random cat: we haz one

[rivendellrose]

So! Today after class, ninjascript (aka The Boy) and I got a ZipCar and went out to Ikea for some shelving units to outfit the office and living room. We stopped off at Fry's, too, to get thumb-drives. After that, we pulled into our parking lot to pick up some boxes we'd promised to nekokoban for her upcoming move... when we saw a tiny, skinny grey cat dart out from under the truck next to the ZipCar spot. We stopped, kitty zipped back under the truck... and I began to panic. Our apartment building, particularly the side that part of the parking lot faces, is on a very busy city street, and this kitty had no collar and looked like he hadn't eaten in days, if not longer. I got out of the car to try to see if I could see him, and he walked toward me, cried, and then walked away... and then walked back, crying again. Definitely no collar, but definitely not feral, and we definitely couldn't leave him there.

We tried to tag-team him from opposite sides of the truck for a little bit, but even though he was friendly enough to let me pet his head, he wouldn't let me grab him or wrap my sweater around him or anything. After a little while ninjascript ran up to get some kitty treats and the carrier to see if we could entice him out... and while he was gone, kitty decided he was more interested in getting petted than he was in staying out of my reach. At first I was too scared to really send him running to take advantage of that, but after a little while I decided I'd have to take my chance, and grabbed him. Poor thing didn't give me more than a token scratching attempt, and as soon as I started petting him again was rubbing against me almost as much as he was trying to wriggle out of my hands, so I was able to hold him tight until The Boy got back with the carrier.

Click the thumbnails below for full-size.





So now we have a teenage-kitten-type-cat in a little carrier in our bathroom with little bowls of food and water. He's crying on and off, but he quiets down whenever I go sit with him for a while, so I think it's more that he's upset about the cage than anything else. So far, we think he's eaten a few of the treats but not the actual food. Unfortunately, we're at our cat limit for the apartment, so he's going to have to go to the shelter tomorrow. I'm relieved to know he'll be off the street, but I can already tell it's going to break my heart to hand him over to a shelter - he's a gorgeous little guy, still almost a kitten, and he's so desperate for love and attention.

I'll be good of course. Can't have an illegal kitty in the apartment, no matter how cute he is. I just really hope he finds a good home. He looks like a really great little guy.

Important Question, though: I've never had to keep a cat overnight if they weren't... you know, my cat. We've given him food and water, but I don't know how we're going to give him a litter box. I think we're going to want to keep him in the bathroom, so we'll need to be able to go in and out without letting him out (or our cats in), so to me that sounds like Kitty gets to stay in the carrier. But what can we possibly use to give him something to use the bathroom on in there?

Problem solved. I gave up on keeping him in the carrier and gave him a shallow cardboard box with litter in it... in which he immediately flopped over to beg petting. I think that had more to do with being desperate for petting than not knowing what the box is for, but we'll see. And he has a towel in the carrier, now, for him to sleep on.

Comments

[sigelphoenix.livejournal.com]

Awww, poor sweetie. Good on you for picking him up - I just think about myself in that situation, and I fear I might've psyched myself out thinking all the reasons I *couldn't* take him into my home (breaking the cat limit rules, worrying my boys would freak).

Anyway, I hope you find a shelter that can take him - I'm sure there are important practical reasons that certain shelters can only take cats from certain areas, but I really wish you could just put him in the care of PAWS, where I know he'd have a good shot.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I did think of that a little, but in the end it turned into a "I can't leave him here, he has to go inside," decision. We're not keeping him, but I can't just abandon the little guy, either. And apart from sitting outside the door all the time staring, Theo and Random have been pretty cool about the whole thing.

About an hour ago, the plan was for me to spend the morning on the phone to shelters... but after spending more time in the bathroom with him, both of us have decided that we would feel better taking at least a few days to try to find a home for him instead. I'm a tad leery of that because of cat limits and all, but... honestly, it was looking like we'd have limited shelter options, and with this being kitten season I don't like our options very much.

So... know anybody who wants a cat? XD

[sigelphoenix.livejournal.com]

I will rack my brains! It seems like everyone I know who wants a cat is at their apartment limit ... I know miss_arel wants to get a cat when she gets to a cat-friendly apartment, but that would require you keeping him for much longer than a few days.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm having that same problem, including thinking immediately of miss_arel and then remembering she's still at the no-cats place. And yeah, we can't keep him that long. I think we might still be able to come up with somebody, though.