Uh - oh! Another mouth to feed!
Last night, Spencer went nuts because he heard Bear calling Bella back to the porch (she was out on the leash for one last nature call). He continued to bark and bark and then we heard a very loud cat's meow which we thought was coming from our basement. Bear went to look, reluctantly, as it was very dark and he has to go outside and around the house to get to the basement. No, no cat in the basement. He said it must be outside somewhere.
Spencer barked all night (Bear slept through it. Yours truly did not), and this morning he was barking outside the bedroom door. If you've never heard Spencer, imagine a 10 year old girl shreiking and you've got Spencer! He tends to scream rather than howl and bay like beagles do.
Just on the other side of our front door was the cause of all the commotion: a very small kitty, probably about 3-4 months old (just a guess) or even less. Black and white "tuxedo" style, with a white moustache and white whiskers on his face and eybrows, and a white neck ruff. White tips on his feet, and a white belly. Black everywhere else. It is simply amazing that he could meow that loudly, with such little lungs!
Ellen (my aide) brought him in and I held him. He purred loudly and snuggled my neck and put his head in my hand. He tried to nurse on my finger (ouch! sharp teeth!). His ears were like ice as it was below freezing last night. The porch gave him some shelter, though. Then she took him back outside and I told her to give him food and an old towel to sleep on. He ate like he'd not eaten in days, though he has a poochy belly (worms? Hope not, but probably so as that is typical of kitties).
All day, Bella stood vigil at the window, either waiting for the kitty to show up at the window so she could kiss the glass (she is a licker: if she loves you, you're going to get a kiss! And her toys get lots of kisses), or actually having an interaction through the glass with the kitten. I have some photos of this, below!
When Bear got home, he was so horrified to see this gorgeous kitty -- he knew that it came here to stay, like Bella did, and he feels too overwhelmed with the day to day things as it is without adding another cat. But, he fell in love with him as I did, so that was that. They are both off now to the vet who has an office just a few blocks from our house (never gone there before, but I've talked to her on the phone and she was very nice) to determine
- 1) if he (and he is a he) is healthy
- 2) if his tail is broken, as it never raises
- 3) how old he is (estimate)
- 4) if he is healthy enough to be around our other very annoyed, 5 year old cats
- and to get wormer medicine.
Spencer and Bella, all excited about seeing the kitty
Bella and Sylvester getting acquainted
"PLEASE let me out? Can I go out, huh? huh?" I've never SEEN Bella so intense!
I just want to play... (Note where they have worn away the paint!)
Where'd he go? Oh, there he is!
This cracked me up... they were like this a lot today. United in purpose!
This was Bella's position for most of the day until Bear came home.
Bear is home and Sylvester is in the house...Alice has decided to go incognito under the fern!
And here he is! Bear and Sylvester.
Bear is back-- the vet didn't charge us a dime! She has a new customer, that's for sure. Sylvester has been, most likely, hit by a car. or swung by his tail. His tail is either broken or the nerve has been damaged and if he doesn't have use of it soon, he'll have to be a bobtail-- He'd match Bella! She said he has fleas, worms, broken nails/claws and a pretty deep gash on his nose. In rough shape, in other words. She thinks he's under 6 months judging by his teeth. She gave him a Revolution treatment for fleas, and a deworming shot -- all free! And her office is just down the street from us.