Another Smokey

Last summer an outside cat kept visiting our porch to sneak a peak at Dolly and Sammie. He was gray and white, and I named him Smokey. I fed him on the porch but never let him come in contact with the girls. He hung around a few months but stopped coming around last fall. I think I still see him every now and then in the neighborhood, but he was truly at outside cat who could fend for himself.

Last weekend I was talking on the phone outside on our deck when I noticed a small cat sitting down below. She acted as if she wanted to come up on the porch, but couldn't jump that high. I walked around to the front door, and she came running and met me there. At first, we thought she was declawed, so we put her in the garage since she obviously belonged to someone. It turns out that she does have claws, but was rather small and loving. She wasn't a kitten but not a full grown cat either. I couldn't stand letting her on the streets again, so we made flyers Sunday and put them up at almost a dozen stop signs in our neighborhood.



On Sunday night, we received a call from woman who said the cat belongs to her neighbor and is sometimes an outside cat. She gave us the address, but it was dark and late, so we kept "Smokey" inside another night. I played with her during the day and probably got a little too attached, but on Monday afternoon, David walked to the house, and the owner confirmed it was his cat and she had "accidentally" escaped. A friend of his had been in the hospital, and he hadn't been home much. I had mixed feelings about returning her even though I knew we couldn't keep her. I just want people to be responsible and take of their animals and not let them roam around the neighborhood, especially if they aren't spayed or neutered. I realize they escape at times, but I still think it's strange the actual owner never called us about the cat. It was a neighbor who cared enough to tell us.