See Ya Felix

So, I accidentally adopted a cat. I named him Felix. Workaholic named him Roger.

3 hours after I brought Felix home, Sampson was found. Yay for Sampson! Not so yay for Felix.

It isn't that there was anything wrong with Felix, I just didn't want two cats. Especially if one of the cats was going to be inside all the time, as that means the litter box (s) have to be cleaned out a lot more often. And I hate litter boxes.

So I let him go outside. Felix, that is. Sampson always goes outside, and generally, for the most part, he finds his way home. Except for that one time when he didn't and I went out and took in another cat.

So one night, I see Felix and Sampson and Fonz and Kale outside, and it was a nice night, and so me and the girls decide to take a walk. I was going to take the dogs, but didn't want Felix following us. He didn't need to expand his horizons. (or so I thought)

I tried to catch him, and of course the damn cat didn't want to be caught. He ran under my deck. At which point I said, "Fuck it", and left him home.

Or so I thought.

Instead of staying home, Felix followed us. At a great distance, but he followed us. All the way to the end of my street. (which, to be fair, is only about 6 houses down) Again, I tried to catch him, because I like my neighbors and I didn't want another black cat stalking their houses pooping in the yards. But the damn thing refused to be caught. And I refused to chase a stupid cat.

So I let him go. And sort of forgot about him.

After the weekend, I realized he was still gone, and promptly forgot about him again. A couple of days later, I started taking more walks to the end of my street, and finally one of my neighbors asked if I was looking for my black cat. I hung my head and admitted that yes, I was indeed looking for my black cat. Not the one I have that always comes home (except for that once) but a new one. Who apparently doesn't know his way home.

And this is when something happened and I decided I didn't care if he pooped in her yard. She told me that she had been feeding him. And letting him sleep in her garage.  No wonder he didn't come home! Let's see...his choices were either a) have free roam of several rodent infested yards and free food and a warm/dry place to sleep at night, or b) being locked up in a house with 2 dogs, 2 kids, and another cat who hates you. Hell, I'd choose A too!

This neighbor stopped short of saying that she wanted to keep Felix, but she offered to bring him down whenever she found him.  (Little did I know that meant that she would walk down, put him in my yard, and then he would follow her home.) She actually said that she would love to keep him, but she was allergic. I made no secret of my desire to re-home the adorable little kitty, but knew ultimately he was still mine.

Fast forward another few weeks and I have only seen him once for a couple of days because another neighbor called when he saw him. I had long before made an appointment at the vet for Felix to get a booster shot, and it was time to take him in. I walked down to my neighbor's yard and looked for him, and shamefully rang the doorbell to see if she had seen him.

And guess what? The reason why he wasn't outside in the yard was because he was inside her house! He had food and water dishes and a litter box and he slept with her every night! He even brought her dead mice as gifts! Every day!

I was so overjoyed I couldn't be annoyed that my neighbor basically stole my cat. I took him to the vet, and immediately returned him to her, with paperwork. All she had to do is send in his microchip paperwork stating he is hers, and I am back to one cat. Wa-hooo!!!!