Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No


Could you say no to this face?


And Romie is my male counterpart. That's convenient, isn't it? I mentioned that we'd had a couple of stray cats hanging out at Our Little Acre for the last month or so. Where do they come from? If only they could speak English, we'd know. Regardless, this is where so many end up, looking for something to eat, a safe place to sleep, and a little loving care.

When the scared skinny black one and the buff-colored friendly one first showed up, Romie called them Blackie and Blondie. This clearly went against his own rule of not naming any strays until they let us pet them. But when two cats show up at the same time (coincidence?), you have to have a way to distinguish between them as you discuss their futures.

Blackie is clearly the most fearful of the two. We haven't been able to get the least bit close to him, not even close enough to determine if he is indeed a 'him'. But Blondie has warmed up to us quite nicely and since he's a very definite 'him,' I nixed the Blondie moniker. We tossed around a few names, and settled on Buffy. I know that's a girl's name, too, but I like it better than Blondie and Buffy Cat won't know the difference anyway.

I haven't seen Blackie for a couple of days, but I'm sure we'll see him again soon.


Meanwhile, Buffy has very definitely adopted us, so we'll be taking him in to be neutered and immunized soon. He follows me all around the garden, much to Max's chagrin. After all, a big part of the gardens here belong to him and he hasn't taken kindly to the new intruder. But I'm lovin' him up a little extra these days just to show him there's always room in our hearts for one more.

He should know that from experience.


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's how I ended up my cat "Mooch". He showed up one day looking for a free meal (hench the name Mooch, lol). It's been a year now and I couldn't imagine our family without him. They steal your heart. :)

Benjamin Vogt said...

He's a very fine looking cat. Lucky you to have such a guy adopt you.

O.I.M said...

oh this is too funny....I also have a cat Mooch who showed up looking for a free meal. She's been with us for 10 years now!

A few summer's ago I was looking after two strays...I wasn't ever really able to get close to either one of them but they appreciated the food. I even built winter shelters for them and would find them sleeping in there during big snow storms.

I named one Scruffs McTaggart. He was just about the saddest cat ever and as much as I tried I could never gain his trust. After about a year of visits, he disappeared one day and never returned. The other was called Bunk. He was the most fearful cat I have ever seen. He disappeared once too for about six months. Then one night he appeared at the back door, looking as if he'd been dragged for miles under a truck. My heart broke. I immediately set out some food and water. He had his meal and ambled off. That was the last time I would see Bunk alive. The poor little guy found a spot under the back deck and passed away. I laid him to rest under the big yew in the backyard. I'm sure he came back to say goodbye. I still have a good cry every now and then about Scruffs and Bunk.

I'm sorry this is such a long comment, but your Buffy brought the memories flooding back. I have no doubt Max will come around and realize just how much love there is to go around. And I'm sure Buffy will return the love you give in spades.

Cheers
Irena

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

No Kylee, I certainly could not say no to that sweet kitty face or to any other kitty face in need of some help. It's clear that we both are unable to turn our backs on a kitty in need. Glad your Romie feels exactly the same.

Buffy is adorable and it's nice to read that he has warmed up to you. Blackie needs a little more time but s/he will learn to trust you too. My Macavity did too even if it took him more than a year. Give the Bufster a hug from me and I hope everything goes well with the neutering and vaccinations.

Kylee Baumle said...

Perennial Garden Lover ~ Love that name! And yes, they do steal your heart, especially when you envision them out there trying to make it on their own. :-(

Ben ~ Yeah, well, I wish we'd quit being so lucky! This one makes nine...

Irena ~ Oh, what a touching comment! I got choked up just reading it. Those of us that love cats don't look at them as just an animal. When you learn how to "read" them, they definitely speak to you.

Yolanda Elizabet ~ Buffy thanks you for the hug by purring! Kara and Adam were adopted by a kitty recently and they wanted us to take her. She was adorable, but we had to say no, because of cats like Blackie and Buffy just showing up here. It seems like there's one or two every summer that find their way here.

Jeeves is just most handsome kitty! I love the tuxedo cats, especially when they have those black goatees like Jeeves has. If you can't find a home for him, is there a chance you will you keep him?

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I am glad that sweet face isn't looking at me directly. I would melt. I think Buffy is the perfect name for him. This is the time of year that Buff-breasted Sandpipers migrate through our area. Their nick name is Buffy. It doesn't matter if they are male or female.

Victoria Williams said...

How great that you're adopting them. I've been feeling kitty-poor lately with only our one.

Bethany said...

I love your blog and photography. I was reading along hoping so much you were going to mentioned getting him neutered. Too many kittens int he world without homes. So nice to stumble across such a concientious, kind hearted person with a rocking garden!!!

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

No! I couldn't say "no" to that face! What a precious sweetie he is!!!!! Those eyes would get me too. We've compared notes before and realized we have the same stray cat magnetism so I completely understand.

Hugs and purrs,
Cindy

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