This morning while feeding, I kept hearing a cat cry. I did not recognize the cry nor could I find the cat/kitten in distress. I even looked up in the walnut tree because now, we have 3 suicidal squirrels and 1 kamakazee chipmunk coming in to gather the nuts. Nope, nothing, just wet leaves and walnuts.

I put all the food out in the feeders and was headed to the house, when I heard the cry again. With the early morning traffic on the highway, it is hard to locate sound but God granted a few moments of peace and that’s when I saw her under the stairs. She is probably 3 months old if I had to guess. A short-hair tortie- very unsocialized. Did someone get her for an early gift and lose her? I don’t know, I will be canvassing the neighborhood later today- but most people around me detest cats. She won’t let me close so I just put out extra food for her in another location because I know my alphas will try to hurt her if she eats before they are ready for her to. She’s a tiny slip of a thing, so that is what her name is- Slip. I just hope I can get to her quickly. This weather is turning inhospitable fast and she is a short hair not a long-hair like Molly.

Speaking of Molly, she got out of the house last week when Mike was leaving and Fletcher and her got into it right away. I ran outside and broke them up and searched her high and low for a bite wound didn’t find one (until last night) she jumped on my lap and she stank like decay! I hustled her into the bathroom and gave her a bath (which she fought tooth and nail) and found a bite wound abscessing on her back. I debrided it, shaved the hair away and started her on clinidrops. This morning, she smells better and I feel badly that I missed it the first time around- but bite wounds are hard to find on any cat- especially the long-hairs. Since Fletcher initiated the fight, he is fine. She is not a fighter, She was headed out to eat some grass and come right back in the house when he ambushed her. She will be an inside only kitty from now on.