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closeCaity McCardell of Oceano sent me this story about the stray kitty she rescued and found a loving home for.
“The black-and-white cat showed up at our door in the usual way stray cats do — eager for attention, inhaling any food we gave him, purring loudly. We mistook him for our neighbor’s old tuxedo cat, though this new guy was young and feisty and rolled over for scratches. No one missed him when he didn’t show up the next day.
“A month passed and he was back, still sweet and active, but this time he looked bad. One of his eyes was shut and oozing liquid, his tail was half bald and his coat was a mess.
“We figured we had three options: take him to animal control, kick him out of the general area or take him to the vet and fix him up. We chose the latter. Our neighbor, Susan, became the caretaker of Stray (as we began calling him) and my husband and I, after much debate about spending money on a stray cat, became the financial support.
“I took Stray to his first visit to the vet, and the news on his condition was dismal. He needed shots, tests and prescriptions. Plus, we wanted him neutered. The total bill excluding neutering was almost $250.
“Susan started taking care of administering his prescriptions, but then he stopped peeing. It was a urinary tract infection, which is potentially deadly for cats and required another line of meds. By then, the snowball started rolling, and by the time we were done with Stray’s medical bills a few weeks later, we were out a very large pile of cash.
“Susan was under pressure to rehabilitate Stray, who didn’t get along with her pets and was confined to a bathroom while awaiting test results. Stray was stressed and acting out, Susan was physically and emotionally stressed, and I was financially stressed. We started looking for someone who could adopt Stray and take care of his remaining prescription needs.
“If you’ve ever adopted out an animal, you know this is a difficult task. Everyone either already has all the pets they want or don’t want to adopt one in the first place.
“So it was a miracle when Susan told Jennifer, the owner of nearby Halcyon Store, about Stray and our search for a guardian for him. Jennifer explained that she had been thinking about having a store cat to greet customers and hang out, purring and looking sweet. She came by to meet Stray and fell in love — that little guy was a perfect fit for the job description.
“Stray’s new name is Clark, and he is living a life of luxury. He has the run of the place, and the employees adore him.
“Next time you’re in Halcyon, stop by the Halcyon Store and pay a visit to Clark, the stray cat who came close to being a statistic but is now a pampered kitty.”
If you have a story or photos of your furry, feathered or scaly friend please e-mail them to me or mail to Pet Tales, c/o The Tribune, P. O. Box 112, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406.
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