My neighborhood has been very busy lately with a lot of people coming and going.  Notably, my neighbors across the street have their house for sale and are moving out.  During the time searching for a buyer, I began to wonder, what about their cat?

The cat was an outdoor cat.  No idea where it came from.  It has one ear clipped, so it’s been processed by some agency.  Whether they adopted it from the county shelter or it just showed up as a feral, I have no idea.  But the point is, this is their cat.  They took care of it and importantly, the cat know that place as its home.  And the cat was affectionate to them, it would greet them when they came home and hang out with them when they were outside.

So my wonder again, what was their plan?  I figured abut a 50/50 chance they would abandon the cat, under the justification that the cat would be more at home on her own territory with different people than new territory with the same people.  Know that I don’t believe in that justification at all, that’s just what I figured their thought process would be, since they never let the cat inside anyway.

As closing day got closer and the house was emptied out, I started to assume the cat would not be going with them.  And a couple days before they finally left, their kid came to the door to talk to me.  I knew what it was about.

As it turns out, he was the one who was adamant about not taking the cat.  Piece of garbage, but I don’t really hold any of the family in high regard.  Anyway, I agreed that I would at least keep the cat fed, but I just can’t have another in the house.  And that was fine with him, as if he really cared.

Moving day came and he stops back over with a container of food that she has been eating.  I send him off with neutral wishes.  After they go, I watch the cat pacing the front of the house, probably confused.

The next day the new owners are coming in and I don’t see the cat at all.  It’s probably all the activity keeping her away.  But the next day, I did see her walking the front of the house, making her way to the garage (that wasn’t hers anymore).

I shook the food container and she immediately came running.  I’m not a stranger to her.  She’s been pleasant and friendly to me and hung out when I’m outside also.  But this time I had food.  I filled a bowl and set it down for her, on which she immediately went to town.  After eating, we just sat and I pet her while she did all the rubbing and purring.  I don’t know if she knows she’s on her own now, but she knows I’m a safe person.

After a little bit, I had to let her go, but left the garage open in case she wanted to hang out in it.  It’s such a shame that people can just dispose of animals that really do care about them and rely on them for food and security.

Follow-up: I met the new homeowners tonight when I went out to see if the cat wanted to be fed.  They were all in the garage and it was pretty clear the cat had chosen them as her new owners.  They confirmed they were feeding her and it was pretty clear they had taken her in.  So all’s well that ends well, I suppose.  The cats seems very happy with her new family and they seem pleasant as well.