Now this is an unexpected start to the new year
First, a lovely time at the New Year's party at werewulf's, with all involved beating on my chest to play the drums. (Ya hadda be there.) Thank you to all!
Now for the unexpected part: I went to my sister's up in Baltimore tonight to pick up Kid the First, and stopped at a gas station on my way back before leaving the city; it was around midnight and Fayette St. was pretty much deserted. As I got out to pay for my gas, I looked down and was greeted by a meow. Friendly grey cat. I said hi back, in human language, and walked around him to pump my gas.
The cat followed, and decided to watch and comment on my pumping gas. There was a particular, shall we say, dialect to this kittyspeech which informed me of the temperature in no uncertain terms (about -5 C). This was a cat used to being outside, but not that used to it. Still, not much I could do; I had to get the kid and myself home. See ya, kitty.
I finished up and made to leave...cat sees this and runs around the front of the car. Oh, great...I couldn't see where he went, and asked Kid-1 to look out for that cat around the front and make sure I don't hit it. "What cat?" she asked. Floomp! Cat appears on the windshield. No, I hadn't started up - he just jumped up there while I sat there at the pump. More meow, meow, meow. Kid-1 immediately awwwwwww's and opens her door; cat invites itself in. Thirty seconds later, cat has already introduced itself to Kid-1 and curls up on her lap for a nice good purr.
I called DW and, after a quick comb of the mostly-commercial-some-residences neighborhood for a lost cat sign (we found a wino 'round Orleans St., but that was it), got the location of the Baltimore animal shelter, which was supposedly still open. I got over to that location near the stadium in South Baltimore - oh, no, it wasn't.
So, it appears, we now have another cat, for the nonce.
Tomorrow we'll be heading into the city again to that shelter and handing over the cat, with the particulars of the story and our contact info. If no one claims this purring grey beastie - and someone should, because this is obviously a cared-for cat, albeit very happy to have warmth and food - we get the cat back, and there'll be a formal introduction between Captain (incumbent feline) and Comet (new name for the great grey purrfactory), which we avoided tonight; though Captain knew something was up, but allowed himself to be distracted by his kitty fishing rod we put in his stocking for Christmas. Comet, meanwhile, enjoyed the food upstairs and responded afterwards by curling up with Kid-1 again on her bed for a most powerful snooze.
ETA, 1630 EDT, 2 Jan: Newer cat is now back to the shelter. He slept for most of the time and we don't think he used the litterbox, so he's either exhausted or sick...he did meet Captain, who was an exceptionally gracious host and very fascinated. There was some meow back and forth and a nose-bump or two, and Captain wanted to play (he bopped Comet on the nose, no claws), but Comet was not into it at all...so Captain lay down a short distance away and kept watch.
Hopefully they can give him some care at the shelter and maybe check for a chip. Turns out it is not a no-kill shelter after all, but we'll turn in the cat with our contact info as planned.
Now for the unexpected part: I went to my sister's up in Baltimore tonight to pick up Kid the First, and stopped at a gas station on my way back before leaving the city; it was around midnight and Fayette St. was pretty much deserted. As I got out to pay for my gas, I looked down and was greeted by a meow. Friendly grey cat. I said hi back, in human language, and walked around him to pump my gas.
The cat followed, and decided to watch and comment on my pumping gas. There was a particular, shall we say, dialect to this kittyspeech which informed me of the temperature in no uncertain terms (about -5 C). This was a cat used to being outside, but not that used to it. Still, not much I could do; I had to get the kid and myself home. See ya, kitty.
I finished up and made to leave...cat sees this and runs around the front of the car. Oh, great...I couldn't see where he went, and asked Kid-1 to look out for that cat around the front and make sure I don't hit it. "What cat?" she asked. Floomp! Cat appears on the windshield. No, I hadn't started up - he just jumped up there while I sat there at the pump. More meow, meow, meow. Kid-1 immediately awwwwwww's and opens her door; cat invites itself in. Thirty seconds later, cat has already introduced itself to Kid-1 and curls up on her lap for a nice good purr.
I called DW and, after a quick comb of the mostly-commercial-some-residences neighborhood for a lost cat sign (we found a wino 'round Orleans St., but that was it), got the location of the Baltimore animal shelter, which was supposedly still open. I got over to that location near the stadium in South Baltimore - oh, no, it wasn't.
So, it appears, we now have another cat, for the nonce.
Tomorrow we'll be heading into the city again to that shelter and handing over the cat, with the particulars of the story and our contact info. If no one claims this purring grey beastie - and someone should, because this is obviously a cared-for cat, albeit very happy to have warmth and food - we get the cat back, and there'll be a formal introduction between Captain (incumbent feline) and Comet (new name for the great grey purrfactory), which we avoided tonight; though Captain knew something was up, but allowed himself to be distracted by his kitty fishing rod we put in his stocking for Christmas. Comet, meanwhile, enjoyed the food upstairs and responded afterwards by curling up with Kid-1 again on her bed for a most powerful snooze.
ETA, 1630 EDT, 2 Jan: Newer cat is now back to the shelter. He slept for most of the time and we don't think he used the litterbox, so he's either exhausted or sick...he did meet Captain, who was an exceptionally gracious host and very fascinated. There was some meow back and forth and a nose-bump or two, and Captain wanted to play (he bopped Comet on the nose, no claws), but Comet was not into it at all...so Captain lay down a short distance away and kept watch.
Hopefully they can give him some care at the shelter and maybe check for a chip. Turns out it is not a no-kill shelter after all, but we'll turn in the cat with our contact info as planned.