Krazy Kat remains a houseguest of the Allwoundup family. #2 son took KK to the local animal rescue group yesterday while I was out of town. The group refused to accept KK without him first being evaluated and "cleared" by the municipal Animal Control Department.....a one person department that didn't answer the phone. So, KK returned to Casa Allwoundup.
I have a concern that an evaluation by Animal Control might increase KK's chances of making a premature and unnecessary trip to the great here ever after. #2 son has reached out to a friend whose father is a vet to see if he will examine KK, and we are waiting to hear back. So, for the moment, Krazy Kat is out of the freezing weather and resting easy. KK has let both my son and me pet him without protest, so he is either not stressing or is just too tired to put up a fuss.
KK is actually the second stray to adopt the Allwoundup family. We brought three cats of our own when we moved into our current house five years ago. They are outdoor cats who have heated "cat houses" located on our covered front porch. Shortly after moving in to our house, an orange "tiger" adopted us. He was promptly dubbed "Garfield", and had obviously been someone's pet given his enjoyment being around people. He has his own heated cat house in a cellar under the house that has exterior door in which I installed a pet door.
KK started showing up semi-regularly on our front porch at feeding times about two years ago, and was unquestionably feral. My neighbor claims that KK lives under a shed on his property. Apparently, KK cohabitates with a ground hog who also lives under the shed....hey, live and let live, it's a very progressive neighborhood.
Our other cats give Krazy Kat a wide berth, as he will swat at them if they get too close. He hisses and makes guttural sounds at me at mealtimes, not unlike teenage sons, in my experience. Although Mrs. Allwoundup thinks me crazy, over the months I have been teaching Krazy Kat to "meow". I come out with food and he hisses and grunts. Withholding his food, I look him in the eyes, and in my softest grandmotherly voice say, "no, meoooow". Initially he would give me the same look my wife often shares with me. After awhile he began to attempt a "meow". It is a quavering sound, and he actually looks somewhat startled when he makes it, like, "that came out of me?"
Anyways, we hope to get him to a vet today, but he is resting easy at the moment, and doesn't appear to be stressing.
