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Have you ever taken in a stray animal or — 15 Comments

  1. We had pets when I was growing up but I don’t remember where the cats came from at different times. We did have a small dog which my brothers got and he had a broken leg.
    We have had cats and a dog since we got married but they have come and gone too. Now we look after our daughter’s cat when they are away.

  2. Hello and boy do I have a story when I was little in Falmouth and then Bourne, MA on Cape Cod we had this dog a collie mix named Susie she came about while visiting family north of us and my cousin smuggled her in the car and I did not know about until right before going over the Bourne Bridge, there are only 2 bridges to get to Cape Cod the other is Sagamore Bridge but I was only 4 1/2 years old and I asked my parents what would they do if we had a dog in the car? They said why and Susie jumped up and we of course took her home with us. She was a great dog played with me and my friends we went on a patch of ice together across the water to the other side my parents had to come get us and Susie cut her paw so she had to have stitches. We always had animals of some kind my mom was a school teacher and they gave her a kitten who we called Tabitha black and had some white she was a lovely cat. We also got Sammatha who was given to us and she had kittens and we added up with TimTam goes we did not know if she was a girl or a boy. Samatha was a great hunter she would bring all to my mom who always screamed. Fast forward to my husband and I at out first Air Force Base there was a military guy who went Awol and their cat had kittens and we got Tiggee who lived to be 29 years old and we got him for free.

  3. When my boys were young we had a stray puppy appear on our porch. It was 5:00 am and the doorbell rang. I couldn’t imagine who would be at the door that early in the morning. My husband went to the door and when he opened door he saw something running to other side of house. I went to the door on that side of house and saw a very thin puppy. We think the puppy was jumping up on door and hit the doorbell. I brought the puppy in and fed him. He was starving. We tried to find owners but no one claimed him. He protected my teenage sons one time when they were home alone and there was an attempted home invasion at our home. He raised a fuss in the back yard and got the attention of the would be criminals. It gave my oldest son time to call the police. The criminals threw a yard ornament at him and gashed his eye but he didn’t stop. He loved to jump (hence how he hit the doorbell the morning we found him) and my son could see him out the back window jumping high enough to be over top the fence. He didn’t back off when they tried to hurt him he just jumped higher and barked louder. The police came down the road and the criminals took off. He was a hero that day and most likely saved my sons. His name was Buddy and we had him for 10 years before he died of cancer.

  4. We grew up with a stray dog we named Tippy. There were four of us and we all loved Tippy. My mother not so much–so Tippy was an outdoor dog. Things were fine until Tippy fell in love. Tippy’s girlfriend’s owners complained so much that mother told us Tippy would have to go to the country–to a farm. Needless to say, we were heart broken. However, we survived, but I heard my mother say one day. “I miss Tippy. I’m sorry I took him to the country. Personally, we don’t own an animal, but we do enjoy the neighbor cats and my sister’s teacup poodle Jazzie. That way they can take care of them and we can enjoy them.

  5. A friend of my son heard noises from a trailer towed in to have work done. He found several deceased kittens and two still alive but in desperate shape. He called my son to see if he wanted to take them. Pepper and her brother Hanut were about 7 days old. Feedings were every two hours for a while. One of Pepper’s eyes was so bad the vet was concerned it might have to be removed but with proper care and medicine it was saved. They are now seven months old. Hanut is an orange tabby who is larger than most cats. Pepper is a black/gray/white tabby who thinks she can do everything her big brother can do. Hanut is very attatched to my son and loves to knead my son’s beard while also drooling on it. Pepper loves to curl up on me to knead on me and sleep. Both are spoiled rotten by their “Gigi”, my 92 year old bedridden mother, who they know will give them kitten treats when they visit her room.

  6. My ex-SIL gave my kids a Yorkie she had rescued when he was one. He was my daughter’s dog until she got posters of characters from the movie “Twilight” then he became my dog until this past November when we helped him cross the Rainbow bridge at the age of 19. Our vet asked if we would take in an older Westie when her owner had to go into the nursing home, so my brother and daughter went an got her one weekend. Then while my brother was doing deliveries, he came across a one-year-old dachshund mix that was being neglected so he talked the owners into letting him have the puppy. Rosco soon adopted my daughter and Daisy (the Westie) adopted my brother so they switched dogs. Rosco is now 15 and Daisy is 17. Then three years ago my daughter got a Corgi and Rosco attached himself to one of my sons. The Corgi is the only dog that we did not have given to us or rescue. When I am ready to love another dog, I plan to check the pound and the dog rescue place for a new love (the only problem is that I usually want to take them all and would if I had the room and the means to support and love them.)

  7. My two Liberty (Libby) and Henry are rescue cats. Both were dumped. Henry was found first then his brother who got adopted quickly Henry is a shy boy and because he wasn’t one to cuddle he was passed by. then they got Libby again dumped when she was pregnant. She was found with a collar but never claimed. They called Henry, winks cos he winks slightly cross eyed, and Libby was called Tortie cos shes a Tortie. Henry was good with other animals and took Libby under his wing so to speak and they were bonded. I really wanted Henry when I first saw a photo but got a good deal to take both. Both ignored me when I met them and wouldn’t come near but I knew they would be fine in time. Henry was at the vets (minus a week or so when he escaped but came back) 122 days and around 90 days or so. It took awhile to adjust and I could see Henry had been abused and it looks like Libby was to a degree also. But after 6 weeks they were both totally at home. Both keep away from other people Libby more so she runs and hides. Henry will tolerate if people don’t come near.
    We have also had a few strays. Ironically not until I got my two. The first I trapped and the vet found him a new home. The next was a Russian Blue who my friend adopted and called Blake. He returned twice he didn’t want to be a outside farm cat the third time they let him inside and he is king of the place. The third one had owners who didn’t care after about 3 or 4 times him being returned to the owners and they not caring the past 6 months I was feeding morning and night. About 3 weeks ago he stopped coming so I think he passed away as he was probably around 15 years old but at least he wasn’t starving. Right now I really hope no more strays turn up. 2 is all I can handle.

  8. I got my first cat after one of my students brought him in for show and tell. He was just 3 weeks old, and I fell in love with him. He lived to be almost 20 years old. After he died my family all stood in the vet’s parking lot and cried our eyes out. Our second cat was to be a Christmas present for me. When we went to the shelter to see him, My husband was thinking that if the cat failed he was done for since he didn’t have a backup plan. Luckily for him the cat came home with us. He was an older cat, very quiet and content to sit and be held. We never planned on getting another cat, but every time I visited Petsmart I would look at the cats who were there to be adopted. A little tuxedo kitten caught my eye one day because of his story. He had been returned since the parents were too busy to take care of him and the kids didn’t like him anymore because he wasn’t a kitten. When I told my husband about him he was as upset as I was. KiKi now lives with us and has a big brother to tease and chase. Ozzie is now more active than he’s been in years playing with his little brother.

  9. So most of our pets have been shelter or rescue pets. I can’t remember one that was a purebred pet as we didn’t have the money for them. But they have all been wonderful animals that were loyal and loved a lot. Once my daughter brought home a cat, knowing her dad wasn’t a fan of cats, but she hid it under her bed for a week until I found it and told her that her dad would not let her keep it. Shortly thereafter, her dad found it and thought it was so cute he let her keep it, even though she was heading off to college in a couple of months. It quickly became “his” cat and he was very protective of her.

  10. throughout the years, we have adopted quite a few animals… brought in a couple of strays too… they become a part of the family…

  11. We lived in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains, Murphys, CA to be exact. My husband traveled 3 hours a day to Stockton for his job. His staff was always trying to get him to take home a cat or two, but I told him NO…in jest I said a calico would be okay. This was his ‘safe card’ with his staff. They cornered a calico that had been hanging around the office grounds until time to go home and presented the calico (aka ‘Hummer’) to him with a reminder that the locals liked to eat cats AND that I had said we could take a calico! Hummer moved with us when we retired to Salem, OR. We then adopted a deer head chihuahua, ‘LADY’ – and a black cat, ‘NUBS’, adopted us…along with all the critters that visited each day on our 5 1/2 acres. Nubs, Hummer and Lady were with us for many years and enjoyed walking up the steep hill to get the mail with Jim (the animal whisperer)…Quite the parade and sight to see!!

  12. My mom was the ultimate animal rescuer. I have so many stories about the pets we grew up with from dogs and cats to squirrels and a tortoise (https://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2008/08/fultzs-funny-farm.html) but my favorite is the rare time that my dad put his foot down:
    One peaceful Saturday afternoon, we kids were playing at home, Dad was trying to relax, maybe even take a nap on the couch, when Mom came home:
    Mom (rushing in the house): Bob, I need a box
    Dad: Huh? A box? What for?
    Mom: There’s a little animal I need to rescue.
    Dad: Where?
    Mom: Around the corner.
    Dad (knowing it is now useless to argue): I’ll go with you, let me get my shoes on.
    Mom: Well hurry!
    Dad (when they get to the animal): It’s a mole! We’re not taking that thing home!

  13. I have always had a house full of rescued pets. Now that I’m a senior it is a house full of cats, 6 to be exact! They were all feral or community cats that showed up hungry, sick and desperate. Now they are inside furbabies that enjoy the good life. Daily activities include watching the outside world from a sunny windowsill,devouring catnip from an empty box from Sam’s Club, playing with fuzzy balls until they disappear under furniture or appliances and of course sleeping all night in my bed. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

  14. I have always had cats and they have always been strays and the most loving cats. One lived 20 years and most lived 10 or more years and they weren’t kittens when we got them. I like cats because they clean up their own waste, no pooping and scooping necessary! My cats were named Skeeter, Shadow, and two named Smokey. One was a black, orange, and white calico and the others were gray with black striped tabbys with white on their feet and chests. The last one had seven toes on each front paw. She bad a blood clot burst in her heart which paralyzed her so we had to euthanize her. My husband and I both cried and haven’t had any more due to not being physically able to care for them. I miss the companionship. The cat ornament you made is beautiful.

  15. All of my cats have been either a stray or adopted from a shelter. The cat I have now came from my vet. A woman brought him in without the mother cat when he was 3 days old. My vet told me that when he was 6 days old he just knew that this furry love wanted to survive. I got the call did I want to go over and check him out and I adopted him the day he turned 5 weeks old. When I went to stay and help my Mom I brought him and it was unreal. The day we brought Mom home he started caring for her. He helped her for 7 1/2 years and we had so many comments about it. He would lead her down the hallway and then stop & wait at the end for her to tell him go right (to kitchen) or go left (to recliner chair).He would give her morning and nightly head butts and rubs (he never did this to anyone else). I made him an honorary C.C.N.A. (Certified Cat Nursing Assistant). Mr. Feisty will be 10 on April 26th.

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