Author Sahara Foley

Hard to believe it will be three years this December that Sam and Cleo joined my family.  Sam was 9 and Cleo 6, so now they will be 12 & 9.  They obviously weren’t litter mates, but the Human Society only allowed them to be adopted as a bonded pair.  Which meant no other animals allowed.  Which I found out when I tried to bring in an older cat who had lost her family.  Nope, did not work.  Poor Allie had to find a new home again. 

For Sam and Cleo, I am their fourth home.  Cleo was returned because the people who had adopted her last moved to a different apartment that didn’t allow animals.  Cleo is so adorable I just can’t see throwing her back.  I call her my Vampire Cat because of her eyes. She’s also a pain in the ass as she LOVES to challenge me.  Like mother and daughter. 

Sam was returned because he was overrun with fleas.  I think the other family left him outside, a lot, so it’s on them he got that way.  Sigh.  I think he had some horrible experiences as he is very scared of loud noises.  And thunder?  Into the closet he runs to hide.  Poor thing.  

One thing about adopting a pet who’s been stuck in the shelter for several times and many months, they forgot how to play.  It’s so sad.  I’ve spoken with other people who also adopted and they had the same problem.  Also, Sam and Cleo have food issues.  Especially Cleo.  Whenever Sam eats, she has to too.  Even though she just ate.  They also have a tendency to eat when I play with them.  I think now they associate attention with food.  So off goes the bell in their head and on to the food bowel.  I’ve never had to worry about that before with the myriad of cats and dogs I’ve had over the years.  So, now I have to limit their diet.  Still, once a cat gets fat, like Cleo, that weight does not come off.  

Sam loves being outside.  Cleo had to learn to go outdoors ad she refuses to wear the harness.  So, I put the leash around her neck and most of the time she could slip out of it if she wanted, but she doesn’t.  Though she does do the I want in, so I have to remove her leash, then she tries to sneak back outside without it.  Little PTA.  Because of Sam’s fear, I have to leave my patio door open so he can bolt in at any hint of trouble.  Hence, why Cleo is always trying to sneak out.  🤣😂

Last summer I started bringing out some food to them as we’d stay out past their dinner time.  If they didn’t eat it, it was left for the birds, or as I saw, the neighborhood opossums.  They seem to love the cat food.  However, I started smelling the scent of a male cat who sprayed around my patio.  So I’d also attracted a wild cat.  He’d even left me a present of a dead mouse.  Though he did remove it later after I carefully picked it up and laid it away from the doorway. 

This past winter, I’ve been leaving a cup of dried cat food each evening for the stray male.  At first, he was easily spooked whenever I went to the door to look at him.  He looks very much like Sam, a gray tabby, but younger and thinner.  And boy, does Sam hate him.   😁😁 

He claws at the patio window, like he does my chair, trying to dig his way through the glass.  And the stray, who I decided to call Oscar, just sits there, calmly eating the food, staring at Sam.  He knows Sam can’t get through that door.  I tell Sam it’s his exercise program.  Now, we have a nightly vigil of waiting for Oscar to make his appearance so Sam can show how tough he is. 😂🤣

The other night I heard a ruckus outside, cats yowling at each other, and there was another one.  I’ve been suspecting that there was more than Oscar.  They look like they could be from the same litter but I think the other one is a female.  

It hasn’t been warm enough to start sitting outside again, but I wonder what will happen when we do.  Because their feeding time is when I’m normally outside in the warmer weather.  Who will be King of the Patio Door?  We shall see.