The Cats that Adopted Me

I’ve never really been much of a “cat person.” I was a proud “dog person” and had an amazing dog for 15 years. It was extremely hard for me and my family when she died last year. We didn’t really want any other dog or pet in general after her, at least not for awhile.

Sometimes pets find and adopt you though, which is what happened. It is rather ironic when you put it all together. These four little cats were once offered to us by our neighbors when they were kittens. My dog was still alive then, and there was no way she’d put up with having cats in her house though. Then, when the neighbors moved away, their daughter lived there and well, long story short, they weren’t really looked after and were quite abandoned. I could never let an animal go hungry, so I started feeding them and eventually they even let me pet them and hold them.

They have always been outdoor cats and are still sometimes skittish with people, even me. The porch outside is now filled with cat areas and they have taken it over. They don’t stray too far away, and usually come when we call to them. They each have their own very unique personalities and have really grown to be our cats now. The original neighbors do know that we are taking care of them, and are glad that they are with us and are being looked after.

So, ready to meet my new pets? I named them before they were really mine, but I think each one matches their personality.

This is Misty. She was the first one to really warm up to me. She likes to stay close to her new home and is often found ontop of a cardboard box by the door or sleeping in her new bed which is right next to the door too. This is the smallest cat of the bunch and she usually doesn’t eat too much. I’m guessing that she was the runt. She is very fast and likes to chase after lizards, bugs, and squirrels. She brought us a baby squirrel as a “present” one day. At least I think it was her.

This is Azure. I named her that because she has one green eye and one blue eye. She was the one that I used to try to get to come over to me before I started taking care of them. She is really a scaredy cat though and even now she doesn’t really like for anyone to pet her or hold her. She usually stays closeby though and can often be found play fighting with her sister Misty or snuggling up with her when it is cold outside. If I go out on the porch and she is there, she always runs over to the food and eats and looks at me to make sure she knows that I see her eating. It is quite funny.

This is Diamond, the momma cat of the other cats (at least that is what we were told). She is also a big climber. She is often found ontop of the shed and on the roof of the house. I usually have to make at least one daily rescue to get her down from the roof. She doesn’t like to jump down when it is dark outside, so I have to rescue her through the window. If it is really cold outside, she is actually the best cat to let inside too. She doesn’t meow-cry or act scared of being inside. She actually likes it quite a lot and will sit right next to me until I take her back outside.

This is Boots. He was a very good cat and was actually the first one I named. Not long after the neighbors all left Boots died. I think that maybe something was spilled at their house and he licked it. He didn’t act like he felt well before he died, and then I found him dead on a chair on their porch. It was very sad and he is missed. I wish I would have had more time with this cat.

So, those are my new cats. I only had a cat once for a few months when I was very young, so all of this cat stuff is new to me. I don’t really know what they want and/or how to help outside cats in the winter. If anyone has any suggestions or tips, I would love to hear them! Any good ideas for toys? Do outside cats really need them? Do you have any funny cat stories to share? Please post in the comments and share with me!