Here's the surprise conclusion and a dose of good karma. Did I keep the lost cat and give him a crypto name? Well...
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After a full week of caring for the lost cat I rescued from the curb, I was one day away from a favor from a local vet assistant to get him scanned for a potential chip. With COVID, vets and pet associations were refusing to scan him. If he wasn't chipped, I'd have more options.
My friends had checked local apps and listings for lost pets to no avail. I also regularly walked by where I found him to look for signs, but absolutely nothing. Maybe he was really lost and not from the area, or he was thrown out with all of the awesome gadgets I salvaged, which felt like a girlfriend throwing her ex's stuff out. Maybe the cat was his?
I hadn't named him yet because I didn't want to get attached. I didn't even try to think of one. He was very sweet and affectionate, but very whiny. He always wanted to be out in the hallway of my building on the window sills. When I gave him what he wanted, he'd still cry. The wails were starting to get to me. They were really bad and could be heard throughout the building. If they phased out, he'd be a perfect cat. If he would remain this way, I'm not sure how anyone could handle him. Maybe that's another potential reason why he was out on the street.
Anyway, if you look closely at the pic above, the cat is on my bed, but not on my comforter. He's on a shower curtain liner I got out of desperation. He had ruined my bedding with several bouts of diarrhea before getting used to the litter box. He also went on one of my pillows. Sigh. Truth be told, I was forced to sleep with the liner as an outer blanket so I didn't wake up in another mess. = hot.
I'm patient, but my patience was being tested.
Other than these snafus, he was nice to have around.
After the first week passed, I brought him up to my neighbor's apartment so she could meet him and watch him while I did some errands. She loves cats and watches over our elderly neighbor's cat daily. Cat-worry-free, I went out and even finally handled the dreaded task of... ugh... laundry.
My neighbor had fun with the furball. He was totally at home in her place and perfectly social without any fear. This was promising.
...Laundry sucked.
...Then FATE played out on my walk back and things changed fast...
The Surprise
"Yea, that looks like him," I thought. It was a clear match based on where the sign was. Window... ahhh, yes, obsessed with windows. He even thought my TV was a window or a portal.
Without hesitation, I called. Someone answered. She lived a block away, exactly where I found him. She had gone away for the weekend and left a window slightly open. "Oscar" (I don't agree with the name choice - ha) slid out, even leaving his fur that was pulled out from the tight escape as evidence.
She would come over ASAP. I had to get home and say my goodbye. I was happy to help, but a little sad.
Right before Oscar's owner arrived.
The foreign woman was a bit aloof and a slight hot mess, but she showed proof that it was her cat. She laughably accidentally showed me a sexy pic of herself posing in a bathing suit in a waterfall after saying she was recently divorced.... or was it an accident?
She didn't even know how to get him in the tiny cat carrier, so I had to disassemble the top and figure it all out for her. That felt weird as I hoped that she was a capable pet owner. It turns out that he wasn't chipped, so the sign on a light post a week late was the saving grace.
The reunion was very underwhelming, but he belonged to her, and her young son. I mentioned that he ruined my bedding, but she didn't offer any help for that. Oh well. The offer would've been refused, but it would've been nice of her to try.
After a few minutes, she and Oscar were gone. Blah.
I was down for a day or two, but knew I did the right thing. Duh. There was no choice. I was able to take care of Oscar for over a week and keep him safe and happy until the owner posted their signs. It was nice to experience a pet for a little bit again, two years after mine died suddenly from the C-word. Ironically, she said that she posted signs earlier, but severe thunderstorms ruined them.
Well, I thought that was it... then the vet assistant who met me to give me her carrier (in a tight pink dress trying her best) sent me offers for 3 kittens over the next week. Some pics had her in the same dress! I suppose that some good can come out of this with her connections at her clinic for a kitten when I'm ready. It'll have to be after baseball season.
Here's a video of two of the kittens up for grabs for your entertainment. They were found under a boardwalk.
Not sure how I feel about black cats and superstition. I'd also feel bad about splitting them up. One has nice blue eyes.
The other kitten was a mackerel tabby just like Oscar, being put up for adoption by an elderly woman who needed to move into assisted living.
I haven't bit at any yet. It's too soon and I'm not excited to perform extended litter box training.
Closure
As a nice gesture, the Mom sent two videos of her son thanking me, and this picture of their reunion. Oscar is only a block away, but definitely where he should be.
I thanked her and felt better about bringing joy to a child. One day, I'd like to feel some more of that.
Well, that's the finale. I saved a cat that escaped, cared for it for a week with a lot less sleep, and then found the owner so it could be reunited with a distraught kid.
Thoughts? Was this the predictable ending you expected?
Thanks for your time and support,
Matt
I thought you can keep it, but I know what it means to lose a cat and then get it back, especially for a kid.
You did the right thing. And you'll get your cat when you're ready.
That's a cool story, you never know he might be back!
Sounds like yer in with the owner too.
@tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 16/32)
Yea, he's a coiled spring to escape. Ha - asking to come see Oscar would be the easiest line in the world. Thanks for stopping by.