Homeless Cat -- Now Spotacus' Legacy

[Wanderlost]

On 18 Dec, a very large cat showed up at our house. It was late and cold, and he looked in the door and made it clear he wanted inside. Well, since we have two cats already and he was a stranger, we could not let him in the house. WLToo walked out and the cat ran to him, so he walked the cat into the garage and into the climate controlled room out there.

He was extremely hungry and thirsty, but in otherwise good condition and very clean. We fixed up a bed for him, set up the feeding and elimination stations, and went to bed.

Next day, we worked in the garage all day, while the big guy slept or supervised. We found him to be an intact male, no sign he's ever worn a collar, and he has a strong need to be in the general vicinity of humans. For an intact male, he's remarkably mellow - I don't think he was the alpha cat in his previous home.

Have had zero responses to the "found cat" notices around the area and online, so we'll be working with the local rescues to get him neutered and all his shots, then find him a home. We can't keep him because he's just too big for our two cats to share our small house. Alex would have another emotional meltdown, and I don't want to go through that mess again (long, ugly story).

For now, we're calling him Spot, not that he answers to it (does answer to "Kitty, Kitty"). No idea how he travels; we'll find out when we take him to the vet on Tuesday.

If anyone knows of someone who would like a large (about 15-18 pounds) cat who needs to be with people, please let me know. No cat novices, please; this cat needs someone who knows exactly how to handle an adult cat of this size, especially when he's feeling frisky.





We're at Canyon Lake, TX, so if there are any Winter Texans nearby who would like to meet him and maybe give him a home, that would be great.

[CA_POPPY]

Oh, poor Scrappy! It must all be like a bad movie. What blow will be next to her doggie sense of security? She may be traumatized for life. It sounds like Jr High School.

[Wanderlost]

Sister reported that Scrappy is seriously not happy. Seems when she got home, her best buddy and playmate, a ginger cat named Monty, was drunk on dried catnip. He was busy sniffing the catnip she's growing near the water dish (she really needs to put the catnip elsewhere), when Scrappy came to get a drink. The drunken sot hit her on the snout.

Today, Monty doesn't remember what he did, and can't understand why Scrappy wants nothing to do with him. She also refuses to have anything to do with her humans, either. Sister says Scrappy has never, ever acted this way in her fourteen doggie years.

Sister also reported that she looked in the backyard and saw Scrappy. Thinking she'd been outside far too long -- and one of the nephews was probably going to be in trouble -- she stepped into the backyard in her jammies. Well, the dog was not Scrappy. She's a dead ringer, though.

Sister looked to see if the fence had been dug under. Nope. The gate was properly closed and latched. Hmmm. Maybe the neighbors saw this dog, thought it was Scrappy doing another runner, and put her in the backyard.

Then she heard a voice over the fence. Her new next door neighbor was in his back yard -- in his underwear -- and asked if his dog was in her yard. She said, well, it wasn't her dog. The guy called "Jenny!" and the dog's ears perked up. Then she flew over the top of the stockade fence like it wasn't there. Wow. He apologized for his steeplechasing dog, and she said it was ok, that Scrappy would like a doggy playmate.

Looks like if Scrappy continues to refuse to play with Monty, she'll have Jenny as her new BFF.

[CA_POPPY]

Well, Spot and Alex are the WORST doggie Bed & Breakfast hosts I have ever heard of! Yikes! Hope you heal quickly. Glad scrappy got out of there with most body parts intact.

[Wanderlost]

So things went just fine until about 5:00 pm. WLToo asked Scrappy if she wanted to go outside. In the big room, Spot was "guarding" one door, Alex the other, so WLToo picked her up to carry her into another room with a door.

At that point, Alex went psycho and charged WLToo (how DARE he pick up a goggie!!!). He got into the room and kicked the door shut, but it didn't close all the way, so Alex got inside and jumped on top of poor little Scrappy. Spot charged in and attacked WLToo when he grabbed Alex. I opened the door fully and Spot whirled around and attacked me, thinking I was going after Alex, too. We finally got both cats out of the room and let Scrappy go outside, where she decided to leave.

We didn't know that initially, being a little occupied pouring hydrogen peroxide on each other's bites and scratches. When we realized she was no longer sitting on the porch, we put on the waffle stompers and jeans, and roamed all over the property, looking under every tree and bush to see if she was hiding from us. Nothing. She'd gotten out the gate and was gone.

I called Sister and told her Scrappy had done a runner. She wasn't too concerned. Turns out this is a Scrappy modus operandi, but she always comes back. Sure enough, about 10 minutes before Sister arrived, Scrappy came back. She would not come near us, though, and charged Sister's car when she arrived. Nephew opened the back door and Scrappy literally flew into the car.

We won't be dogsitting anymore, least not as long as Alex is still alive. While cats and dog came out of the situation relatively unscathed, the two humans are a right mess.

Meanwhile, twin fawns were trapped in the meadow when we closed the gate and started the meadow search. They ran around in hysterics, and one almost got stuck between a power pole and the fence. It managed to free itself, but it's probably quite bruised. After Scrappy jumped into Sister's car, we opened the gate so the fawns could get out. Their mom was outside the fence and not particularly bothered by the dog in the meadow, but the twins were just plain nuts. It was a relief when they ran out the gate.

So all the deer are safe, Scrappy's gone home, the cats are asleep, and the humans need to check each other's wounds and go to bed.

What a long day. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

No sign of anything on her snout. I think it's on her shoulder, but she's a little wary of everyone at the moment, so I can't verify it just yet. When Sister gets here later, she can check her out.

[CA_POPPY]

Poor Scrappy, I'll bet she caught a claw on her nose. A couple licks would take away the evidence.

[Wanderlost]

So things were pretty quiet last night and early this morning. Scrappy ignored the cats, and while they glared at her, they didn't do anything. We put her in the spare bedroom for the night and all was fine.

This morning, while I was at the gym, things got a bit dicey. Scrappy had been outside, and when she came to the door, Alex shot out and landed on top of her, riding her like a pony. Then Spot joined in, but he attacked WLToo. WLToo broke away, grabbed the hose, and wet everyone down to break it up.

Scrappy came inside and laid in her favorite spot under the dining table. By the time I got home, Spot and Alex were laying on coffee table and carpet, glaring at her.

Imagine the "church lady" from one of the weekend comedy improv shows, with pursed lips. That's exactly what Spot looked like, and how a cat can do the disapproving pursed lips face, I do not know.

WLToo noticed blood drops on the floor. Sure enough, someone (we think Scrappy) was dripping blood for a while. By the time we found it, all drops were dry and she doesn't act like she's injured. Spot acted oddly for a while, refusing to eat his lunchtime treats (he NEVER refuses treats), but since he'd not been where Scrappy was laying, we knew it wasn't his blood. Checked him anyway, and he's fine. He finally ate his treats, but long after Alex had inhaled his own.

As of right now, Alex is on top of the upper kitchen cabinets, Spot is on the bedroom dresser (both want to be high up), and Scrappy is in the music room. All is quiet again.

I hope my sister comes soon...too much excitement around here. Poor Scrappy -- nothing is her fault, she's just visiting a house where the cats literally hate dogs. Sigh.

[Wanderlost]

Put one cup of sugar into four cups of room temperature or warm water. Stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes to get all the chlorine out. Remove from heat and let cool. Makes one quart. Store in the fridge.

Try moving your feeder to a new location, or add another feeder.

We put out a second feeder on the south porch because one hummer was so aggressive that no one could approach the north porch feeder. Now it's barely in use, mostly by that one hummer, and the other feeder gets refilled every day.

I was wearing a bright yellow shirt and red shorts when refilling that feeder on Monday. I got buzzed by four hummers. After I hung the feeder, one hummer kept hovering at eye level, checking me out. If Alex hadn't started rubbing against my leg, the hummer might have landed on me to see if I was edible.

Spot and Alex are very much inside cats right now, since the heat has stayed in the 90s and 100s the last few days. Spot does lay in overwatch position on the pool deck early in the morning and shortly after sundown, but retires to our bed during the day's heat. Alex isn't even interested in going outside.

Things will be very interesting today and tomorrow. We're dogsitting and Scrappy will have to stay inside due to the heat. She's a sweet, very old medium size (30 pounds?) of indeterminate breeding, very submissive and prone to separation anxiety. She lives with cats and basically ignores all but the one that's her playmate, so if Alex and Spot will just ignore her, all will be fine. If Spot decides to play with her, she'll be happy to oblige. If either cat goes psycho, will be interesting... She'll sleep in the spare bedroom, with the door closed for her safety, at bedtime. There won't be a problem with her needing to go outside, since WLToo still can't sleep more than an hour or two at a time.

We're dogsitting because Nephew returns from his second Afghanistan tour tonight, and his folks and brother want to be at Hood when he lands. We decided not to go, in case whatever WLToo has is contagious (probably not, but he just feels awful). So even though Alex will be unhappy/angry/prone to stalking that poor dog, it's best if we take care of Scrappy and let Nephew's direct family and girlfriend welcome him back. We're sending a card with his Mom, when she drops Scrappy off.

WLToo just said lunch is ready. Later, y'all.

[CA_POPPY]

HELP! I am doing something wrong with my hummingbird feeder and figured I would go to the expert. How the heck does one mix 3 parts water and 1 part sugar? Do you boil 3/4 cup water and dump in the sugar and mix, or does it all need boiled together? This feeder holds 8 oz. At first, the hummers were fighting over it, but recently we've been boycotted. There is no mold, I wash it every couple of days, no soap, only hot water. I realize I am kind of pitiful to mess up a recipe with two ingredients. :R

[kokosfriend]

I really enjoy the stories of what is going on there!! Have a great nap! It is like a blog

Barb and the 4 chocolates

[Wanderlost]

Three days of intermittent rain, nearly 3" fell. Might rain more today. I'd do the happy dance again, but I have a bad case of tired and groggy. Just may join Spot on the bed for a nap.

Alex and WLToo are snoozing on the sofa. Hmmm, WLToo decided we should get rid of the sofa and put both recliners there, so I ordered a 59" wide chair/love seat/whatever it's called to go where I'm currently sitting in my recliner. Wonder how well he'll snooze in a mission style recliner? I slept in mine just fine for ten days after an operation last year, but I can sleep pretty much anywhere...

A hummingbird landed on my head yesterday. Didn't stay long, so WLToo couldn't get a photo. Reminded me of the time in Virginia when a 17-year cicada landed on my nose -- he couldn't get the camera up fast enough. Meanwhile, I found out just how LOUD a single cicada could be - nearly blew my eardrums. The three women shrieking and running away weren't so loud...but definitely sillier.

WLToo said the doe with twins tried to jump on top of MDL as she was eating her corn yesterday. WLToo stepped out on the porch and scared that doe away. He stayed beside MDL until she finished all the corn. The other doe is way too aggressive - not even going to let her get MDL's corn.

Well, that nap is calling. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

Doin' the happy dance. It rained today, a nice soaking rain. Forecast is for more; we even have a flash flood watch. Woo Hoo!!!

At the moment, Spot is laying on the top of my recliner. Most of him, anyway. His butt is on my shoulder and he keeps trying to poke his tail into my ear...

We had at least ten bucks in the meadow at sundown, with three does and two fawns. Some beautiful racks out there.

WLToo thought he saw a red-headed hummingbird, but he's not sure which kind it would be. I'll keep an eye out.

Kinda tired, off to bed. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

Today's the last upper 90s/lower 100s day for a week. Highs will be in the 80s the rest of the week, with possibility of rain. We're really looking forward to that.

The second hummingbird feeder is a big hit. We get more to watch and can almost see their colors now, where the north porch makes them all look black.

We did have to kill a yellow jacket nest near the second feeder, as it was too close to the door and they were buzzing the birds. Since yellow jackets are territorial, we'll leave the nest in place, so other wasps will not build there. That technique has worked nicely in other spots around here.

All our barn swallows are flying now, and when they come back to the nests, it's quite loud. Very entertaining. We really miss them when they leave -- which will be next month. We'll wake up one morning and the silence will be very loud.

Speaking of loud, the lake has been heavily populated with boats of all kinds. Even though we don't get winds from the north all that often in the summer, we've been able to hear lots of boats this summer. They're far enough away to not bother us, but we notice each time a new sound appears.

I see MDL coming up the slope. Time to get her corn. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

Had a small setback, so I'm not yet editing books. Sigh. Still, the arm is improving, just not as fast as I'd like.

We put out a second hummingbird feeder on the south porch, so some can feed in relative peace, well away from the nasty one that tries to keep the north porch feeder all to itself. At least one on the south porch is so unafraid of humans that it sat on the feeder less than three feet away from me.

MDL left a fair amount of corn in her bowl today. That's unusual. Will keep an eye out for her tomorrow and see if she's ok.

Spot still prefers outside, even with highs in the 90s. He moves from one shady spot to another as the sun moves. At the moment, he's trying to get us to let him out -- not gonna happen. It's dark now. He'll have to settle for sleeping under the ceiling fan with us.

I finally dug out Alex' "birth" record. As near as that vet could figure, he was born in June 1997, making him 16 this year, much younger than I'd thought. Explains why he's still so agile. Right now, Mr. Agile is asleep on his catnip mat. He gets drunk, playful, mean, then falls asleep. A cat who's a mean drunk is quite a sight to behold...good thing it only lasts a few minutes.

Bedtime. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

Another beautiful day, where the morning was so cool we could open the house up. It's still open, and the breeze is just enough to keep things pleasant. We will have to keep watch, lest MDL stick her nose in the door...

The boys are both sleeping on the porch furniture, and I plan to join them out there in a few minutes. Some nice relaxation before working at the library is called for, after a serious morning workout.

Even though I'm sometimes busier than a one-armed paper hanger, this is a great life. My arm is improving so much that tomorrow I plan to start editing WLToo's fifth book, in between fire watch sessions. It's a lakeside community, so the Houston and San Antonio folks like to come up here and fire off all the fireworks they can't shoot in town. Wildfires frequently result -- at least it's not near as dry as the last two years, but we'll still be on watch.

WLToo needs to go to the hardware store, so later, y'all.