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How Cali found a home

I read recently in the Sun-Gazette about submitting an “animal tale,” and right away I just had to share our story about this calico cat. First, I must tell you that we always were dog owners but our last two had passed away and we decided no more because it was too hard when they died.

So here goes … This is a true story about my husband, Jim, who always has hated cats. One afternoon Jim was working in the yard when he looked up and saw a calico cat lying on our front porch. He yelled at it as to scare it so it would leave however it just got up slowly, walked down the steps, flopped on its side in the sun, looked over at Jim and just meowed at him. Jim didn’t tell me then but she melted his heart right then and there.

Jim had told me that this calico cat keeps coming in the yard, and then day I was hanging up clothes and I heard a meow. I looked around but didn’t see any cat. I went back to hanging up clothes and then I heard the front gate click. I looked and there was the calico cat coming in and she came over meowing and jumped up on the wood pile and kept talking to me (in cat, that is.) I walked over to her and let her sniff me and then I asked her if she might be the cat that Jim had told me about. I picked her up and took her in the house to see Jim and sure enough it was the same cat. Jim came right over to see her and pet her and she started talking to him.

I could see he liked her … but I didn’t say anything. I fed her a little turkey lunch meat, gave her a drink and took her back outside. I came to find Jim was feeding her too, but was feeding her our tuna.

I then bought a bag of cat food and didn’t tell him. We eventually found out that we were both being sneaky and feeding her without letting each other know.

I took a picture of her and went around the neighborhood to see if she belonged to anyone. She didn’t, but everyone was feeding her and said how friendly she was. I told that to Jim and he said, “You know, it’s going to be getting cold and she looks young. Do you think she will survive outside?”

I said I didn’t think so (because I always have wanted a cat) and he said that maybe we should bring her in next time she came around.

Oh boy, I thought. I went out and bought all the things you need to take care of a cat and kept the items in the trunk of my car. The storm Sandy hit and Jim asked if she had been around. I said, that I?hadn’t seen her. He had to go to work but I kept watching for her. It was pouring outside. Every hour, I was at the door calling for her, but still no cat.

Finally I looked out the door and there she was – all wet and looking up at me. I opened the door and in she ran. I grabbed some towels and dried her off. I decided to take her to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to see if someone contacted them looking for her or to see if she was chipped. She was chipped (my heart sank) because I really wanted to keep her.

I had fallen in love with her and I was pretty sure Jim had too. The SPCA contacted the owner only to find she had been on the run for over a year and they couldn’t have a cat where they lived now so the owner said to give her to the lady that found her. WOW. I was so happy I actually had tears in my eyes.

To bring this long story to an end, we kept the calico cat and named her Cali.

And Jim – well, he loves her and she sits on his lap, sometimes taking a nap there. She follows him around and they play and she still sits and talks to him. She converted him to being a cat owner.

Cali has settled in with us and she no longer goes outside. She is strictly an indoor cat now. She was 2 when we got her and she is now 4.

She is one lucky cat – no – I should say we are one lucky family because she has brought us so much joy every day.

Jim and I love her very much, not to mention our two grown-up kids who never had a cat while growing up but who love her also. Cali loves them too.

Submitted by Jeanette Kita, of Williamsport.

If you have a “pet tale” you would like to submit to the Sun-Gazette for consideration in an upcoming edition, email the information to life@sungazette.com.

Pet tales are printed in the Monday or Tuesday Lifestyle “pet” page or in the Sunday Lifestyle section.

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