Fur and Feathers 4 Ever

I mentioned in a prior post that I would share my other cat soon and discuss the best ways of introducing a kitten to a feral cat. Teddy was adopted several months after Mitsy. She's the formerly feral kitten that has been the subject of my earlier posts.  I was concerned about how well they'd get along, but the first introduction went better than expected. There was some hesitation and hissing, but that's completely normal with feline introductions. Before long curiosity and the desire for play and companionship won them over.  Meet Teddy My Orange-Striped Tabby Cat  Teddy is a big orange-striped medium-hair tabby cat that grew larger than Mitsy, but he wasn't always the biggest. At three months of age, he was a little less than half her size. According to the former owner, he would be big like his father.  Teddy and Mitsy Teddy's father was thought to be a large stray orange-striped cat. Unfortunately, he was killed by a car, but I wouldn't let that happen to ...

Three years ago on a warm and breezy autumn evening, I heard what I first thought was the cry of a kildeer in the far end of the backyard. As I sat at the dining room table I soon realized that it wasn't a bird. It sounded more and more like a kitten in distress, and I had to investigate. I had been secretly wishing for a kitten, and maybe the cat distribution system had finally worked in my favor.  My cat Panda Bear was 13 years old, and the dreaded thought that he wouldn't always be around had crossed my mind more than once. Having a kitten or another cat to care for would soften the inevitable blow. I'll save that story for another post.  Anyway, after digging through one of two kitchen junk drawers for a working flashlight, I ventured outside as the sun sank below the trees and further darkened the landscape. Following the sound to the far corner of the one-acre yard brought me to a scrubby-looking bush and thick weeds in the neighbor's yard. I bent down to see the ...