The Story of a Stray Cat

Matilda, the cat formerly known as Furry Purry, is our one-eyed wonder. She's a domestic short hair and a tortie, now about ten years old. Her early history is unknown, but she came into the life of a friend of ours about nine years ago when she appeared on her property from out of nowhere looking for food and company. Nai had a partner who was allergic to cats, so even though she loved animals and had three dogs, she couldn't bring the young stray she named Furry Purry inside her house. So she set up a little cat condo, food and water on a balcony outside her living room window, and Furry Purry became her outdoor cat, wandering the area most of the day and returning to eat, drink and sleep. She told me that Furry Purry would often gaze longingly into her house, hoping to be let in, and she felt bad about not being able to give her a proper home.

Nobody ever came forward to claim Furry Purry, so Nai soon took her to the vet and had her examined, vaccinated and spayed. Furry Purry recovered from her procedure indoors at my house, with my four curious and wary cats looking on. After a week or so she returned to life as an outdoor cat.

All went well until one day about a month later, when Furry Purry showed up on Nai's balcony with one eye hanging out of its socket and a bloody jaw. Nai was so upset that she called me for help, and so I drove over, picked up Furry Purry, and took her to the vet. Her eye was so damaged that it had to be removed, and her upper jaw, which was broken, needed time to heal. We never discovered how she came to be injured. Maybe some cat hater had thrown a rock at her, or she might have had a close encounter with a car. Whatever happened to her, Furry Purry survived, and once again she came to our house to recover.

But this time Nai and I realized that Furry Purry couldn't return to her unpredictable and dangerous outdoor life. We both tried to find her a forever home. Because I already had four cats and four dogs, I didn't want to take on the responsibility of caring for another cat. But nobody seemed interested in a one-eyed former stray, and there was no way we would abandon her at the shelter or make her live outside anymore. So, somewhat reluctantly, I adopted her.

It's been nine years since Furry Purry, now called Matilda, has become an integral part of our family. She bonded early with our only male cat Tao. The two of them love to groom each other or curl up together and sleep. Matilda is a fearless, friendly cat who gets along just fine with all my other animals. She doesn't seem to have any bad memories of her former life as a stray. She loves to cling to my shoulder while I'm at the computer or park on my hip when I'm lying in bed. For the first six months she was with us she didn't seem interested in going outside. But one day I opened the door and she went out, with me walking along with her so she didn't get into any trouble. I still do that, and she loves exploring the outdoors, but she's always happy to come back inside.

I just can't imagine my household without Matilda the former stray. If you're thinking of taking in a needy stray cat in your neighborhood, I would highly recommend it. Just make sure you take her to the vet for an exam and shots as well as a feline leukemia test before you introduce her to any other cats you may have.