Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Dodger De Leon-Westmoreland Pied Piper

So this is Dodger.  I have known Dodger for three years.  The first time I met him he was a neighborhood cat with a flea collar and terrible fleas.  I thought "OK this is someones pet, I will just keep an eye on him."  Then he brought us his sister when we were feeding some homeless feral cats.  When he adopted out his sister I started looking for Dodger again. I saw him and he was no longer the fat, happy kitten.  He was a tiny, skinny cat with worms, fleas, and ear mites.  I took him in for long enough to treat him for everything and then let him go with a note on his collar:  "If you are not going take care of this cat I WILL."

Finally I start seeing Dodger again when he begins bringing kittens to our feeding area.  I remember sitting up in the middle of the night hearing his yowl.  I went downstairs and dodger was standing over a tiny grey kitten.  It was dead, covered in maggots, fleas, and obviously rolled by a car.  I took him from Dodger and said "Sorry Mister D he is dead."  Dodger looked at me and ran away.  I put the kitten in a box by the garage and heard his yowl again.  I turned to see him staring at me.  I followed him to a tiny skinny soaking wet and filthy kitten.  I scooped him up and turned to see Dodger watching me and then disappear.

The kitten died.  I found two more and both died.

I was feeling really low, and then my own cat Billy died as well.

I said I was not going to trap anymore, I was taking a break from the feral kittens. 

Dodger had other plans.

He first brought me twin tabbies, then Mama Siamese and her baby.

Each day he would watch for myself or my landlord to come home them one by one lead the kittens and their mother up to eat.

Enough was enough.

I trapped the tabbies, then Dodger.  Still working on trapping three other strays.

Dodger was not sure why he was suddenly inside.  It took him a day to let me touch him, another to let me pet him, and another to let me pick him up.  He has the tabbies with him and shares his food bed and considerable bulk to make them feel safe.

He is un neutered, and has clouding on his eyes and non reticulating second lids.  Same condition my tuxedo female has.  He does not see well and no one treated him from what I can tell.  He is covered with scars, has the thick coarse fur of an outdoor cat.  He let me clean his ears (mites) and I gave him a dose of wormer.  His teeth are not great but it is honestly a miracle in this neighborhood that he was not run over, or killed by a lose dog.

I went to the neighborhood I believed Dodger was from and knocked on every house asking if they were missing a cat.  A woman said that an elderly woman up the street had died and had 2 black and white cats and since the son moved in they were relegated to outside.

I told Chris about the situation and my landlord.  We agreed Dodger needs better care.  He is home.

He will never wonder where to sleep, or where his next meal will come.  He will never have to be sick and have no one provide help (we now have an emergency charge card JUST for the pets that has money put aside that can only be used at the vet)

He will be loved, spoiled, and all his "kittens" will be taken care of.

So that is the story of Dodger De Leon.