We own him now!

Remember Stewy?

The stray that is buds with Rocky?

That's Stewy with Rocky in the back yard yesterday.  I used PSE artistic dry brush technique to doctor the photo -- unfortunately it looks like Stewy only has one eye.  


DH and I decided that if he is going to keep hanging around then we'd better get him his shots.
This morning he was standing at the back door looking for me (or Rocky, I can't be sure which....)

So, I did it.  I fed him, took him into the back room, which he did not like one bit, and called the vet.  We got an appointment right away.  He was not at all pleased with the cat carrier or the ride in the jeep.

As we drove to Small Town I talked to Girl about the fact that this was still most likely a wild cat and just because we've fed him a bit and taken him to get some shots doesn't mean he's ours.  We're just doing this to be sure that Rocky stays healthy.  I said, "we don't own this cat."

I explained to Dr. Charlotte that this was a stray and I had no idea if he would be around tomorrow or the next day so I just wanted flea control, and his vaccinations. Translation --" I don't want to spend a ton of money on this feline."

While  Dr. Charlotte checked him over she noticed that he seemed warm (at first I thought it was stress...I was warm too) and that he had a cut on his back foot.  She took him to the back room to shave the hair from his foot.  When Dr. C and Stewy reappeared she told me that he couldn't have his shots because his foot was infected, likely from bite, and he had a fever.  What did I want to do?

What did I want to do??  What did I want to do??  Hmmm.

Here's what I did 'cause I'm a sucker.  I got him a super shot of antibiotics for his foot and fever, dewormer, ear mite and flea control, and an appointment for 2 weeks from now for a check up and his shots.  I also bought him some special food.

When we left the clinic this was the conversation in the jeep while Stewy slept in the crate:
Girl: I sure hope he gets better and he sticks around.
Me: He better. We own him now!
Girl:  But mommy, I thought you said he was wild and he didn't belong to anybody.
Me:  $182.05 and another appointment says "we own him now!!"


This is not the first time I've been chosen by a stray.  It's just the first time it has cost ME money.  When I was a teenager I found a stray cat in the barn with my horse.  He might have been the ugliest cat ever.  He had a pugged up nose, as if he were a boxer that was on the losing end of a number of fights.  He was flea-bitten, and dirty, but he was the friendliest little fella.  I just figured he needed some lovin'.  I kept him secret in the barn for a bit, then I figured it was too cold so I snuck him into my parent's laundry room.  I convinced mom that he needed us -- and she was soft-hearted enough to let me do that.  Dad took some more convincing.  In a stroke of genius I told him that the cat, now named "Newmeister," was a gift for my Gran.  He consented.  Thankfully, dad being a vet, the required remediations were readily at hand.  And Gran loved that cat, though she hated the name -- ended up calling him SweetiePie instead.

This is a photo my Gran had of SweetiePie.  I still have it in her frame in my office.

















Yep.  I've done this before.
I'm counting on DH to be strong...