Greetings from the bayou! A few months ago, Maggie did a post about a stray cat that I found. I had come back from happy hour and was sitting on balcony enjoying the night. I don’t live in the nicest part of Houma, LA (go ahead and look it up, chances are you’ve never heard of it). I don’t mean to say that I live in a dump; it’s just an older part of town without the fancy shopping centers and typical chain restaurants. More importantly, people don’t tend to value their pets the way I do. I see stray dogs and cats all over the place, and there are about four or five resident stray cats around the apartment complex.
That night sitting on my balcony, I hear a cat. I see a little black cat that definitely wasn’t one of the regular strays. When she saw me, she flopped onto her back. Figuring it was someone’s lost pet, I went outside and she came right over to me. This sort of freaked me out because I am NOT typically a fan of cats. Anyway, I brought her inside, went and got her some food and a litter box, and started putting up ads and posters around the neighborhood hoping someone would claim her. A few weeks went by with no one claiming her.
Despite the horrible suggestions given to me from others (I’ll save that for later), I got her checked out by the vet, I signed her up for the low-cost spay and vaccination program, and decided I would hang on to her until I could find a good home for her. A few more weeks went by and still no one called to claim a lost cat. I couldn’t find anyone who wanted her, and she settled right on in. So, now I have a cat. Her name is Newt. I’m not so scared of her anymore. She hasn’t tried to claw my eyeballs out. I haven’t seen her plotting my demise, and she’s pretty much content to lay around and be my buddy. It definitely took a while for me to get used to her and for the two of us to get into a good routine, but I guess I finally did find her a good home.
Note from Maggie: Neither one of us ever had a cat, so this experience has been all new! I’m glad she’s settled in to life with John… The trick will be introducing her to the boys when John’s done in LA! I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there!
Leslie says
01•31•13 at 3:09 pmAww, congratulations, Newt! (Is that a shout-out to the little girl from Aliens?)
And thank you for taking her in. You’ll work it out with the dogs when the time comes. 🙂
John says
01•31•13 at 3:22 pmYes, it is! She mostly plays at night…. mostly….
Ann says
01•31•13 at 7:47 pmI hope it works for you the way my cats and dog get along together. Simba and Scout are best friends. When you bring her home, you should put a gate up in one room so she can get in there and the boys can’t. Just so everyone has a safety zone. I’ll be happy to help however I can – with the exception of having her live with me. We’re at maximum capacity.
John says
01•31•13 at 7:51 pmThanks, Ann! You can do the things I’m too scared to do… put her in a crate, cut her nails, etc…
I’m hoping the boys learn to see her as a friend, or at least not as an intruder….
mollieandalfie says
02•01•13 at 9:03 amThey will soon be friends, we bought a dog into a house with a cat, now they love each other.
Mollie and Alfie
John says
02•01•13 at 10:32 amThat’s comforting to know! Hopefully it works out that well for us!
Matt says
02•01•13 at 9:58 amMy guess is she will quickly put the boys in their place, should they make the unfortunate mistake of messing with her. If they do mess with her, then it’s, “game over, man, game over.”
John says
02•01•13 at 10:33 amAs long as no one looses an eye….
Heather says
02•01•13 at 10:32 amThank you for giving her a great home. She is absolutely adorable! We are big fans of cats here 🙂
John says
02•01•13 at 10:34 amThanks, Heather. I’m still trying to figure her our, but we’ve got a pretty good routine going, and it can only get better!
Carol Bryant says
02•01•13 at 1:13 pmWay to go and congrats – what a beauty, too!
John says
02•01•13 at 1:14 pmThanks, Carol! She’s QUITE a character, too!
Kristine says
02•01•13 at 3:33 pmYay! Another kitty convert! I was so not a cat person either and actually used to be quite afraid of them. But over time, and with a little courage, I conquered this fear and now I am proud to share my life with one of these special animals. So congratulations on bringing a new friend into your life! I hope she helps make up for being so far from home in her own way. I look forward to reading all about Newt in the future!
John says
02•04•13 at 8:56 pmThanks, Kristine. I’m still a little unsure about certain things she does and does not like, and when NOT to touch her. Overall, she’s pretty mellow but she can get very playful. There will definitely be more Newt stories in the near future!
Julie says
02•02•13 at 2:24 amCute! I am partial to black kitties – they are the best! Good luck with the meet and greet!
John says
02•04•13 at 8:58 pmThanks, Julie! It was right around Halloween when I found her, so I had to be careful when trying to find out if she had owners (advice from the vet). So far, no real bad luck to speak of! And I tell her that everything matches her coat, which she seems to appreciate.
Flea says
02•05•13 at 10:06 pmWhen you least expect it, she’ll claw your eyeballs out in your sleep.
I kid. We’ve always had cats and love them.
You live in Houma? Get OUT! I grew up in Buras! My family is still in Baton Rouge and Pineville! Maybe next time I visit my sister in Baton Rouge we can get together?
Coralee says
02•07•13 at 7:17 pmBlack beauty!! You will love life with kitty! 🙂
Kolchak, Felix & Jodi says
02•09•13 at 6:47 pmShe’s adorable! We’re a big fan of the kitteh’s at our house (even if OUR kitty is a bit of a jerk). PS – I love her name!
Flea says
02•13•13 at 5:36 pmSo where are more pictures of your pretty kitty?
Laura says
02•27•13 at 9:49 pmSo cool! I love cats and grew up with them.
I’m so happy to hear you are keeping her. It’s hard to find a home for a cat. It’s sad how cats get dumped, which of course may or may not have happened here. But I know of people who move and just leave their cats behind. It’s really awful.
Anyway, glad you are now a convert. Cats are as great as dogs just in a very different way. Enjoy her.
Laura says
02•27•13 at 9:52 pmOh and black cats are actually good luck…not bad. LOL! 🙂 I think black cats are my fave…right now I have a long haired black and white kitty boy. He’s mostly black with a white chest and belly and his paws are like mitts and boots. So cute. And so is the new member of your family.
Amy@GoPetFriendly says
03•01•13 at 6:15 pmCongratulations on the new addition to the family! It’s great that you have someone to keep you company while you’re in LA, John.
Daniel says
03•13•13 at 7:13 pmOh man! Awesome! Black cats have the most fun. You should get him a black mat to sleep on, that way he can hide there and no one will know 😉