Saga of the Kitties

A while back i wrote about White Kitty and Beat up Kitty/Grizzabella.

I have surmised that Beat up Kitty had two kittens.  One was a bit of a piggy and would wait on my doorstep for me to put out food so I called it Gorgie.  Then when Gorgie had 4 kittens I changed it to Georgie Girl.  The other kitten was more skittish and would only come to eat after I had gone into the house.  I called this one Other.  Just as Georgies kittens were getting big Other had a litter of  3 of her own.

The only Tom that we ever seen coming around was White Kitty.  In spite of the fact that White Kitty was a deadbeat dad and he was a bully towards all the other cats he was a very sweet and affectionate to people.  In fact he is the only one of the lot who has ever allowed himself to be petted.  Because of this and the fact that he always wore a collar, I assumed that White Kitty belonged to somebody. I have discovered since, that he is a street cat that one of the neighbors put a collar on in an attempt to protect him if he should happen to get into trouble with the authorities.  A couple down the street were going to take him in but for reasons I don't know they changed their mind, another neighbor wanted to take him in,  but she already has a cat with feline HIV that has to be isolated from other cats.  I found out just over a week ago that everyone else on the street calls White Kitty, Jake and that he is homeless.

The past summer we had 5 little kittens, two bigger kittens and Grizabella living in hideaways, under steps, sheds or decks.  White Kitty and the occasional neighborhood cat, and raccoon would come around looking for a handout too. My next door neighbor puts food on her front step and I put food on my back deck.  I know there are others in the neighborhood that feed them too. 

When the weather started getting cold I put an old comforter under the bench in the backyard and put a sheet of Styrofoam to block the wind.  In the front I put a basket with some old towels.  By the time the weather got very cold only three of the kittens were coming around daily and utilizing the sleeping quarters.  White Kitty still shows up every now and chases everyone off.  Grizabella shows up rarely (looking like she has found someplace to care for her),  Georgie and Other have been missing for a very long time,  Georgies 4 kittens too.  It was confirmed that one had been hit by a car. 

My  next door neighbor has created a kitty house that makes my makeshift basket look like low income projects.  A Rubbermaid storage container with 4 inches of hay and a lid.  she has cut a cat size opening to protect as much as possible from the elements.  The three little ones switch between our doorsteps.  They are almost always hanging out when I get home from work chowing down on their dinner but they still expect a cup of dry food from me too.

Just over a week...or maybe two weeks ago I came home to find the three and one who I thought was Grizabella.  When I got closer I realized that the big cat was more white than Grizzie,  but had the same size and demeanor.  New Beat Up Kitty stuck around when she realized this place was good for some grub.  On the weekend, when White Kitty dropped by, New Beat Up Kitty let out that kitty howl that every ally cat responds to.  In spite of the call there was a scuffle between White Kitty and New Beat Up Kitty. (cats don't fall in love the way that people do).  One morning I went to fill up the backyard bowl and New Beat Up Kitty was staying under the bench.  She ran when I came out but she looked like she had been in a ferocious fight.  On my way out to work my neighbor flagged me down to tell my that White Kitty had been in a fight and was hurt.  She decided to call the Annex Cat Rescue to ask that they rescue White Kitty.  I had to agree that it was a good idea.  Unlike the other kitties, White Kitty was catchable, if he was injured he would need some real care.  They will clean him up and "fix" him up and I feel confident that he will finally find a forever home where he will get the love that he craves.

White Kitty has been gone for almost a week.  I have not seen New Beat Up Kitty.  I hope that she is okay somewhere.   For all I know she may have a home.  I may be mistaken but I think that now that the bully cat is gone the others are settling down and seem less skittish.  Perhaps in time they too will be rescued and find loving homes off of the streets.