possibly abused.  A lower jaw that is misshaped possibly from a kick, her tail had been broken but healed and she had a puncture under her right eye. 

How can you resist that face?

Over the next three weeks I got to love this abandoned kitty and found her a home with Judy's relatives, who had in fact taken in another scruffy male that showed up at my place two years ago!



I have been thinking these last couple of days what the chances were of my taking Cocoa home to PEI with me on my departure, and have begin looking into the process.  With the death of Phx and then Abby we were down to one cat.  If I could, I'd have dozens of them with a few dogs thrown in for good measure.

All my life I have worked for the underdog, or in this case the undercat!  Having been one myself in my early days I feel a rapport for those that have been hurt or abandoned or homeless.  

Boo, 'I know there's Friskies somewhere...'

If I can succeed in taking Cocoa back to Canada it will be no reflection on the home she is currently in, more to
the fact that I have been taken in by the small brown and black bundle of fur, and because I am a believer in fate, feel that fate has put us together.


  

Stayed tuned...

"No really I can pass as carry on..." ,