A typo, Kasey’s 2nd anniversery of rescue was May 21, 2010.

Kasey sowed the seeds of her rescue years ago.

I am prone to migraines. We had a problem at the company facility in 2001 where Kasey lived and a bunch of us were there dealing with it, she wasn’t very old then.

The stress level was high and I had a migraine come on. I must have looked bad because my boss insisted I go up in the storage room and crash, which I did.

I woke up, feeling better and the first thing I heard was a loud purr, Kasey was my “nurse cat”.

That set a bond with us but we had 4 cats at home at the time and her lot wasn’t bad there at the plant, back then. So I would bring treats for here n my work related trips.

The years went by and people came and went at the facility. Her “protectors” transferred to other sites and the new ones were not as benevolent. At best, most ignored her, others went out of there way to abuse her. Through it all, she maintained a friendly attitude and did not get mean or skittish.

She deserved better.

As I mentioned in the earlier posts, I was up there on a plant shutdown in April 2008 and I saw enough; next time I was up there in May, I took a cat carrier.

I just wish I had taken her out there a year or so earlier before some jerk (I better not write the real word I prefer to use) injured her leg.

At least she has a good life, now.

Needless to say, I have a friend for life now. She is very expressive and is calm when I am around, she becomes active about the time I come home from the office and usually waits for me.

Since she had her first vet exam when she was brought here, unfortunately, May also means the obligatory annual vet visit. She still doesn’t like the carrier and the car ride (at least this one’s only 7 minutes). She does behave well at the vet and is happy to go back in the carrier to go home. The check-up was all good and she doesn’t hold a grudge over the trip and settles right back into her daily routine.

Happy May 21st “gotcha day”, Kasey!

Like Eva, Kasey’s past life resulted in some infirmities.

When she gets up, her back legs are stiff. Once she gets moving, she can walk OK, run fairly well; but she cannot jump or climb.

In her case, it was some injury that brought her to this, I suspect from some deliberate act.

She has been checked out by a vet, who confirmed this; there is not much that can be done. She gets her daily glucosamine pill (the most important part is the pill is served wrapped in a small bit of cheese).

Fortunately, she is now a protected, indoor cat and seems comfortable, happy and quite willing to play.

Kasey has “imprinted” on me, one of many things that shows this is that she sleeps on the bed at my feet.

However, the bed, at 28 inches, is too high a jump for her, so I used a 16 inch high plastic storage box at the foot of the bed, making it two, short achievable jumps to get up and down. The box was tacky, but functional.

I recently picked up a little 16-inch high padded trunk, on sale.

It is the right height and in addition, provides a space where an untidy guy like me can get a few things out of sight.

The first night was 100% successful; she loved the trunk for use as an access.

In addition, she loves the padded top. On the first morning it was in use, when I got up she jumped onto the trunk from the bed, but unlike with the utilitarian box, she stayed on the padded top of trunk.

She settled down there in a posture like a “Sphinx statue” and took on a contented, regal demeanour, looking very much like Batest, the ancient cat goddess, as she watched me get my stuff together for the day.

I think that is why it is so rewarding to me to have been able to bring Kasey home, or to read a story like Eva’s; these life’s victories are all the more special.

In regards to; “Also, regarding the way Eva reacted when I first called her; I was completely taken aback.”

I would like to say that Kasey reacted similarily to being rescued, but………………….

I finished up a meeting near the facility where she lived and showed up there in the early evening.

She had settled down in a favorite spot when I came in.

She did not like the cage and the first hour of the trip brought unceasing protest, second hour was about 50/50 and she was quiet for the 3rd and final hour. It is tough for a cat to leave the only home she has ever known, even if it wasn’t great, while jammed in a pet carrier, which was a new experience.

She was quarantined in the garage, which she settled in quite quickly, with various comforts for a couple days, until she had her vet check up and shots, then introductions began.

Fast forward to today;

She slept at the foot of the bed most of the night, I am off on vaction this week, I awoke at 7:30 to the “eeps and squeeks” song from the kitchen, she was lonely. (Kasey does not have the classic cat food commercial “kitty meow”)

She had her glucosamine pill (to help with an old injury), in a small piece of cheese (the cheese is an important part of the day).

She slept on my lap for 20 minutes while I watched the news & weather after breakfast. After that she chased a string, then rested in various places in the house, all day. Then sat on my lap through a movie on TV. Now she is snoring near my computer area.

I think she would say it was worth that 3 hour ride in a pet carrier and life is good, now

You remind me of a time when I waited too long and I’ve never forgotten. I had managed to find homes-with permission-for a number of my former neighbor’s barn cats. Each of these cats were wonderful and clearly wanted families. His only hold out was a little Siamese mix, ‘Sherry’, that I finally decided to just simply take. The night before I was to collect her, she was struck and killed by a car. That stays with me.

Also, regarding the way Eva reacted when I first called her; I was completely taken aback. In all these years I’ve had dogs react like this (like the Ridgeback that I picked up on the same road the other day but I would not have expected this from even the most friendly of cats. It all seemed staged, almost. I joke that she recognized the sound of my car-you can hear it from a mile away, I’m sure.

It has all worked out for us, hasn’t it? I’m not sure who is the luckiest-the humans or the kitties.

“When I stepped out and into the muck to call her, this suddenly animated creature whirled around and half ran to me chattering on and on in short rapid bursts. She leapt into the car without hesitation and proceeded to hug me; purring loudly and rubbing her face against mine as I settled back behind the wheel.”

When I read that, I thought that sounded like the behaviour of a cat that was very used to people and friendly(and one that was able to recognize the best offer and option she could possibly get).

I posted her story on the “Tortitude” – The Unique Personality of Tortoiseshell Cats” in an October 30th, 2009 at 6:53 am entry.

The similar themes are;

1.) I went through a similar rationalization that you did, in my case “Oh it can’t be too bad there for her”, “We have two cats, I doubt she’ll fit in”….etc. But in May 2008, I had seen enough and acted on it.

2.) She was a cat out of place; she craved attention and kept seeking it out in spite of the constant, scheduled personnel shift changes where she lived. She never knew who would treat her well and who would not. Her demeanour with people was that of a pet cat, even after the bad treatment.

Like Eva, this was not a good place and it took its toll, physically.

3.) In the spring of 2008, she was in a bad way. In her last year before I took her home she sustained her injury to her rear, left leg, which made her unable to jump or climb. She also did not have a good diet and was losing fur.

Her “advocates and protectors”, by chance, were being transferred to other sites. I know she spent some winter nights outside in our harsh climate and with her condition, overall, I don’t think she would have survived the winter of 2008/2009; she too had run out of chances

It was a bold move for me when I was up in the area for a meeting and I brought a pet carrier with me. She didn’t like the three-hour drive but I don’t think she wants to go back, now I sometimes feel bad it took me too long to act and that I should have taken her out of there a couple years earlier.

However, I am very happy I made that decision in the spring of 2008, I think she is, too.

Glen, Thank you. You bring up a good point. I did leave out that the collar was a flea collar. An effort to relieve a guilty conscience for dropping her? I’ll never know. I do have a sense that she was simply lost-maybe a barn kitty who wandered or got in a truck and accidentally traveled a distance? I keep wondering if her back injuries are from encounters with farm animals, being in such a rural area. The one thing I always worry about with rescues is inadvertently ‘kidnapping’ someone’s beloved pet. I did put up notices and took her to the shelter with me to go through reports. In spite of her poor condition I do think that someone out there loved her-at least that’s what I’ll let myself believe. For now she’s here, warm and safe, and in charge-so she thinks.

Best to you and your Kasey. It sounds as though we are all equally fortunate.