Graydie

[darkemeralds]

Well, that was unexpected! I just had a knock on my door, and the guy who knocked said he used to be Sam the Stray Cat's person.

He told me which house they used to live in, and said that after two litters, Sam (who is evidently not a boy cat after all!) went kind of feral, and changed from a lap cat to a wild, untouchable thing almost overnight. She's been spayed (I figured--no pregnancy, which is kind of why I thought she was a he). She's about five years old, apparently, and has identical-looking offspring living around town.

Dean, the twin brother cat, was the neighborhood cat-bully, and not related as far as this fellow knew.

Sam--or Graydie, as he called her--ran away when they moved, about a year ago. They came looking for her for months afterwards, and left food near the rental house they'd moved out of, but couldn't spot her or get near her if they did. He's been asking around the neighborhood, and someone finally said, oh yeah, that big gray cat is staying with that big gray lady on the corner.

He was almost in tears to see her looking so well and actually wandering in and out of my front door as we stood talking. I was feeling strangely protective, and was sure he wanted to take her away, but no, his purpose in coming was to offer to help pay for her care and feeding, because he now lives where he can't have a cat.

Graydie seemed to remember the guy--at least, she let him pet her head, which she doesn't let anyone do.

So, it's not Sam-Sam-the-Kitty-Man anymore. It's Graydie.

Strange. Kind of nice.

Comments

[sara]

Heh -- we had Scruffy the Stray for quite a while, in a house we rented, and he came and went in our house for several months, and we finally livetrapped him and I took him to be neutered, and it was some months later when I learned that "he" was actually both "he" and "she" -- not a gender-ambiguous cat but two almost-identical sibling cats, one of whom I had neutered and the other of whom a previous tenant had spayed.

They were fine cats, but definitely Scruffy was a good name. *G*

[darkemeralds]

Great story!

A Natural Perspective That Is and Is Not

[executrix]

It's...like Twelfth Night! Only with cats!

Re: A Natural Perspective That Is and Is Not

[sara]

Oh...um, I'd never thought of it that way (it also lacks a shipwreck, and I don't think anyone in Twelfth Night got neutered) but aside from that you're quite right!

Re: A Natural Perspective That Is and Is Not

[executrix]

Viola DOES say she's going to answer the "Help Wanted--Eunuch" ad.

[rainbow]

i just saw this on my network page, and am all asquee for both the fellow who found out his missing kitty was well and happy in a new home, and for you for finding out her history. congrats to both of you!!

and to graydie sam for having loving ppl in her life.

[bluemeridian]

I second all of this - Graydie is pretty darn lucky in the humans she's found. :)

[darkemeralds]

Yeah, and that goes both ways. She's kind of mean, but she's calming down little by little, and she's good company--and awfully pretty.

[darkemeralds]

I liked that part too--I've had pets go missing, and it's both very easy and very hard to just let go. The fact that he came back around checking a whole year later is really touching. He was so happy to see his little Graydie (he called her "Gradient" awwwww!!!) happy and healthy and in--or at least, on the porch of--a cat-friendly home.

It was a nice moment.

[rainbow]

Yes, for me it's been heartwrenching when anyone goes missing.

And how wonderful that she remembered him and let him pet her.

I'm glad she's calming down. Is that her in yoru icon?

[darkemeralds]

No, that's my late lamented Monsoon the Maine coon. Sam is here:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4524810682_1afd5feee0_b.jpg

[rainbow]

They're both lovely, lovely cats!

And (eta: the name) Gradient is so perfect!

[lamentables]

aaaaaaaawwwwwww &hearts

[darkemeralds]

I know, right? It was really sweet.

[kis]

That's a very affecting story. Lost and sort-of found. Trauma and new beginnings. A lasting, if altered bond.

Sound familiar? :)

[darkemeralds]

It kind of does!

I think, now that I've had a few hours to reflect on it, that the most affecting part of the story is that the people came back to the neighborhood over and over again, leaving food and trying to find this cat (who is the most astonishingly well-camouflaged thing you can imagine in a city full of gloomy days and damp pavement--seriously, I call her Invisi-Kitty because she's almost completely undetectable in a shadow or at night, far more so than even a black cat would be). And a whole year later, they were still looking, and still concerned--but not demanding to take her back.

It was just a really interesting moment.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh BLESS! My parents had a similar situation with the cat I grew up with - he'd belonged to the people who'd moved out from next door, and the 'dad' eventually came back and tracked him down and was delighted to know that he was safe and sound and with a new family. My mother half-expected him to try to take Black Cat (aka Tom) away, but instead he brought a shedload of catfood and occasionally dropped by to visit. Sweet.

How odd that she went stir crazy and ran off with a rough kitty from the wrong side of the tracks! And then moved in with a new human!

My parents' present cat showed up on their doorstep in similar circumstances, actually - just appeared out of the blue and moved in. She keeps trying to find my Dad, and glaring at the rest of us - we are clearly inadequate minions, and have not been properly trained in cat obedience.

Funeral is today. I hope it doesn't weird you out, but I'm actually tangentially referring to you in my speech; talking about how to condense his life and personality into a few sentences & mentioning how I'd described him to you, and how that's true but inadequate, before going on to list various things that will always remind me of him. (First on the list - the sound of someone blowing their nose into a linen handkerchief with a sound like a whole herd of angry elephants.)

[(Anonymous)]

Bugger! Sorry, sorry - Fay again. Keep forgetting that my parents' computer doesn't automatically log me in to Dreamwidth.

[darkemeralds]

I'm honoured. It doesn't weird me out at all.

When my father died, his best cat, Kipling, a giant Maine coon, was truly bewildered and troubled by his absence. It was extremely affecting. Still is, after all these years, to think about it.

My dad had been ill for a long time, and was therefore always at home, mostly seated in a big chair, and always glad of giant-cat company. Kippy came to live with me not too long after that, and was always happiest when I, too, was home and sitting in a big chair.

I hope you're doing okay. {{{{{{FAY}}}}}}}