I found out last weekend that Rusty had a friend - a fuzzy little orange cat. Maybe one of his kittens...

Rusty used to sleep outside the window of our spare bedroom, and I thought I had seen a small orange blur each time I went out to take out the trash, or to check on Rusty.

I know I have seen this small cat wandering around. It's very shy and nervous around people.

Well Saturday, I came back from the grocery store, and small and fuzzy is standing there and standing firm as if to block me from the door. He looks over to where Rusty's food bowl used to be (before he adopted himself out - grin), and a single, loud MEOW! erupts from his fuzzy little face, then he runs off.

My guess is that Rusty was sharing with the little one. So I get some more food and fresh water, and put it out on the porch for him. Veeeeery slowly, he edges up to the bowl, making a wide path past me, and starts to eat.

Finally, I get all the groceries in, and go to check on little fuzzy one. He decides I'm not so bad, and rubs up against my leg, although touching and picking up are verboten.

So I walk around the apartment complex to do my errands - check the mail, see if the pool is still open, that kind of stuff. Little Fuzzy one follows me everywhere, and rubs up against me at each stop. He even accidentally let me pet him before he came to his senses (grin).

So it looks like I have another step-kitty for awhile. This one is a lot more wary than Rusty, though, so it may take a little time to catch him.

Copyright © Mark Edwards
September 27, 2000