Wild Cats of Hough's Neck

Trixie and Skitter -- sounds like a Singapore Sling sipping tart and her earthy, soccer playing best pal. They’re always seen on the same stools at Union Bar with Trixie keeping an eagle eye out for the young stockbroker types who are always an easy touch for a drink in exchange for a little flirtation.

Nope, that's not who I’m talkin’ about here. Sorry. That particular Trixie probably has a tale or 70 of her own to tell.

This Trixie is is a fluffy grey Maine Coon cat who showed up on our porch one early spring morning. I’m, at best, half awake when I go out to feed the ferals, our porch visiting feline population, so I didn’t notice that the small grey cat crowding the food bowls was new until she realized I was behind her and looked up in a mad panic. I automatically started my, hopefully, soothing “there, there, have some breakfast” spiel. Poor thing was horribly scrawny, obvious even under her long, matted hair. After she finished one bowl of Fancy Feast I brought her another. She became a regular visitor, in fact she moved onto our porch.

Trixie

Trixie began to gain weight, her coat took on a soft shine and she seemed content. Then, in mid summer she was gone. I fretted horribly until...until Rob, with his binoculars, spotted her in the epically tall grass of our next door neighbors yard. With a kitten. Just one. After a few more days Trixie came back on the porch but just for meals, returning to her kitten afterwards. A few weeks later, she began showing up with the small white, nervous toddler whose name quickly became clear.

We all got to watch Skitter learn her lessons -- how to eat solid food (Fancy Feast. natürlich), catch mice, run away from the scary mailman and the total art of attacking all threatening shoes (and all shoes pose a clear threat) left on the porch.

Skitter

Coco

When Skitter became more independent, Trixie started dashing into our house, refusing to go back outside. She made it abundantly clear that she wanted to be an indoor cat. Late November was on us and it looked like the winter would be a hard, snowy one. We couldn’t keep Trixie but we couldn’t leave her outside in all the cold, harsh precipitation either. She moved in while we looked for a safe, loving new home.

Coco, the timid feline we had adopted the previous summer became depressed -- stopped zipping around the house like an atomic particle, stopped waking me in the morning, stopped purring and wasn’t eating enough. We had to find someplace soon but the person, the new home for Trixie had to be right. Luckily a wonderful co-worker of Jen’s sister was keen on adopting. She came out and met Trixie and a love story began for both of them.

Around the same time, Skitter followed Jen into her home and decided she liked what she saw. Jen and Oni’s other 2 cats were thrilled to bits. Thelma -- “a new playmate, woo hoo!” And mildly annoyed. Rosie -- “she’s not gonna eat MY food is she? and I get to sleep on top of the long haired chick NOT the kid!”

Cranky Rosie

We get periodic emails "from Trixie" telling us how she’s doing (great!) and Skitter, now a year and a half old, is nearing oversized Yeti proportions and loves chasing her older “sisters” around. A couple of months after Trixie moved on, Coco’s sadness lifted and she began to purr once more.

God, I love happy endings.