The orange cat

[dragonfly411]

Danny - I'm terribly sorry for your loss.

 

[iLander]

Hi Danny. Sorry to hear about your aunt. Hugs!

I have to tell you my cat story. We had a great cat for years, Madison, and then one day my son started to sneeze. And wheeze. And get hives. One week he was fine, two weeks later, he was a mess. He was about 8 years old and that seems to be a common age when allergies turn up. So Madison, who was an indoor/outdoor cat in our cul-de-sac, became an outdoor/garage cat. He seemed pretty fine with it, I cuddled him, he played in the yard when I gardened, etc. Even when he was indoors, he tended to come in at dark and leave at the crack of dawn. He liked his outdoor life, I think. He was fixed, vetted, all that, this garage/outdoor thing lasted about 1 month.

Then a neighbor came to the door, irate, saying that Madison went to her windows and taunted her indoor cats. I apologized and started keeping him in the pool screen. He hated it. He climbed up the screen with his claws, howled, and tore the screens until one day, about a week later, he escaped.

We searched all over for him, and couldn't find him. A couple of days later, we were heartbroken, and another neighbor came over. He had seen Madison at the complaining neighbors house, being fed. In fact, he had been fed for months (even when he was mostly an indoor cat) by this neighbor and often hung out in her back yard with her. Why she came and complained, when she was feeding him, I have no idea.

I went to her house, and sure enough, there was Madison, inside. I asked why she fed him and then complained that he was in her yard. She just kind of looked at me, and didn't reply. I think she was surprised that I knew. I took him home, and he stayed in the pool screen about 24 hours, then ripped another hole and left. I knew where he went.

Later that evening, Madison and the irate neighbor walked by my house on the sidewalk. He came over and nuzzled me, then went back to walk with her. I didn't say a word. He found a life that he liked better, and our situation wasn't working for him. He became her indoor/outdoor cat and he visited me off and on for years, when I was in the yard. He lived a good life with her.

We didn't own another cat for almost 15 years, until my DS was grown and gone. She was indoors only, because she was a declawed rescue, and she passed on. A couple of years ago, we got a black cat, and he is indoor night/outdoor day, but now that he's a tiny bit older he oddly stays in our property line. He's amazingly good about it.

So, I guess don't judge orange cat's owners too harshly. They may have a suddenly allergic child, or some other issue. If the orange cat has a collar (ours always do), then call his owners and find out the scoop. Some cats just have a "route", Madison did (but it was a low traffic area) and he visited the whole neighborhood.

Sorry this has caused you so much sadness. Hug some more.