Benjamin
The Living Force
I have been out of sorts for two+ weeks because a little guy wanted to live here. I'll explain.
Saturday night, May 18th, the big, fluffy, tiger cat that lives in the apartments next to us, had a stray cat in tow. He lead him to me as I was having a smoke. The stray walked tentatively up to me making these short, little meows while the other guy held back. I bent down and started to pet him. He was really thin and his coat felt oily. I noticed the other guy leave. I finished my smoke and bid the little guy goodnight and went back to my place.
Two days later, May 20th, Victoria Day, I noticed this same cat sitting on our DIY compost bin at the far-side of the garden. I went out to greet him and he came right up making his little meows. I knew he was hungry so I opened a can of 3 year old tuna and put half of it on a plate. I brought it out to him and he tucked into it. At the beginning, he ate everything I put in front of him. I knew I'd be in trouble if I fed him 'cause he'd stay. And he did. I put an old, shredded mattress cover on top of the dry leaf pile in the compost bin (that never worked very well anyway) as a makeshift bed which has since become his permanent snooze spot.
There have been many trips to the pet store since; food, an outdoor litter box, litter, litter scoop, different food. I haven't had a cat since I was 5 or 6 so there is quite a learning curve. I still don't understand his eating habits but at least I can't feel only his backbone anymore and his coat feels soft.
Now for some backstory because I know some of it. I had seen him wandering around (like all the other cats in the neighbourhood) from time to time but never knew where his home was. This little guy came from a fourplex a few doors down and across the street/back alley from us. It's a well known, notorious drug den/flop house. I don't know what it is with these morons but if your bike gets stolen, it's probably there in the basement. There's also an RV parked in the back that houses at least four guys. Anyway, this little guy, I'm guessing, didn't want to live there anymore, so he left. About a week-and-a-half after he started living with us, I was standing in my usual spot having a smoke in the back alley. One of the guys that lives in the fourplex was walking up the alley heading for home. The cat was sitting beside me as the guy walked by, looking at him. Finally, he turned around and asked me if that was my cat. I said 'yes'. The cat had walked up to him and he was petting him. He remarked, "I used to have a cat just like that. His name was Boots." He walked on not realising that that was his cat! A few days ago, I was out having a smoke again and a different guy that lives in the fourplex also mumbled (more to himself then to anyone, I think) that he, too, used to have a cat like mine.
This little guy doesn't have a name yet, but I'm not calling him Boots. Early on, I joked about calling him Attis because he's neutered but I thought that would be cruel. I also thought of calling him Darth Meow but he's way too friendly to be a Darth. I could make a Clint Eastwood joke but it's been done.
He's a lap cat. He's also a 'parrot cat' (apparently called this because he likes to sit on my shoulders). He will fall asleep on you. Literally. The problem is mom believes that all cats are barn cats and do not belong in a house. I can tell he wants to come in but he is not allowed. Not sure what is going to happen once winter hits.
He purrs very easily around me. I've also heard him growl at other cats (it's kinda cute) but the weirdest sound he's made is 'chirping' which he makes when he sees a little bird. Suprised the crap out of me when I heard it the first time.
He's tough to take a picture of. I got lucky with this one. When he sits, he always curls his tail around his feet, and when he lays down he always curls his paws under him. He's put on more weight since this photo.
Saturday night, May 18th, the big, fluffy, tiger cat that lives in the apartments next to us, had a stray cat in tow. He lead him to me as I was having a smoke. The stray walked tentatively up to me making these short, little meows while the other guy held back. I bent down and started to pet him. He was really thin and his coat felt oily. I noticed the other guy leave. I finished my smoke and bid the little guy goodnight and went back to my place.
Two days later, May 20th, Victoria Day, I noticed this same cat sitting on our DIY compost bin at the far-side of the garden. I went out to greet him and he came right up making his little meows. I knew he was hungry so I opened a can of 3 year old tuna and put half of it on a plate. I brought it out to him and he tucked into it. At the beginning, he ate everything I put in front of him. I knew I'd be in trouble if I fed him 'cause he'd stay. And he did. I put an old, shredded mattress cover on top of the dry leaf pile in the compost bin (that never worked very well anyway) as a makeshift bed which has since become his permanent snooze spot.
There have been many trips to the pet store since; food, an outdoor litter box, litter, litter scoop, different food. I haven't had a cat since I was 5 or 6 so there is quite a learning curve. I still don't understand his eating habits but at least I can't feel only his backbone anymore and his coat feels soft.
Now for some backstory because I know some of it. I had seen him wandering around (like all the other cats in the neighbourhood) from time to time but never knew where his home was. This little guy came from a fourplex a few doors down and across the street/back alley from us. It's a well known, notorious drug den/flop house. I don't know what it is with these morons but if your bike gets stolen, it's probably there in the basement. There's also an RV parked in the back that houses at least four guys. Anyway, this little guy, I'm guessing, didn't want to live there anymore, so he left. About a week-and-a-half after he started living with us, I was standing in my usual spot having a smoke in the back alley. One of the guys that lives in the fourplex was walking up the alley heading for home. The cat was sitting beside me as the guy walked by, looking at him. Finally, he turned around and asked me if that was my cat. I said 'yes'. The cat had walked up to him and he was petting him. He remarked, "I used to have a cat just like that. His name was Boots." He walked on not realising that that was his cat! A few days ago, I was out having a smoke again and a different guy that lives in the fourplex also mumbled (more to himself then to anyone, I think) that he, too, used to have a cat like mine.
This little guy doesn't have a name yet, but I'm not calling him Boots. Early on, I joked about calling him Attis because he's neutered but I thought that would be cruel. I also thought of calling him Darth Meow but he's way too friendly to be a Darth. I could make a Clint Eastwood joke but it's been done.
He's a lap cat. He's also a 'parrot cat' (apparently called this because he likes to sit on my shoulders). He will fall asleep on you. Literally. The problem is mom believes that all cats are barn cats and do not belong in a house. I can tell he wants to come in but he is not allowed. Not sure what is going to happen once winter hits.
He purrs very easily around me. I've also heard him growl at other cats (it's kinda cute) but the weirdest sound he's made is 'chirping' which he makes when he sees a little bird. Suprised the crap out of me when I heard it the first time.
He's tough to take a picture of. I got lucky with this one. When he sits, he always curls his tail around his feet, and when he lays down he always curls his paws under him. He's put on more weight since this photo.
It must be a popular choice for tuxedo cats!
)
I would call him Vittorio or Vitto as you mentioned Victoria day as the day you feed him the tuna 