Tuesday, August 23, 2011

"Opportunist"...

equals "CAT"!

I've not felt much like posting lately because one of my cats, Bruiser, went missing. I hadn't seen hide nor hair of him in a week, and he hadn't been sneaking back to the house at night to eat the food I set out for him and his brother, either. I could tell by the amount of food left in the bowl.

We live near a conservation area and there are lots of dangers for an outside cat, but Bruiser is smart and comes from a long line of tough barn cats, so I wasn't too worried the first few days. As time passed, however, I started getting anxious. His brother, Pipsqueak, was even more anxious, and had been yowling for him, to no avail.

I had frequent nightmares of his being injured and helpless, mewing for me...

Today I sat down and started making phone calls. Local animal control, local vets, etc.

One call I saved for last, because I had to wait to get my phone bill to find the Tuna-Lady's number. Bruiser visited her last month and she made the mistake of feeding him tuna, hence the affectionate nickname I bestowed upon her. My cats wear collars with name tags and my phone number, so she called to make sure he hadn't been abandoned.

...

I know, LOGIC FAIL.

Anyway, I called and left a message on her answering machine, not expecting too much, only to get a call back a few minutes later, informing me that Bruiser was lying on her deck right now, chillin'. Little fucker!

He's been hanging out at that particular cul-de-sac for the past week, making friends with all the folks who live there, particularly the ones who give him treats.

In return he's warmed laps and hearts, filled the air with purrs, and brought them gifts like snakes and blue jays. Tuna-Lady sits on her deck with him every morning, drinking her coffee and enjoying his company.

Everyone loves him, especially Tuna-Lady's elderly neighbor with cancer, who considers petting Bruiser therapy.

*sigh*

It took three tries to get him to STAY in the car for the drive back to our house, and right now he's in my room, fairly satisfied since my dogs are there to keep him company and he has food. But it's not going to last. This is the cat who's an escape artist and who wants to be outside with every fiber of his feline being. I told Tuna-Lady that I'm sure he'll be back to visit there soon, and to just give me a call or text when he shows up and hangs out for too long.

I'll make sure I keep up with his Frontline for Cats and his vaccinations, and we'll reevaluate the situation as it gets colder here. Last winter, my cats were still kittens and 100% indoor cats, so I don't know how they'll behave this time around, especially considering we live in Massachusetts now, not Texas!

I know one thing for sure: if Tuna-Lady's husband weren't allergic to cats, Bruiser would undoubtedly have a permanent home there, regardless of what his collar says!


14 comments:

Mike W. said...

sounds like you need to become his "tuna-lady."

Guffaw in AZ said...

Great to hear he's okay - even though a suck-up...

jon spencer said...

His he chipped?

Christina RN LMT said...

Mike, honestly...I think it's the fact that Tuna-Lady gives him so much attention. She's outside most of the day, working in her garden or on her deck, so Bruiser gets lots of lovin'. He's a very affectionate cat, and I'm not able to pet him as much as he "requires", apparently! Not that he wasn't glad to see me! He came right up to me when I called him and rubbed up against me, purring.

Thanks, GFA! It was a big relief.

Jon, no. And that's something I have to take care of ASAP.

Weer'd Beard said...

Your cat is a cheatin' bastard!

Runnin all around town with anybody who will rub him the right way!

LOL

Glad he's back and safe, and probably fatter.

Suldog said...

All of my tomcats have been outdoor cats, even in Mass winters. There's little as entertaining as watching a mostly black cat in a yard full of snowdrifts. He disappears for a few seconds, then jumps straight up into another pile of snow, and so forth until he either decides it's too damn cold to be out or he gets where he was going in the first place.

(THEY wanted to go out - I didn't toss them into the snow, mind you. And I always kept an eye on them in such situations. I did care! If it appeared that they were having too much trouble, I went and corralled them. Always fun, though.)

Mike W. said...

Spray yourself with tuna fragrance, he'll come running.

On a Wing and a Whim said...

Glad to hear the burden's off your heart, even if some of the hole from that load has been backfilled with aggravation!

TunaLady's husband is allergic, eh? Sounds like he thinks that's the perfect blend of affection and inflicting misery!

Bag Blog said...

I've heard it said that people don't pick their cats. The cats pick their people.

'Drea said...

Maybe Tuna-Lady can get a hairless cat and stop enticing yours...

be603 said...

Well it's true, "Cats don't have owners. They have staff."

Lissa said...

Oh, I'm so glad you found him!!!

Ross said...

I really hate to point this out, but given that Marxachusetts is the only state in New England that DOESN'T have a year round season on coyotes, the darn things are everywhere... and even a tough barn cat isn't a match for a 'yote. Even if he's a Maine Coon.

For Bruiser's sake... you might want to try and keep him as an indoor cat. It's tough - I know from experience - but he'll live longer.

Christina RN LMT said...

If you read my newest post, you'll see that Bruiser has pretty much abandoned us. My neighbor, HER neighbors, and her family love him. Even her allergic husband. I don't see him at our house at all, and I take baggies of food up to the Tuna-Lady's house for him. I guess I need to bow to the inevitable.