One day in June or July, 2019, Squeak, Moose and Emma were outside playing and we heard a big cat-commotion. When we investigated, we found that Squeak had treed a little black kitten, slightly younger than Moose and Emma. We made Squeak leave it alone and it quickly came down from the tree and ran away.
After that, we saw the little black kitten once in a while and, eventually, a Siamese marked kitten about the same age. Later, we figured out that they were living under the old house, which I use as a shed, on the back of the lot . Two kittens, trying to make it on their own.
Joann was working at the Mint every night and she got in the habit of bringing some food home every night for the orphans. At first, she'd throw it to them and they'd sneak up and grab a piece then run away to eat it, coming back until it was all gone. Joann named the black one Shadow and the Siamese we named Ghost.
When I came home for a few days, I was watching as she got them to come near her and take the food from the dish. They still wouldn't let her get too close and they definitely didn't think much of me!
As time went on, they mellowed a little and she began feeding them on the porch, then putting the dish inside the door of the house. Finally, she had them coming in to eat and even shut them in a time or two without serious damage. Once we had them confined in the house whenever we wanted, we figured we'd catch them and take them to the Humane Society for neutering/spaying. Ghost is male, Shadow is female.
The day of their appointment, we got them into the house. Ghost wasn't too hard to catch and get into the carrier but Shadow...Wow! Joann was in my old fatigue jacket and leather gloves. She and Shadow pretty much tore up my kitchen and Jo was bleeding, even with the gloves on. But, we got Shadow into the carrier and off to Helena I went. The people at the Animal Shelter told me they had a similar rodeo with Shadow when she came out of the carrier but the two got "fixed" and I brought them home.
It wasn't long before they were staying in the house for the night and had kind of moved in. We
were looking to rehome them but they were so attached to each other that we didn't want to separate them and we couldn't find anyone who wanted TWO kittens so; well, we wound up keeping them.
Since Stripe was till alive, we had six cats in the house! This was a lot more than I had planned on but I got pretty attached to all of them. Except, at the time, Shadow. She was much like her name. Visible, maybe, but hard to catch. She didn't come close, lived under my bed most of the time and only came out and was visible at breakfast time and then went outside with the rest. She came in fine but didn't want to be held. Joann could pet her once in a while but I had to catch her in order to hold her and pet her. We figured something bad must have happened to them and more so to Shadow
Ghost was easier to get ahold of and was actually turning into a pretty friendly cat. The two were inseparable. Sleeping together, playing together and basically attached at the hip. They'd have been miserable if we'd given them away separately and I'm glad we chose not to.
Now, they are about the best behaved cats in the herd. Never see them on the counters or the table, they don't make much noise and you don't see them trying to steal or beg food. Ghost can be picked up any time and he'll put up with any amount of attention. Shadow is still a little flighty sometimes but she'll come lay down on my lap and sleep once in a while. She has a purr that you can hear clear across the house.
Shadow and Emma are kind of in competition a lot, especially for my attention. Emma will be under the covers on the bed, purring, and Shadow will deliberately walk on the blanket and thus on Emma. No way she doesn't know Emma's under there! Shadow will come in to the bed at night and beg for attention but she doesn't just lay down. She's constantly moving around so I have to wake up and be attentive!
Ghost and Shadow both treat Joann differently than they treat me. They'll walk at her feet, basically in the way, tails waving and criscrossing in front of her. Ghost especially but Shadow also will get on Joann's lap to rub their heads against her chin and pretty much drive her crazy with "love". They like me ok but they demonstrate a huge attachment to Joann. They obviously know who saved them!
When I talk about our cat herd being Angels, sent here to help us, I know that Ghost and Shadow are here especially for Joann. The Royal Family seems to gravitate towards me but The Orphans are definitely Joann's Angels.
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