Stray Cat

I've been sporadically feeding an all black kitten that has made its home in the bushes around the Dollar General Store at the end of our block. It's a friendly little thing. A little skittish at first, but once you start to pet him/her, the motor revs up.

I was pleased to note this morning, when I carried down food and water, that some kind soul had set out two bowls by the side of the building. One was filled with water and I assume the other had contained moist food as there was an empty can of cat food rolling nearby.

As I emptied the food I'd brought into the dish, the kitten seemed more interested in receiving a bit of love then the food, twining around my legs. Only after I'd petted her (let's just call it a her) for a few minutes did she sniff the food and then gobble it down.

She may have already had breakfast. As I was petting her I noticed a bit of fluff around her mouth. "What have you been into?" I mock scolded as I reached to pull it off. Only then did I see it was a tiny feather. And there were several other tiny similar feathers floating nearby. "I see," I told the kitten. "Did you catch your breakfast this morning?"

I'm not a fan of cats killing birds, but these strays have to in order to survive. So I was pleased the kitten seemed to have the hunter instinct and ability.  

Did you know the average life span for stray cats is two years? Not very long. This little kitten is probably already about 4 months old.  It breaks my heart to see how friendly she is. She would make a very loving pet. The problem is finding the household to take her in.

As much as I talk about wanting another cat, we really can't. I'm not even holding my own against my allergies as it is. Plus, Lucy hates other cats. Hates them. Olivia I think could learn to adjust. Lucy's still ticked at us for bringing Olivia home and that's going on 5 years.

I worry about when winter comes. Feeding a cat sort of puts the responsibility on you to have some concern for their health. Maybe we can build the kitty a little shelter? Depends, I suppose, on how flexible the Dollar General people want to be about it. I'm sure they're not wild about people feeding a stray cat outside their store, as this just encourages the cat to stay. Indeed, I often see the cat roaming the parking lot, hesitatingly looking at people as she decides whether or not to approach. 

I wish there were no more strays.  I wish I could find the black kitty a home. I wish she could know the joy of being pampered and adored. I wish, I wish...