Crazy Cat People

Being an animal lover can really be a curse sometimes. Last night as I arrived home from visiting my parents, I noticed a cat near the steps going up to my apartment door. It spotted me and ran over to me before I was able to begin going up the stairs. However, this cat wasn't just running, it was hobbling. This cat has three and a half legs.

I should probably rewind for a minute. Last week Deavin and I noticed flyers that were placed on poles around our apartment complex about a found black & white cat with 3 1/2 legs and a purple flea color. It had a contact name and number. We noticed that the flyers were taken down on Sunday, so we figured that the cat had been returned to its owner and all was well.

Apparently not.

Here was the cat described on the flyer, meowing up at me as I was standing in the rain with an armful of leftover food. I talked to it for a minute (yes, I'm one of those people) and started up to stairs toward my door. He followed, struggling up each step with it's half back left leg making his upstair voyage slightly difficult. I put my things away, came back outside, and sat down with this very friendly cat. He climbed in my lap and started purring. Oh, boy. I sent a text to Deavin, who was still at school, to let him know of our unexpected visitor. Fast forward some. Deavin got home and the cat. He convinced me that there was nothing we could do, seeing as we already have two cats in a one bedroom apartment. Before going to bed last night, he checked outside again and said that the cat was no longer sitting on our doorstep. That was probably the only thing that allowed me to actually sleep, otherwise I would have stayed up tossing and turning, wondering about the poor cat stuck out in the rain.

This morning as I cranked up my car, I looked up before going into reverse and spotted the cat in the bushes. Dang it, he was still alone. I couldn't let myself sit there and think about him or I would drive myself crazy, so I went about my business. I got home two to three hours later. Deavin was already home and there was the cat, waiting. 

At this point, Deavin caved and we let the cat in the apartment. We told ourselves that we couldn't leave him alone, hobbling around with no one caring for him. We took a closer look at the back left leg that was missing and we noticed that it was really strange looking and possibly infected. To make an already long story a little bit shorter, the cat (whom we affectionately call "Hershel") is unbelievably friendly and wasn't particularly bothered by Ava and Wilford. We ended up taking Hershel to our vet to see what he could do for us. 

That's where we're left at now. Hershel is at the vet tonight. He was going to be combo tested for feline AIDS and leukemia today, then tomorrow he is to be neutered and have the rest of his back left leg amputated. We expect him to come back "home" on Thursday. I feel so bad for him, but I feel like he's one lucky kitty to have found Deavin and me considering we are such suckers for animals. :(

Whether we are simply a temporary home for Hershel or an eventual permanent home, we're going to do everything we can for the cute little guy and ensure he has loving owners.