The CAT came back

An unanticipated effect of skirting the front porch on my property after having left it open below deck for so many years, has been a sheltered space for a variety of furry little critters. During the first summer, many a squinny (thirteen-lined squirrel) could be seen scooting under the vertical fence boards used as skirting through troughs dug into the underlying gravel. This winter, an elusive family of rabbits used the space as a den, or so the volume of pebble droppings would suggest. This spring, however, another furry friend would eventually ask us for help, and we were more than happy to oblige.

During our morning walks, Milo, our nearly thirteen-year-old Lhasa-Apso Cockapoo had begun to hint that he had noticed an unfamiliar scent in the yard. Our usual path was strewn with deviations, and back-tracking. For the first while, I paid no mind to his distraction as he would quickly jump back on track as our morning walk came to an end before his breakfast was served in the house. One Saturday shortly after these morning variations had started, it seemed that Milo’s olfactory obsession had finally revealed itself – a tiny Tabby kitten had jumped onto the back deck, meowing incessantly. Reluctant to let me approach, the kitten meandered around for a short while, until it eventually ran off the opposite side of the deck.

Having finally sourced the reason for Milo’s behaviour, we decided an attempt to gain the kitten’s trust was the right thing to do. As such, an old set of bowls with water and a handful of kibble was placed at our front door. The very next morning, the kibble was gone, and the water dish half emptied. This continued for a while, despite not having ever again seen the tiny kitten up close again. One night several days later, I decided to re-aim our front foyer IP camera towards the food dish in an attempt to capture the cat in action. Upon reviewing the video footage, the very next morning, the cat had come back for her feast. After zooming in, I soon realized it wasn’t the same cat – the feeding feline looked Calico, not at all the same colouring as the tiny kitten I had encountered on the back deck a couple of weeks prior. This cat was a bit larger than the Tabby kitty, and extremely skittish. We only ever saw the Calico once or twice beyond the video.

My concern for the tiny kitten began to grow. As luck would have it, the next morning during our walk, Milo elected to take a completely different route – instead of circling the house, he began to strut away from the house and up the driveway, making a left turn towards the tree line and wind-mesh fence. About three feet from the fence, he looked back and sat down. As I approached, I could hear the faint hint of meowing. I crouched down and called out “come here kitten”, and the tiny little Tabby rushed through the brush, scooched under the wind mesh fencing, and galloped directly into my arms. The kitten could have been more than three months old, and it was clearly asking for help. Milo, quite proud of himself, led us back towards the house. I prepared a bowl of kibble and some wet food, and a small saucer of milk for the kitty. The tiny creature inhaled it. Once the kitty meal was done, it leapt onto our front porch patio furniture and vanished once again. Once again not knowing this kitten’s fate, it was unfortunately time to head off to a jobsite. Throughout the day, thoughts of this little kitten’s plight invade my mind. And I must admit I was anxious to get home – it was Friday, and finding this little kitten had quickly become my mission. Once I arrived home, I let Milo out for his afternoon walk and as quickly as the kitten had vanished that morning, she reappeared, crawling out from under the skirted front porch. I of course greeted her with some kindness, and physical contact. The kitty jumped onto my lap, and her purring caused the fabric of my shorts to visibly oscillate. Milo was even excited to see her. As we walked around the house, the kitten followed – it was truly amazing. This occurred again later that evening. We began calling her “Katykat”, and it was clear this little kitten should be given the opportunity to live her best life. And although I had already begun to fall for her, the requirements and responsibility of introducing a kitten to our household would not easily be reconciled. As such, it was unfortunately clear to us that we’d need to find a suitable home for this little furry creature.

During the day on Saturday, calls were made to friends and family, asking whether this tiny Tabby with such a sweet disposition, and who had effortlessly assimilated to her new human friends, could become a new fur-family member. Although everyone expressed their admiration for Katykat, no suitable household could be found. And despite having called several local shelters, it was evident that they already had their hands full. Finally, I contacted The Winnipeg Humane Society. After a brief discussion, Katykat’s story and several photos were forwarded, and an invitation was offered. That evening, we spent a lot of time with Katykat – she is so adorable. We gave Katykat Molly’s old bed (our Cockapoo Havanese Molly crossed the rainbow bridge in 2019) to sleep on that night, and she did without hesitation. The next morning, we again gave Katykat a ton of deserved snuggles, and made sure her belly was full. Shortly after noon, we brought Katykat for her first car ride into the city, and she slept the whole way. Deep down, I’d like to think she knew we were doing what was best for her.

I’m not at all ashamed to admit that I was extremely upset to relinquish this tiny kitten I had bonded with in such a short time – I kinda fell for her. Feelings notwithstanding, the fact remains that introducing a cat into our household just wouldn’t work, in our current situation. And Katykat deserves a good home.

The staff at the Winnipeg Humane Society was very caring and tender with Katykat during the volunteer surrender process. We gave Katykat one final snuggle, and I whispered in her ear “we’ll miss you, now go and have a great life”. She seemed a bit confused, after having experienced this whirlwind courtship. In retrospect, I’d like to think that once Katykat finds her fur-ever home, she’ll remember the kindness offered by her “first” humans, so she can embrace her new humans with the same trust and affection we were privileged to experience in just four short days. That tiny cat touched my soul, and I know we bonded. Thank you to everyone at the Winnipeg Humane Society – keep doing what you do for our furry friends in need.

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