Just in Time - He Found us Just in Time

As the song goes....

I feel it is necessary to expand a little on Mr. Poole and how he has been faring here at Maple Grove Gardens since his arrival in early summer. He had appeared frightened, hungry and clearly sick, but most of all, he seemed just tired. Tired of being on the road – on the run, and as he lay in the grass, he had the look of saying “that’s it, I’m staying here – what will be will be - I just can’t go on anymore.” Long story short, every day he was coaxed to come closer and closer to the house (with food, of course), where we could see he was very much in a bad way: thin, poor coat, runny eyes and nose, red third eyelid. And not fixed. He was finally snatched away to the vet where the latter was taken care of, and all the rest. Luckily it was summer, and because it was warm outside, we were able to keep him outside in a basket on the porch, as bringing him in would have caused great distress amongst the other residents. Even in a sick state though, there was something “imposing” about this strange dark cat – he can even be a bit scary looking. But come inside he eventually did, and despite a few deep, low growls from her little highness, Angel, and from the Grand Manitou of the Townships of the East, things settled down, more or less.

And look at him now: clear eyes, glossy coat, with the type of fur that is more like that of a silky dog, not a cat’s, and his tail that seemed so poor-looking and oily even, has gained a bit of “puff”, and indeed, as if in competition with the floof-meister Manitou, seems to be acquiring a bit of winter-puffiness of his own, particularly around the neck and chest area. And he is heavy! Yes, heavy. When he comes onto the lap (oh yes – he sure knows how to do that!), it feels like a bag of lead has landed on your knees – his neck is thick like a football player, and his shoulders are massive – very solid and wide. I suspect it was this underlying solid and strong structure that enabled him to survive on his own as long as he did. But I doubt he would have survived another brutal winter out there – he found us just in time.

Check out more fortunate felines at The Friday Ark and still more at the
Carnival of the Cats on Sunday.