A few weeks ago, one of my customers told me that at a nearby business, there were two feral cats roaming around. The owner was getting ready to put poison out and so I stepped in. I have been going over there late at night 11:30 and feeding them. One cat reminds me of my dad’s cat Boots. She is black and white long hair, the other is a Maine Coon cross in desperate need of a vet visit.

So I started feeding them and at first they hid in a nearby culvert, but lately they come out and wait in the bushes for me to put the food out. My plan is to win their trust, then bring out my traps and get them out of the area before the owner changes his mind and poisons them.

Last night, I stayed later at work than normal. I was in the front of the store and I heard a scratching at the window. I looked down and to my surprise, the gray mackeral tabby/maine coon kitty was standing up on his back legs and looking inside! My car was parked directly outside the window and i know he followed the scent across the parking lot to find out what happened to his dinner. The other business is about 350 feet from the store where I work.

I went outside and apologized to him telling him I would be over in a few minutes to feed him, but he raced around the corner then kept peeking around the corner to see if I was still there.

I finished my late shift duties, locked the store and drove over to the feeding spot keeping an eye out for this cat. I have no idea how he made the trip without getting hit as teenagers, restless in the summer heat were revving their mud trucks and racing around the parking lot. If I knew that he would have let me pick me up- I would have gladly scooped him up and put him inside my car- but his feral tendencies are quite strong.

By the time I poured out his food and popped open a can of wet, he had once again found his way back to his haunts and he came quite close as his meal was laid out. I backed away- and now to set the scene, it was after midnight, the teens had gone off to a local diner to raise havoc. My car was running, the door was open and I was squatting down trying to get kitty to come to me. He wasn’t having any of it.

Suddenly, I am bathed in a bright light and I hear this voice telling me to remain very still! I looked around and see a police cruiser nearby- I guess someone called him about an intruder. Kitty fled- who can blame him and I was left to explain my presence.

I think what saved me was the crate of cat food in the back seat of my car- the empty cat carrier I take with me everywhere and the empty can of cat food on the ground near the paper plate. But just for a minute there, I wondered if my husband might have to come up with bail to haul my crazy cat lady ass out of jail!