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May 02, 2009
1870: Stray kitteh got his hair did
My parents have been working on making the stray cat they recently found "adoptable." This entails getting the cat examined (and fixed, if necessary) by a vet, which they've already managed to do after a few weeks of winning the cat's trust.
The cat, as it turns out, is younger than they'd assumed it to be -- it's about 2 -- and in excellent health. Since it had already been neutered, we can only assume it used to be someone's pet but it's unclear whether it was abandoned or lost.
Although it wasn't entirely visible in the photos I took over Easter, the cat's fur was heavily knotted from a lack of grooming. The vet recommended taking the cat to a professional groomer to have the matted sections cut out, shaving the cat down to give it a "lion cut." The thinking behind this was simply that bugs would irritate the cat's skin if they were allowed to nest in the matted fur, which was now very close to his skin.
And here's how that turned out...
My parents have been researching no-kill shelters in the area, but every one they find seems to be full. The recommendation they receive wherever they make inquiries is to care for the cat as much as possible on their own until a slot opens up for him. Being an outdoor cat, he seems to be adjusting just fine to all of this, and spends a lot of time hanging out in my parents' backyard where he's fed, has a box to sleep in, and can come and go as he wishes.
I asked my dad the other day how the cat was doing. Here's the email I received in reply...
The cat seems a little depressed since his hair cut.
He just sits around in various places in the yard and
on the porch as if he's thinking.
When he's not doing that, he's sleeping in his box
on the porch we fixed for him.
He's eating OK. And he spends just about all his
time here instead of roaming the neighborhood
as was his habit.
I guess it's just the trauma of getting a lion cut.
Love,
Dad
Embarrassing as the new haircut is, I suspect the cat is just becoming more and more comfortable with my parents. It's not a feral cat by any means; it seems to like being around people, undoubtedly because it still remembers being loved and cared for by someone. And, whatever shame the kitty feels about his awkward new coif, he's in good company -- after all, when the weather gets warm, Winston rocks the lion cut, too.
Posted by ashley at May 2, 2009 01:02 PM
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