#FeralTuesday

My day job is right around the corner from AlleyCat Allies (I actually got to spend an hour playing with the kitties in the office one day) and they encourage stories on Twitter from people who care for strays and ferals and who have adopted them as indoor kitties.

I love cats. I will be that cat lady when I'm 80. I've accepted this as my fate and I delight in the future prospect of having all the cats.

When the husband and I lived in an apartment, we lived on the ground floor. Husband liked to work on his car right in front of our building and the one night, he was under the car when he heard a standoffish meow. Since it was 10pm in the fall, he didn't see much as he looked around. There were a lot of strays that wandered around the complex so he didn't think much of it. Until this adorable little thing walked up to him.

(Photo: Sitting on our bed the day after we brought her inside)

She was so tiny, but fearless. She hopped right into husband's car and from then on, followed us around whenever we left the apartment building. Of course, I was ready to scoop her up into my arms the second I saw her, but husband was worried about having a cat in a studio apartment. We built a little box and lined it with a blanket on our patio and put food out twice a day.

Finally, one day in early November 2011, I came outside to the kitty curled on husband's chest. He nodded. We promptly gave her a flea bath and she snuggled up at our feet on our bed from that moment on. We originally tried to deter her from sleeping on the bed with us, but she refused to have it any other way. I would usually wake up to her sitting on my chest, peering at me intently.

We have discovered in the two and a half years we've had her, she is one of the most interesting cats we've ever met. My mother's cat (also a stray we found), bless her, is a spoiled princess. Midnight loves to spelunk around the garage at our house, insists on sniffing any foreign object brought into the house and loves sitting up high to observe things. She is affectionately called Mechanic Cat because she, on more than one occasion, discovered problems with cars that husband has not seen yet.

(Photo: Exploring our soon to be house)

She loves being outside on the leash and will actually chase squirrels up a tree.

(Photo: On top of my car)

(Photo: Sitting on my office floor)

She is our baby and a member of our family. We love her to pieces. And if anyone heard the baby voices and how I talk to her, I wouldn't be allowed in decent society. I'm okay with that though.


We also feed the plethora of kitties outside and the newest members are two tuxedo cats who are just darling.

Long story short, we love cats and if I could have them all, I would.