Like I Need This Right Now

Have you ever tried to do something nice for someone and it backfires in all kinds of ways? Not that I don't ever want to stop doing nice things for people, but when something like this happens, you find yourself hesitating the next time something like this comes up. You may even put in place a little personal policy in your head to prevent the same outcomes from happening again. All of my Facebook buddies know all about this, and it's been fun reading everyone's comments. I thought I should post more of the detailed story side over here. I purposely do not put detailed personal stuff on Facebook. Facebook will own it forever, and they just don't need to. Here is my last ten days, ready?

Tue. 7/28: Talking to a friend on the phone. She exclaims that suddenly a little kitten comes scampering into her home. Both are quite startled. The summary of that call, if she can't find the owner, I know a friend who runs a cat rescue and could take the kitten there if needed. That was the nice thing I offered that started this whole turn of events.

Wed. 7/29: Friend calls and asks if I can come and take kitten to the rescue. She warns me he is a little frightened and maybe a bit wild. I should have listened. Friend has to work but assures me her young roommate will open the door and help me. Turns out the roommate is terrified of cats. However, roommate moves a piece of furniture and little bundle of fuzz comes out and I grab him. He in turn wiggles around and drives his needle sharp teeth into my left index finger. I take my other hand and scruff him, take my bloody hand and hold the back of his body so his hind legs don't shred my arm. What in the world? This thing is as big as one of my hands. I have never in my life seen such a small kitten act so incredibly wild.

The roommate brings me my cat carrier and I toss him in. I also borrow her sink and soak my bloody left hand. I take him home and leave him in the carrier, in our basement and collect my thoughts.

I call my doctor's office asking how seriously I should take this bite. The secretary asks me "Can you come in right now?" Seriously? Yes, seriously.

After much phone calling, turns out the little turkey is feral. No one takes feral cats, except our local animal control, who will put him down. I call the feral cat people, and they will fix him and vaccinate him, then turn him loose. Well, okay. Hands down, everyone I spoke to said it was such a shame for that to be his lot in life since he is so young, and could be rehabilitated if someone just gave him the time.

Hubbie comes home after I call him telling how my being helpful has just turned into a nightmare. I have a cat bite from a cat that no one, even us, wants. The hubbie was very clear, "He is your project." No one in our house wanted anything to do with the kitten we had named Spawn of Satan at that point. Why? Well, if you approached the cat carrier from about 3 to 5 feet, he hissed and scrambled. He was scary to be around.

Thu. 7/30: I go to get a round of antibiotics and an updated tetanus shot.

I looked all over for help. I posted to craigslist that this guy needed a home or he was going to animal control. I got a great offer from a gal who would take him as a barn cat on her property if I could get him fixed.

Now we're getting somewhere. I call the feral cat people and they can fix him and will allow me to free him as a barn cat. Again, so sad because such a young kitten could be tamed.

In the meantime, he is on full cat carrier arrest. I am scared to death to open the carrier, put food in, take the little cat litter box out, etc. However, I do it. Spawn seems to be chilling out and doesn't once lunge at me. He hisses, but even that starts to dissipate.

Spawn of Satan in the first 24 hours.

Sun. 8/2: The worst happens. The little stinker got loose in our basement. Fears? Lots. What if he attacks one of the kids or one of our other animals? If your basement is anything like mine, it is cluttered from floor to ceiling. How am I going to catch this guy? I close off the basement to everyone and go to bed hoping that nothing else worse happens.

Mon. 8/3: Sitting in my office, in the basement, I can hear him moving around me. Ever seen Cujo? Yeah, kind of afraid this is the cat version of that about to take place. Is he going to take a flying leap at me and gouge my eyes out?

Suddenly I see this little paw behind a box playing with a cord to a purse as a toy. He's playing?? He hasn't done that once since his capture. Interesting. I might have a lure here.

My plan, don't feed him. When he is good and hungry I will put the most luscious food in the carrier and string up a line to pull the door shut to capture him. It worked, but didn't. The little guy actually lunged against the door and pushed it open after I pulled it shut.

That evening, after the kids were in bed. I was sitting at my computer, and he came up to a shelving unit looking down at me. Not hissy and mean, but let's remember Cujo. He hesitatingly tries to approach me. I put my leather glove on. He finally falls off the computer console onto my inbox, and I grab him. Howling, yowling, biting, scratching, etc. I have him by the tail, and I rush to put him in the cat carrier, where he, again, throws his little body against the door to escape. Smart!

I came away from that exchange very sad. I saw the soft side of him and I took that little bit of trust away by manhandling him like I did. So sad.

Tue. 8/4: We allow Spawn to be free in our bathroom so that he does get out a bit. I have figured out a way to corral him back into the carrier without a leather glove. We figure this is a good thing. The huge rule to all household members--you must close the bathroom door. If you go in with him, he hides. He won't go after anyone, so you're fine, but you must leave the door closed.

As we are getting ready to leave for our summer day camp I walk past the boy's bedroom and see a glimpse of a tail going under a dresser. Yep, the boy's left the bathroom door open. Now, we have to do the capture thing again. I am upset.

The day wears on and I realize the little squirt has gotten himself into the top drawer of a dresser. If I open it a bit, he sees me, and comes up to me sniffing. No hissing. The hubbie comes home and gets the leather gloves. No luck, Spawn escapes to the dark recesses of the bottom side of the bunk bed. However after I leave for work, the hubbie does the whole grabbing, howling, yowling, scratching, biting capture that is upsetting.

And what are we waiting for in all of this? For the little guy to get a smidge bigger so we can get him fixed and outta here!

8/4-8/7: The change emerges.
The routine becomes this. Spawn stays in the carrier at night. During the day, he gets the bathroom. I am the bathroom monitor to prevent any open doors.

I also purchase a cat toy with a bell on it. Spawn is frightened of it at first. After a few hours, you can hear the tinkling of the bell in the bathroom. He begins playing with it.

He also stops the hissing as we approach the cage. Spawn is still quite jumpy and distrustful. Won't let you pet him. But the violent fear is gone. He is getting to know us. As we see small signs of him becoming more tame, the hubbie says to me, "Hmmm.....maybe we should tame him? What do you think?" Wow! Okay, let's try it. However, I reserve the right to back out at anytime. I also still keep looking for an owner, it could be us, but not going to determine that yet. I am still back at "maybe we should tame him?"

Fri. 8/7: I have given Tyrone (no longer Spawn of Satan) the same wicker basket that Pablo and Tasha had when they first arrived. I have also put a cushion in it with some catnip on it. Interesting effect with that. Usually we would walk into the bathroom, and you would see his tail disappear under the cabinet. With this basket and catnip, he would stay in the basket as you came and left. Interesting, he is getting used to us. He also likes catnip.

Tyrone you ask? Yes, well, it's hard to sell the idea of a kitten to someone if Spawn of Satan is their name. The kids, in keeping with the tradition of naming our pets after Backyardigans characters decide on Tyrone. We are running out of Backyardigans characters, so maybe we'll stop taking in pets like the local pound!

Tyrone under the bathroom cabinet.

Tyrone enjoying the basket that has catnip.

Late late this night I go into the bathroom and turn the light on. Tyrone looks up at me blinking at the light, purring. At this point, he has been purring at us for a few days, usually in association with food. I reach down and the following video came from that exchange:

I am utterly amazed at what ten days has done to this feral kitten. You can totally see he isn't all lap cat and snuggles. He is quite tentative and cautious. But what a change in ten days! I went to bed with tears in my eyes. I think this little guy won't get the gas chamber or the barn! I think we might have a success story on our hands.

This week, which began today, is to put up an old baby gate that we have to the bathroom. We want all the animals to see and sniff each other without injury. Hoping we don't have any huge skirmishes with this endeavor. We are also hoping that Tyrone having a view of us coming and going will continue to help him see and trust humans. We definitely want to keep building on that success.

Next week, my hubbie and kids will be gone. I'll have the house to myself and the pets. The plan is to let Tyrone have our office space (not basement) to explore. I can sit and do work in it from the laptop. I am hoping we can just keep this success growing. My hope is to have him trusting enough to sit on a lap purring by the end of that week.

I'll keep you posted.

Think of this story when you offer to do a favor next time. You could end up on a course of antibiotics, a band-aid on your arm, and a feral cat that steals your family's heart. Good grief!