During my recent move to a new location approximately forty miles away, I decided to help Tommy, my sweet outside cat, find a new home where he would be fed and loved. Knowing that he was a barn cat who loved roaming freely among the barn and the hay fields, I was concerned that he would be on his own for his food.
Tommy had appeared suddenly, as a small white kitten who frequented three different houses adjacent to the farm in 2014. He was adopted by the neighboring children and had acquired the names, Snowball, and Tummy Tuff, as was evidenced by his beautiful coat of white fur. It wasn't long until he gravitated toward my house having observed that I was the only one in the three homes who was home most of the day. He gradually became my pet. Tommy made friends with the large furry pet next door named Bella. The two of them spent their winters together in a large dog house with a heating pad that was located on the carport of my house. Tommy would curl against Bella for warmth during the cold wintry days. They became inseparable companions over the years. Bella is now fourteen years old and showing evidence of joint deteriation.
I knew it would be difficult for Tommy to survive outdoors without his friend, Bella, and I feared he would not be fed regularly by the neighbors. After I shared my concerns with my feline-loving niece, she immediately volunteered to provide a home for him. We felt he would be happy among her other four outside cats.
On moving day, in addition to furniture etc. Tommy was placed in the traveling cat carrier as my daughter transported him to my niece who lived forty or so miles north of the farm. He was welcomed with a "fancy feast" meal, petted and encouraged to join the other felines. Unfortunately, within an hour, he ran away. As each day passed we could envision poor Tommy trying to find his way home to the farm. After a full week had passed, my niece and I accepted that he was gone. We could only hope he had found a friendly cat lover.
On the tenth day of his disappearance, I received a call from my niece exclaiming, "Tommy came back!" She was elated as was I. He was rewarded with all the fancy feast he could consume, petted and pampered while given a warm pad to sleep on in the garage. We were all surprised that he looked well-fed and healthy.
He disappeared again the next day.
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More Later.......................................................................................... Brenda
