(10/08/12) Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes...

I received the following email from a work colleague:

"This cat was abandoned by our neighbor when his house was foreclosed on :(.  The cat has been hanging around our house for a few months now- she is very friendly and gets along with dogs and kids! My husband is allergic, so we can't let her inside. Now that it is getting cold, we are thinking about taking her to a no kill shelter, but I thought I would ask if anyone wants to give her a home first. I heard she is spayed and is fairly young. Please let me know if you or anyone you know is interested."

So, George and I have tossed around the idea of a dog or a third cat for quite a while now. The dog just isn't going to work. We are not home on a regular schedule and it would not be fair. We live vicariously with Sutty when we are able to borrow him, and that's all we can manage. So, the discussion turned back to the third cat. We have not been actively pursuing this because we have two oddballs already and are very nervous about upsetting the apple cart. Adding the wrong third cat could make everyone unhappy and that is the last thing that we want. So, we figured at the bare minimum, we could catch this cat, crate it in our basement, get it to the vet's for a check up and then see how it goes. If it does not work out, I know a ton of no-kill rescue groups that could help us re-home it.

So I drove all the way to Ranson, WV tonight, intending to catch the cat and drive back to Frederick for a 6:10 PM vet appointment. The cat was M.I.A. and was not interested in being found. We looked for two hours and finally gave up. Driving home, we got a call that the cat was back and had been caught. We turned around and met halfway for the hand off. Kitty rode home mostly quietly while I sang to her and if I asked her a question, she mewed a response. A was impressed that we have a very mellow traveler! She rubbed happily against my fingertips I had slid in the front grate holes.

The cat is currently settled in a metal crate (the size for a Westie) with a litter pan, some old towels, food and water. We draped the outside with old towels so the cat feels secure. The dehumidifier should run all night as constant noise. This will also be good so the other girlies can't hear if she starts to cry. The cat ate right away and settled down easily. I need to call the vet in the morning so we can get an appointment. Until then, we are washing our hands in and out of visiting the cat so we don't transfer germs in either direction.  I am crossing my fingers that it all works out because George already named her -- meet "Penny Lane".