Oliver

Almost two weeks ago, a cat showed up at the family farm. Apparently that cat took a real shining to Alex. However, we have two indoor cats, both female, and do not NEED another one. Therefore, I tried to find it a good home. If we just let it "hang out" around here, it would surely get hit by a car and killed.

Within about an hour this cat had a name. Oliver. In fact, Oliver Douglas; which may ring a bell for those of you oldtimers who remember the old "Green Acres" television show.

Well, Oliver is here to stay. Alex and I took him to the vet last Tuesday and had him all checked out. He's very healthy, does NOT have feline leukemia, and weighs 8 lb. 10 oz. I'm sure that close to a pound of that weight was gained since he showed up only 5 days before. When we first saw him, he was sooooooooo skinny. During one day, he ate 3 cups of dry food, a can of wet food, and drank 2 cups of water. Since then, he's slowed way down, but I think he was starved and dehydrated.

I also thought that he may have been an indoor cat. I mentioned this to the vet while we were there. I told him why I thought this, then asked him what he thought. His answer was, "I don't know. Let me ask him." It's always nice to have a vet who can be a smart a**.

Anyway, Oliver got his first set of kitten shots, even though the vet thinks he's about a year old. We made an appointment for him to get his second set in another couple of weeks. We also have an appointment for him to be neutered next Tuesday.

We've been letting him in the house on and off, but will try to have him be a total indoor cat once he's neutered. I have a feeling that's not going to be easy, but we'll give it a try. He shows up at the door off of our bedroom between 5 and 6 am each morning, meowing like crazy until we let him in.

Yesterday morning around 9:45 Alex found him on the back porch, eating a MOUSE! Alex, being a typical teenage boy, told me that there was blood all over the porch and Oliver was eating the mouse's gut, but the mouse was dead (thank goodness...I just hope the mouse didn't suffer long.). Alex went back to check on him again and Oliver was still there, but the mouse was gone. Alex hosed off the porch. I told him that "MouseBreath" was NOT coming in the house until he had something else to eat to get any mouse yuck out of his mouth.

Suffice it to say that Pepina and Marina aren't too happy with this turn of events. Pepina seems to be adjusting a little, but Marina will hiss at Oliver like crazy, then bat at him with her front paws and then growl. Pepina now just pretty much ignores him.

Last evening when Oliver was inside, he was sleeping on the floor. Ted got up off the recliner to lie down on the floor next to him so he could pet him while he slept. As soon as Ted got down there and stretched out, Oliver promptly jumped up onto the recliner and fell back to sleep. And then he slept there for a couple of hours. I guess it really wears you out to chase a mouse, catch it, and then eat it.

In my heart, I just couldn't turn Oliver away. I know I can't save the world, but at least this is one less cat that will have a rough life.

But THIS IS IT. NO MORE. I MEAN IT. I think.