Izzy had another fit, waking us up at about 5am.
Later, at about 6.30, we had a cacophony of panicked hens at about 6.30am. I leapt out of bed, as much as it was possible in my sleep-disturbed state, and rushed to the window. I couldn't see a fox, I opened the window and "shussed" very loudly, but they carried on.
I ran downstairs and opened the back door. All the Girls were in Alarm Positions on various perches in the run. I then saw a cat - the cat - streaking across the garden.
I called it, and it was meowling pitifully. I grabbed cat food and a bowl, and went out the front, calling it. I put the food down and she gobbled it all up. She was a very hungry cat. I stroked her, and she purred. It was tooo early to take her to the Vet, so I went back in the house and left her, thinking that she might come back if she was still hungry.
I googled for tips on integrating a new adult cat with existing adult cats.
At 10am DH announced that "my friend" was back at the front door. I went out with another packet of cat food, I gave her half, which she gobbled down. I phoned the Vet to ask if they could scan a stray and give me the address if she was microchipped: yes, they could do that.
DH got the cat basket out of the loft. I gave the cat the second half of the cat food and when she had finsihed, I scooped her up and put her in the basket. She is a really lovely thing.
DH marked his territory by telling me that if she wasn't microchipped, she'd have to go to the local lost cat place. I said we'd have to see. We then had one of those mini arguments, where arguing is pointless. We agreed we had to see whether she was microchipped and then take it from there.
She was quite good on the way to the vet. She yowled a bit, but she snuggled down in the cat carrier, and was happy for me to stroke her through the bars. In the Vet she was scanned, and then the Nurse went off to call the chip company. I was happy (and sad) that she was microchipped.
Eventually she came back to tell me that the cat was flagged as missing, and that they were trying to contact her owner. I needed to wait while they did so. I was left on my own for a few minutes, and I felt a bit teary. I could imagine how I would feel if my lost cat was found...and I was sad that I wouldn't be adopting her after all.
Jess's owner apparently burst into tears when she was told that Jess had been found. She'd been missing for exactly one month, and she lives in a village about 7 miles from here. I was happy to take Jess back to her mum, but the Vet said that I needed to leave her at the Vet, and the owner would collect from there. (I imagine there are some catnapping/blackmailing scams that go on).
So they took her away to put her in a kennel, and eventually came back with my empty carrier.
I cried all the way home.
Later, at about 6.30, we had a cacophony of panicked hens at about 6.30am. I leapt out of bed, as much as it was possible in my sleep-disturbed state, and rushed to the window. I couldn't see a fox, I opened the window and "shussed" very loudly, but they carried on.
I ran downstairs and opened the back door. All the Girls were in Alarm Positions on various perches in the run. I then saw a cat - the cat - streaking across the garden.
I called it, and it was meowling pitifully. I grabbed cat food and a bowl, and went out the front, calling it. I put the food down and she gobbled it all up. She was a very hungry cat. I stroked her, and she purred. It was tooo early to take her to the Vet, so I went back in the house and left her, thinking that she might come back if she was still hungry.
I googled for tips on integrating a new adult cat with existing adult cats.
At 10am DH announced that "my friend" was back at the front door. I went out with another packet of cat food, I gave her half, which she gobbled down. I phoned the Vet to ask if they could scan a stray and give me the address if she was microchipped: yes, they could do that.
DH got the cat basket out of the loft. I gave the cat the second half of the cat food and when she had finsihed, I scooped her up and put her in the basket. She is a really lovely thing.
DH marked his territory by telling me that if she wasn't microchipped, she'd have to go to the local lost cat place. I said we'd have to see. We then had one of those mini arguments, where arguing is pointless. We agreed we had to see whether she was microchipped and then take it from there.
She was quite good on the way to the vet. She yowled a bit, but she snuggled down in the cat carrier, and was happy for me to stroke her through the bars. In the Vet she was scanned, and then the Nurse went off to call the chip company. I was happy (and sad) that she was microchipped.
Eventually she came back to tell me that the cat was flagged as missing, and that they were trying to contact her owner. I needed to wait while they did so. I was left on my own for a few minutes, and I felt a bit teary. I could imagine how I would feel if my lost cat was found...and I was sad that I wouldn't be adopting her after all.
Jess's owner apparently burst into tears when she was told that Jess had been found. She'd been missing for exactly one month, and she lives in a village about 7 miles from here. I was happy to take Jess back to her mum, but the Vet said that I needed to leave her at the Vet, and the owner would collect from there. (I imagine there are some catnapping/blackmailing scams that go on).
So they took her away to put her in a kennel, and eventually came back with my empty carrier.
I cried all the way home.
