Have I Gotcha Amir?

     

     Freya passed away this week, and yes there will be a blog, but not this week. Not only am I grieving heavily, but I think Amir deserves his blog this week. Yesterday was his 'Gotcha Day' and I have a lot to say about him too.

     I finally put Amir's photo up on  the Next Door site. I kind of consider November 2nd, 2022 Amir's 'gotcha' date. It was the day I finally enticed him into the house. 

     I imagine you've got a lot of questions so here's where I answer them. 

     That day was the first snowfall of the year and I worried about him. Did he have anywhere to go? So after feeding him, I opened the door and asked if he wanted to come in. I have a photo of that moment when he cautiously made his way into the living room. 

     He pretty much stayed the winter with us. Mostly. Back then he was extremely sneaky. For the most part, he was content to stay in. But sometimes when we'd open the door, he would escape. Sometimes an hour or so would go by and I'd ask my husband, "Have you seen Amir? I haven't seen or heard him in a bit." We'd search the house, but there would be no sign of him. I'd worry, I'd panic, only to have him yelling at the door DAYS later. The cold did not bother him. Maybe he had another home? Sometimes he came home smelling like fresh laundry. So...did he have a home? Or did he spend his time under someone's dryer vent? 

     I think it would have made things easier if he'd been fixed. Neutered cats don't seem to feel the need to run amok. So why didn't we get him fixed? In a word: MONEY. Or rather the lack of it. Neutering a cat costs hundreds of dollars that we couldn't spare. We weren't overly worried about that at the time. Amir spent most of the winter indoors with us, and Freya came into our lives already spayed. 

     Spring rolled around and we knew we had to act quickly. We had the money for it finally. My friend Donna-- she of the five cats--recommended The Spay Clinic, because they were less expensive yet specialized, so I made Amir an appointment. 

     Of course, they must do lab work first, and his appointment was six days away, so we watched the door like helicopter parents and kept him inside. 

     I felt so bad for him, he screamed and cried and begged to go outside. So I opened the bottom bedroom window so he could breathe the spring air at least. Bad decision. 

     I heard ripping noises while sitting at my computer. I ran to the bedroom in time to see Amir's fuzzy butt wrapped in my window screen as he inched down the siding toward freedom. I was too late. By the time I ran outside, he'd shaken the window screen off and was nowhere to be found. But I had to go to work. The Spay Clinic phoned me later to confirm the appointment and I had to tell them that Amir escaped and I had no idea where he was. I thought I had destroyed the trust and wondered if I would ever see him again. 

     It was perhaps a week later that he meowed at the door to be let in. He sassed me, yelled for food, wolfed the food, sassed me again and scurried for the basement. At least he was alive and safe...Little diva shit...Came back and bellowed at me for more food. Yet we love him. He spent the rest of the night in 'his spot' beside me on the couch. We still tread carefully. He fears loud footsteps and Dan tries to remember that when Amir jumps up and hides at his approach. He doesn't mean to scare Amir, and uses a gentle voice and softer steps when he sees Amir's reaction. 

     I spoke to my vet. I told her I had problems getting Amir fixed because he would not stay home. He had destroyed two screens in the house and was still fighting us on staying inside and he's oddly slippery whenever the door ( or any windows) are opened. She offered us solutions that included sleepy meds that would help keep him calm when we needed to starve him for 12 hours. 

But that requires planning within the business hours of our vet. That hasn't worked yet. How does he know to show up after veterinarian hospital hours? I've taken to writing his arrival times in my day timer. 

     This summer, I thought I could maybe get something done. He'd had his shots. we'd taken care of that last year and were looking at boosters. But then Amir, the fluffy Persian with matts he wouldn't let me brush out...showed up with a fresh haircut. 

     The matts were gone, and he looked FABULOUS. He wasn't as interested in food as he was before. So....Does he have an owner now? Or did he always? Did we steal their cat over the winter?  Or are they trying to help him as we are? 

     Amir was a topic of conversation among neighbors. I spoke to Joyce about it, and he'd been eating in her garage. ( Charlie is her grey inside and outside cat that doesn't take to a collar either.) A man across the street from her was feeding him too, and wondered if anyone owned him. Even my friend Donna sees him often, jumping her fence and hanging out with Dr. Fine and Lookie. No one knows who Amir belongs to. 

     So I finally posted his picture in  Next Door, along with all the other inquiries of other cats. Of course I posted again to other social media sites including the Lost Pets one. Gotta be thorough. 

     Why didn't I post earlier? Fear of backlash. It's the reason I am writing this blog. I expected, "Why didn't you do this?" and "Why didn't you just do that?" Most people who know ne, know that I do my best for the animal. And I DID...just not on Next Door. 

     Strangers told me I was WONDERFUL for wanting to make Amir my cat. Some told me I needed to go full social media about him. And although I remained polite, I need to say that was obvious, wasn't it?  I informed them that I HAVE been cruising the sites for any sign of him, ( There are at least two cats like him, but they are missing his his nose spot. and they're the wrong gender sometimes) I got a ton of advice about what I should or shouldn't do. 

     Someone told me that legally, I can't keep him. Not until I've had him investigated by the ACCC. Others chimed in, saying that any asshole who let's their unfixed cat wander all day and night isn't a good cat owner and I should be able to have him. 
     
     I panicked for a moment. Then I remembered...I took Spartacus Jones to the vet and asked for shots and a microchip check. I told Dr. Heather Lam we intended to adopt him and she said, "Yay! I can see how much he loves you already."  (Great memory. We were already bonded.) 

     We took Grendel to our vet  (Same location, Dr. Annabelle Sythe-Smith.) ) with his broken leg. We informed her that yes, would would pay for it, we would keep him inside for three months and we would adopt him. She breathed an audible sigh of relief. She is still his vet, and she calls him "Sweetles."

     Amir has come to their office with all the knowledge I've given you, the reader. They are pleased that we want to adopt Amr and have him fixed. 

     So...if I need to go through a bunch of legal channels....Why haven't two different veterinarians informed me of that?  Or even mentioned it?  

     People have suggested a paper collar with my number and my inquiry on it. I doubt that will help. He's shirked off six collars to date. I've seen him simply shrug them off, and I'm not sure I want bits of litter strewn across the neighbourhood with my phone number on them. 

     So I'm just going to do it. He needs it. The neighbourhood needs it. It's long overdue. Forgive me, Reader for waiting so long, but I had doubts. I'm finally going to make Amir our cat. I'm finally prepared to take financial and personal responsibility for him. He will be fixed and registered as a member of the Milward family. I didn't mean to take an entire year, and so I feel a need to explain why. Rest assured, Amir is loved and taken care of.