I gave up on the cage and I’ve been trying to get her to come inside. Of course with my cat, that’s almost impossible even when I lock her in the bedroom. I have been sitting on the porch floor while she eats at night if I have time, and she of course doesn’t take her eyes off me. I’ve recently been able to get her to sniff my finger tips but she backs away every time and makes a face. I’m wondering if you have any suggestions? My mother is an avid reader of your colum and told me about your situation, and suggested I write to you. I hope I do and Thank you so much for your time!

Sincerely, Jessica Skye

The little orange kitty is a cutie, and a keeper!
You can’t argue with fate!

I like the name Tiger lily, you can always call her Lily for short.

Thanks

The Cosmic Feline Distribution Office (CFDO) has decided it’s time for you to take in another kitty. You can’t fight the CFDO. They know where you live. Please keep caring for and coaxing your little girl. She’s adorable.

I agree Topaz would be a perfect name for her.

Two years ago I lost a very much loved, mellow cat friend. He’d been hanging around our neighborhood for years and eating with our outside kitty. He was a big kitty (17 pounds at his heathliest) and I thought he was merely two-timing other humans. One night he jumped away from the food as though it had bitten him. I took him to the vet and found out he had a terrible mouth infection due to Feline Aids. Most of his teeth had to be pulled and he immediately became an inside kitty forever after. His wonderful vet and her associates kept him going for about 3 years, but eventually he developed a huge tumor and had to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Even though I knew he had a fatal illness and knew his time with me was up, I really grieved for him.

Two weeks later, someone I worked with on Travis AFB found a 3-4 week kitten in the Travis housing area. He and his family heard meowing for two days. They kept searching and searching and finally found him under a clump of grass. The family already had the allowable number of animals for the TAFB housing area, so my co-worker asked around if anyone would like a kitten.

I really felt it was too early to have another cat and I had intended to take in one of the older kitties who have such a hard time being placed when I felt ready. I asked my co-worker to take the kitten to the weekend shows at the SPCA because I felt deeply, deeply disloyal to be thinking about another cat so soon.

Two weekends went by and due to the number of kittens already available, the kitten was not placed and I had agreed if he didn’t find a home I would take him.

The CFDO prevailed and little Scruffy rode home with me two weeks later. He’d been dearly loved as only a helpless kitten can be. The family was really sad to part with him. He came with 5 or 6 toys, a box of kitten food and a box of litter.

He’s 2 now and doing well. He greets me with purring and stretches up to me when I get home. He’s certainly got his own ideas about things, though. He recently achieved his lifetime goal of removing all the material from under the box springs. Tee, hee. He also likes to put his toys in the water bowl.

I love him very much and am very glad I have him.

Jane Lowell

We found a feral kitty hidden in our front yard who looked much like yours.

We captured her after weeks of feeding her. She would follow me around as I gardened, but never get close enough for me to touch. She would “paw” me as I bent my head over a plant.

To ensure she was healthy before we introduced her to our indoor cat, we kept her isolated in a cage for a next day vet visit. My husband already name her Cat Stevens. Oh no!

Unfortunately, she tested positive for feline leukemia. The prognosis wasn’t good and she was euthanized. Sad, but I wouldn’t trade the time my buddy and I puttered around the garden together. I didn’t have to look far to find her if I was in the yard, and she was never far away.

We missed her. Stevens is a good name. ( :

Claudia and Jon