042424b

We have had half a dozen cats over the years, but only one is still living. Years ago a young adult male cat adopted us by persistently hanging around outside our door and trying to get in the house. At first we didn't let him in because we had an old male cat who was not feeling too well. We didn't want him to be bullied. But finally, we let Simon in on a trial basis. He was so gentle and nice we let him stay. Well, Orpheus died of cancer and then we had only one cat again. He was mainly an outdoor cat. He came in for food, and he stayed if it was very cold or raining. Otherwise, he was living rough. Then one day we discovered the smallest cat you've ever seen, living under our grill on the deck. She adopted Simon as her big brother and pestered him mercilessly. We started putting food out for her and she ate it readily, but she was wild, and would let no one near her. Eventually, my wife tempted her to come inside by putting a food bowl just inside the open door. She moved it a little farther in every day. One day the cat came in just a bit too far and the door was closed. We kept her in for a couple of weeks and then started letting her out whenever she wanted to go. Sappho was ours from then on, but it took her a full year before she would let my wife get close enough to touch her. As the years went by she got more and more socialized so that she would let almost anybody scratch her. She still doesn't want to be picked up. She is still very wary of people, even people in her own family, but right now she is lying here beside me. Her claws are out, and I can't let my fingers get too close or there will be trouble. Sime things don't change.

Simon died a few years ago, and we still miss him a lot. No other cat has tried to adopt us, yet.