Formerly Feral Friday --Tabitha's Tale

I am a very pretty (if I may say so myself) tabby cat who lives with all my brothers and two sisters - Smidge and Georgie.

My mom Lily had me outdoors in her second litter during the spring of 2005. My bean Mom had tried to catch Lily before she got pregnant again with another litter but it didn't happen. She caught all the cats in the litter before me and brought them inside before we were all born. She was afraid the first litter would disperse throughout the neighborhood and she wouldn't be able to catch them to spay and neuter them.

Me with Only and Two Spot - see the spots? That's how they got their names only the spots faded!

We (Only, Two Spot, Smidge and me) were born under the house in the crawlspace. I was very feisty. Mom bean picked me up when we came up to eat on the deck and I just hissed and spit at her even tho I was just a tiny ball of fur at 6-8 weeks old! She wasn't sure we were all done nursing and didn't want Lily to go into heat again so she left us outside with her for a little longer hoping to catch us all together.

We spent the next few months lounging on the back deck, playing with toys Mom bean left out and living a very nice life. Mom bean was going to be moving to another town and wanted to take us all with her. Mom bean had TNR'd the other feral cats and let them live out their lives in the yard but this time was different. She asked everybody but none of the neighbors would take on the responsibility of feeding and caring for us if she left us behind to live outdoors. She couldn't do that.

We had gotten very used to her by now but still wouldn't let her pet us. She would prop open the porch door and stand inside and we would come in to explore. Only and Two Spot either were dumber or smarter than us (not sure which) but she caught them first by closing the door while they were busy exploring and they were caught on the porch. We got all upset at first but then went back to life as usual.

One day Mom bean put Only in a carrier in the porch and opened the door for us to see. Even Lily went inside to see what was going on. Smidge and I followed Mom Lily and Mom bean closed the porch door! We were inside but not very happy. It took Pop and Mom beans hours to catch us all and put us safely in one small room so we could get used to them and being inside.

Pop bean had a friend who said he would adopt me. He had another little all black kitty and wanted me for a friend for his kitty. Pop bean spent a lot of time with me handling me and petting me - getting me ready for moving in with Robert but that never happened. I am not sure why but in a way I am glad to still be with my family.

We all got moved to the new place and all my litter mates and Lily live with me in a cool shelter the beans made for us. Their house is smaller here than the old one so they converted the workshop and carport into a indoor playroom and screen porch for us to live in. We have all sorts of shelves and chairs to sit on and they spend lots of time out here with us. Pop bean uses the workshop - we gave him a small corner of it to putter around in.

Our neat new porch - that's me with my brothers watching birdies.

I like to be petted, play with my brothers, and eat. I am very loving thanks to all the time Pop bean spent with me. Boxes and a cool red cube are my favorite spots. We watch the goats and birds outside from our enclosed porch and in warm weather get to feel the nice breezes blow through the screen porch. It sure is a better life than we would have had living outside at the old house with no one to care for us.

Me today with Only and Two Spot.

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