So does anyone remember a long time ago (months now) that I mentioned a long-time feral Outdoorsie gray cat disappeared? Then he was suddenly back weeks later. Maybe 2 months, I can't remember now. Geez.

Anyway, when he left that second time, I really thought he had gone off to die. He was thin, horribly ratty fur, a gash in his cheek, runny eyes, and his 'limp' was still there in his back legs. He had been injured somehow months before and for awhile limped and shuffled along but managed to get up to the food table (they all climb little ladders). Poor guy was all but done.

LAST NIGHT! I see a strange cat on the feeding table. I go out to look, because from the 'cat cam' I have focused there, it seemed to be a ratty, gray, icky limping cat, WITH the distinguishing white swatch of fur on his hind leg. Couldn't be. He was so bad when he left before I just knew it was some other ratty cat.

I get outside and it's HIM! He's shuffling more, but doing well getting up and down the ladders and eating up a storm. I didn't bother him, but later saw him shuffling down the driveway and going somewhere to the West where the Peacock comes from.

This morning...I'm feeding the Outdoorsies and in the gate comes Gimpy (I'd named him that when he got hurt). He shuffles right up the ladder to the food dish, but stops for a bit to rub bodies with Mini-Me the new mom. He was her Number One guy when he lived here.

So up he comes, meowing the whole time (very weak meow, but still good). He eats, the other Outdoorsies allow him access (after all he was the dominant male all the time). I finally dared to get close and look at his 'condition'. Amazingly he's not skinny like he was. Backbone is not poking out, fur looks full although so dirty (dusty) that it's icky. He has a bare skin patch on his cheek where he had that injury but it looks clean and healed.

So I dared to touch him lightly and he didn't attack. Whew. Other than the horribly dirty look and the still drippy eyes (he always had eyes that looked like he had been crying), he seemed good. He's very wobbly, still back legs problem and front shaky too.

I am stumped. He's been gone so long, don't know where he was, must have had a good food source, is dirty dirty dirty and now hungry. I'm wondering if THIS time it's his last time and he's come home to die. He spent his whole life in my yard so maybe it's the time?

I went out just now to see where he was. I figured he had shuffled up the street like last night BUT he was curled up in the kitty bed, in the kitty tent, on the side table. He's sleeping. I think he might have slept there last night since the bed was disturbed and had some dirt on it. I had just washed the tent and bed a few days ago.

So now I wait again. Will he stay, will he clean himself up, will he go away or will he just sleep there until it's 'his time'? I can't imagine how much he's been through since leaving here. I've got to figure out how long he's been gone. Might make it easier to put it in perspective. Geez.

Gimpy is BACK.

AWwww...how sweet he found his way back "home". Hope it's for a long stay and nothing else.

Ana

Congrats Sorta.

He's settling in today. Been in the tent and the bed several times. Went under the feeding table where I have other beds on the chairs and empty chairs (for hot weather) with no beds. Unfortunately, the deck guard (Digger) is sleeping under the table and she doesn't want company.

He's been to the food dishes and water dish a bunch. Can't tell yet, but I'm thinking wherever he has been living for the past months is now 'unsafe' and he's back here where he knows the food and water are abundant. He's happily sleeping under the table on the deck.

I'm watching his breathing and despite his 'mobility problems, he seems to be looking Ok healthwise. Tummy is big from eating too much. I'm not putting out any more food for now.

I'm sure when I went out this morning and he kept up a constant and varied 'meow fest' to me, that he was trying to tell me something. Wish I spoke CAT!

How cool that you take care of the feral cats in the area. My daughter that lives in Florida does that too. She has one cat that she feeds and loves that stays by her house all the time- outside. Her neighbor said that he tried to pet the cat and it clawed him, so, it only loves my daughter now. If it is raining really bad she even brings it in the house. All creatures need a place to call home.

I find it hard to resist 'helping' those who wander into my yard and stay. I never bring them into the house though and only attempt to get close to those that need neutering/spaying. Sometimes it takes YEARS to get a feral to even come close enough to touch. I don't pick them up, or cuddle but some, like Ninja, has decided it's OK to stand on his hind feet and reach his head up to get a pet and a quick neck rub. He only does this when he wants. I don't try to pet or touch him otherwise and he won't have it either. Dangerous since the ferals and wanderers and eat all sorts of 'things' and who knows what diseases they could transfer.

I've adopted ferals before, but only when they were abandoned kittens that I could pick up and nurse back to health. No more indoorsies for me. Just the ferals. All sorts including possums, raccoons (seasonal) and of course the kitties. They live out their lives here with food and safety.

Now I'm just wondering what Gimpy will do. He's missing from the deck again. Might just have fed and watered and wandered 'home' again to wherever that might be now. Strange he lived here for years, disappeared, came back, disappeared again and now back again. I have so many questions that will never be answered.