We apparently have a blinking flashing strobe light on the top of our house.
It must be a signal to all wayward critters: “Here, here lives animal lovers. Here, here there are suckers that will feed you if you look cute. Here, here is a good home.”
In my next life, I want to return as one of our pets.
Eliot showed up literally on our doorstep about five years ago. We were sitting in the living room one night and we had been hearing an odd chirping sound for most of the evening. We thought it was a bird. Around nine o’clock, the “chirping” got more intense and louder which led us to the front door. There, sitting on top of one of our large planters, was Eliot. She was so tiny and so scared and she took to us instantly.
She was so tame and loving that I just knew there had to be a family missing her.
I called around.
I even called area vets and shelters to leave a description of Eliot.
Finally, one receptionist took pity on me and broke the news to me: “Honey, this is the time of year that people dump off litters.”
We had a new pet.
That was five years ago. Eliot is the queen of the castle, the spoiled child, the lone pet in the household.
Fast forward to this summer.
I again thought I heard some mewing sounds outside during the evenings.
One day at the garden, a skinny, scrawny, ugly, half-grown cat found me and started rubbing against my ankles.
Enter Izzy.
Eliot isn’t happy.
Neither is Izzy.
They hate each other.
Eliot remains the queen of the house and Izzy has taken up residence in the detached garage/shop.
At this point, I am hoping for simple toleration out of the both of them.
We are now a two cat family (and we swore we were not cat-people)! 🙂