Treackle is Back!

Late last summer, we noticed a feral cat hanging around. She was a tortoise-shell color, and very small, almost a kitten. Fall came, then winter, and she still hung around, but we could not catch her. Several other feral cats appeared. We began leaving dry cat food out on the front porch, and put out a small shelter for her to use in the cold. The food disappeared; the shelter was unused. Snow fell, the temperatures dropped and I worried for her survival. New England winters can be harsh.

Late in the winter, we found that the trash in the garage had been disturbed. We put out cat food, and it was eaten. The next day, we put out a litter box. It was used. But no sign of a cat. A month passed, then six weeks, food gone, litter used. One night as I went out to put the trash in the bin, I heard a tiny "meow!" Soon, the meow was followed by a tiny cat -- the tortoise-shell. After a time, she would let me pet her.

Eventually, I caught her, got her into a cat carrier and to the vet for the works...shots, worming, neutering, a microchip, full health check. Home again, and into a separate room so that she could recover and then grow accustomed to the resident cat, Dempsey, and he to her. We named her "Treackle" as her color was reminiscent of a syrup, treacle, that we loved in England. After a few weeks, she began to explore the rest of the house, and the inevitable conflicts between the resident and newcomer began. We expected them, and were prepared for the growling, hissing and posturing.

My mom, however, was not. She decided she did not like the cats and chased both of them out while trying to get only Dempsey to leave (in her words, "that old, mean, nasty thing"). She has Alzheimer's and could not realize that both cats would go when she yelled at them. Treackle was not fully integrated into the house yet, and headed for the woods, where she stayed, becoming more feral every day. Dempsey, of course, spent a few hours out and came home in time for his dinner.

So, for over a month, we did not see Treackle at all. Her small size, at 5.5 pounds, made her a target for the local owls and coyotes. We worried. Then, after 6 weeks, we spotted her! She would not come when called, but we put food out on the porch and she ate it every day. So did several other feral cats and even, one night, a small raccoon. We could hear her yowling at other cats sometimes. We hoped.

Two nights ago, she got into the garage again. Maybe she just wanted to come home after all. From the garage, she waltzed into the house and into her special room. And, once again, we will have to go through the growling, hissing, and adjustment period. Treackle seems more contented this time around. So does Dempsey, so the fighting may not be so bad.

Now, if I can ONLY keep my mother away from the door.