This is Tux, our new house cat; her journey to this point has been a remarkable one. It started in March of last year. On a cold dark night, I stepped onto the covered side porch and out sprang a tiny and terrified kitten from underneath some boxes. We have seen cats around before, but this was different. We put food and water out, and Tux, as she became known, would come up and eat. We would get fleeting glances of her. We would use binoculars to try to get a better look at her. Over the next few months, Tux would peer in through the sliding glass door. At times two of our other cats would look at her. At which point, she would scurry away.
As this went on, the question came to mind. What are we going to do with her? Outdoor cats do not live long around here. Between a busy road, coyotes, and foxes, cats do not last long outside. We think she was dumped with the rest of her litter. The rest went into the field across from us never to be seen again. Tux, on the other hand, crossed the road and took refuge here. She rarely came out at night. We would only see her during the day. This habit was the thing that kept her alive outside.
In August, we traped her days before she gave birth to four kittens. The kittens grew up being with people. But Tux was still terrified of us. Over the ensuing months, we started to gain her trust. So what now? Keep her as a barn cat? Same problems as before. Michelle and I kept thinking could she become a house cat? We brought her inside, and she started to adapt to the life of a house cat.
Then it was her turn to go to the vet to get fixed. Everything went well at the vet. That was until they remarked to us about her age. Based on her teeth, the vet thought she was around six to seven years old!!
Our first theory went out the window. Over the years, we would see a black and white cat like her at night. We thought it must have been her mother. Also, our cat Socks we know was dumped across the road a year before. So with this new information, we started to piece together a timeline of events.
We now think Tux was someone's house cat that on occasion would go out at night. Socks, we believe, was one of her offspring. We believe Tux's owner died or moved and left her to fend for herself. There is no telling how long she was out on her own.
Tux now likes to look out the sliding glass door. But she never shows any desire to revert back to her former life as an outside cat. She will spend the rest of her days in a warm house where she will be loved and cared for.
The view from the other side is a lot better!!
As this went on, the question came to mind. What are we going to do with her? Outdoor cats do not live long around here. Between a busy road, coyotes, and foxes, cats do not last long outside. We think she was dumped with the rest of her litter. The rest went into the field across from us never to be seen again. Tux, on the other hand, crossed the road and took refuge here. She rarely came out at night. We would only see her during the day. This habit was the thing that kept her alive outside.
In August, we traped her days before she gave birth to four kittens. The kittens grew up being with people. But Tux was still terrified of us. Over the ensuing months, we started to gain her trust. So what now? Keep her as a barn cat? Same problems as before. Michelle and I kept thinking could she become a house cat? We brought her inside, and she started to adapt to the life of a house cat.
Then it was her turn to go to the vet to get fixed. Everything went well at the vet. That was until they remarked to us about her age. Based on her teeth, the vet thought she was around six to seven years old!!
Our first theory went out the window. Over the years, we would see a black and white cat like her at night. We thought it must have been her mother. Also, our cat Socks we know was dumped across the road a year before. So with this new information, we started to piece together a timeline of events.
We now think Tux was someone's house cat that on occasion would go out at night. Socks, we believe, was one of her offspring. We believe Tux's owner died or moved and left her to fend for herself. There is no telling how long she was out on her own.
Tux now likes to look out the sliding glass door. But she never shows any desire to revert back to her former life as an outside cat. She will spend the rest of her days in a warm house where she will be loved and cared for.
The view from the other side is a lot better!!
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