catheroominations

For the last couple of weeks, a tortoiseshell kitten with beautiful green eyes has visited our patio. The first time it came around, I noticed it was wearing a collar with a license hanging from it, and a flea collar. Obviously kitty belonged to someone, so I wasn’t concerned that it was hungry. I thought about writing down the license number and calling San Jose Animal Services to make sure the kitty wasn’t reported lost, but just like a cat, it tired of my attention and jumped over the wall of our patio for further exploration, before I could get the number. The next time Kitty came over, the license was gone, and so was the collar.

Yesterday the flea collar was missing.

This morning the kitty was at our front door, so I picked it up. It purred and kneaded my shoulder and made tiny mews while head butting my chin. So cute! There have been no LOST KITTY signs posted in our complex, but this little kitty was being missed by someone. Matte looked on craigslist and found nothing, so he and I agreed to take the little cutie to the shelter, so its owners could hopefully find it.

First, I tried the Humane Society. On the way there, Kitty cried to be let out of the carrier. I tried to reason with it, of course, as if that would do any good. Kitty cried. I comforted. This went on for awhile. I put my fingers through the grate, to pet the kitty’s face.
Suddenly there was a smell in the car. A bad smell. Dang! Kitty had some heinous gas! P U! Upon further investigation, I discovered it was a bit more than gas. Kitty had taken a dump in the carrier. A gross, smelly, steaming dump. The smell was suffocating me with just the AC on, so even though I was driving on the freeway, I opened the windows. The road noise made the kitty more upset and it protested more loudly, but the fresh air was…well…a breath of fresh air.

We arrived at the Humane Society and I took Kitty in, poop and all. (I was afraid if I tried to clean up the mess, Kitty might escape from its purple prison.) The odor followed us everywhere, as the kitty had stepped in and sat in the offensive turd. Poor baby.

I took Kitty to the counter and they told me they only take kittens smaller than 2 lbs, unless it is from one of the cities on their list. San Jose was not on that list. (sigh) They provided me a map (so helpful!) to the other shelter, so Kitty and I went back to the car. During the ride, Kitty quieted a bit and became more comfortable, while also smearing more mess all over herself. Ugh. I opened the sunroof for more ventilation.

Halfway there, the sweet little mews began to change, becoming deeper and more like mumbles. I knew that sound. Surely the kitty wasn’t going to..nope, here it goes…the mmp-mmp-mmp sound. Sure enough, Kitty puked in the carrier.

Awesome.

I arrived at the second shelter and took the pooping-puking feline in. The shelter girl removed the kitty from the carrier, while trying not to inhale, and put it in a cage. She started cleaning up the biohazard and said the little kitty had worms. (I decided to let the shelter keep the carrier, because well…EW!) I told her that someone was missing this kitty, and mentioned seeing the license earlier. Kitty got scanned for a microchip. No chip. People, please. If you let your cat outside, CHIP IT! I hope the owners call the shelter looking for their pet, but they’d better not let that kitty go back home (or to any home) as an outdoor kitty, without a chip.

Matte and I don’t ever let Daphne outside, but after this adventure, we are chipping her…once we get her a new carrier. I’m sure she will yell and scream at me in her carrier, but she’d better not relieve herself or hurl in my freshly-detailed car.