Surprise visitor
I'm normally not the sort of woman who would invite a stranger to spend the night with me. But I just couldn't resist this one.
Saturday night I heard meowing outside my apartment door. Surprised at this, I went out into the hall to find a black and white kitten roaming around. She was very friendly, but I am not accustomed to seeing animals roam the halls of my apartment complex. So she and I went on a quest. We knocked on every door in the building to see if someone had lost a cat. People would open their door to me, I'd start to explain, they'd look down and say, "Eek! A cat!" and slam the door. From this I gathered that the cat did not live in my building.
I invited her back to my apartment. Since these are no pet apartments, I called the apartment manager to tell her about my guest. She described the cat to me and said, "Oh, yeah. I know that cat. She belongs to a woman who lives three houses down the block. I took care of that cat and her brother for three days until I found her owner. The owner said they're outdoor cats and we should just toss them outside if they get into the buildings. They'll find their way home." I asked if that's what I should do and my manager said, "Probably, but it's kind of cold outside." I said I'd be happy to keep the cat overnight, and would take her home in the morning. The manager (who is really, really nice) brought over a kitty litter box and cat food that she'd purchased for her turn at kitty foster care.
So I found myself with a cat for the evening. It was a lot of fun, but also gave me a taste of the responsibilities of cat ownership. (Did you know that cats like to walk across computer keyboards? Or that they cry if you disappear into the bathroom?)
The next day, the cat and I went on a quest for her home. She was fine until we were almost to her house when she jumped out of my arms and ran behind some bushes. I figured we were close enough, and since she was an outdoor cat she could probably find her way home.
My apartment is too small for a long-term cat, but I was glad to play host for an evening.
Saturday night I heard meowing outside my apartment door. Surprised at this, I went out into the hall to find a black and white kitten roaming around. She was very friendly, but I am not accustomed to seeing animals roam the halls of my apartment complex. So she and I went on a quest. We knocked on every door in the building to see if someone had lost a cat. People would open their door to me, I'd start to explain, they'd look down and say, "Eek! A cat!" and slam the door. From this I gathered that the cat did not live in my building.
I invited her back to my apartment. Since these are no pet apartments, I called the apartment manager to tell her about my guest. She described the cat to me and said, "Oh, yeah. I know that cat. She belongs to a woman who lives three houses down the block. I took care of that cat and her brother for three days until I found her owner. The owner said they're outdoor cats and we should just toss them outside if they get into the buildings. They'll find their way home." I asked if that's what I should do and my manager said, "Probably, but it's kind of cold outside." I said I'd be happy to keep the cat overnight, and would take her home in the morning. The manager (who is really, really nice) brought over a kitty litter box and cat food that she'd purchased for her turn at kitty foster care.
So I found myself with a cat for the evening. It was a lot of fun, but also gave me a taste of the responsibilities of cat ownership. (Did you know that cats like to walk across computer keyboards? Or that they cry if you disappear into the bathroom?)
The next day, the cat and I went on a quest for her home. She was fine until we were almost to her house when she jumped out of my arms and ran behind some bushes. I figured we were close enough, and since she was an outdoor cat she could probably find her way home.
My apartment is too small for a long-term cat, but I was glad to play host for an evening.