|
|
|
|
|
A couple of weeks ago, Jason and I noticed this little kitty hanging around outside, near the basement of our building. She used a small window to crawl into the basement for shelter and someone had left some food for her. In spite of a slightly scraggly appearance, she was not alarmingly thin nor injured.
It began innocently enough... we started adding to her food dish. Then, we began to slowly build her trust and within days, she was purring and rubbing against our legs as soon as we came outside to see her. This is no feral cat--she's a bit skittish, but seems not to have major trust issues with humans.
On Monday, I bought her a little fleece blanket and spread it on the cardboard box where she usually sleeps (it's not as cold as the concrete). She purred her head off and immediately got comfy on it. That night, I told Jason that I'd lose all faith in humanity if someone steals the fuzzy red blanket from our girl.
When we went down the next morning, we found that, not only had no one stolen her blanket, but someone had fashioned a bed for her in an old dresser drawer. Now she had two cozy places to sleep! My day was made by this heartwarming gesture. We are not the only ones looking out for this sweetest of felines!
Jason wants very much to bring this kitty home, adding to our duo of felines and shifting the feline-to-human ratio in their favor. I'm not sure it's a good idea, seeing as how we already have two cats requiring food, litter and vet care. Not to mention the fact that one of them is an increasingly testy old lady (nearly 13!) who is unlikely to take kindly to a sprightly new addition.
Then, there are the logistics. Right now, we only have one litter box. With three cats, we'd need two. The one box we have now is problematic enough--where to put it and how to manage the odor in our small apartment are just two concerns we've been facing.
Much as I'd love to keep her, I'm of the opinion that we should take this kitty to a shelter. With a bath and some TLC, she'll be adopted in no time--she's absolutely darling and, after being starved of attention, she relishes every pet.
Thoughts?
As a former 3-cat-to-1-person household member particularly in a studio apartment, it can be done. And activated charcoal is your friend. In fact, in Japan, that is what they use to get rid of every odor there is. It's a little harder to find in the states, but it's there. One box can be used for 3 kitties, but you have to keep it very clean. I suggest a daily scooping if you don't go to the automatic variety (highly recomended BTW).
Posted by: Marney at March 26, 2009 01:58 PM