Good luck, Sally. And thanks for your kindness!

Well, I don't think anything is the matter with you! You just have a heart for cats... or maybe you just have a heart. Either way, it makes you a great person! Just have a weakness for a helpless but adorable kitty... if that's a handicap then I qualify for the parking sticker and am proud of it! It's just sad that we can't do more than we do, but you certainly did more than most would have. I saw your other post on my thread... what is it about cheap apartment complexes that makes the strays so rampant anyway?

And her heart swelled to the size of 10 Grinches.....

You must know my mother.....I can't even tell you how many she's taken in over the years!

Once she's been spayed, there isn't really a lot of expense in keeping a cat.

& cats always fuss & hiss & growl & act like a bunch of warrior divas when a new one comes on the scene.

They almost always get over it.

Plus, as you say, it isn't easy to find a home, one that you feel confidant of, one that you don't worry about, for a black kitty.

I have a beautiful short-haired black kitty that I got years ago at the feed store.

People often brought whole litters of kittens to that store to "find homes" (the store no longer does this, thank goodness).

Breezy had been there for several weeks, & I mused to the cashier one day, "I wonder why no one has taken that one?"

She said, "oh, because he's black, because he's not pretty."

so he came home with me...

I hope you keep her.
She sounds lovely, & black cats are the sweetest ones.

Thanks for all your support. DH isn't too unhappy. I'm taking her to the vet this morning. I'm pretty sure she has ear mites, cause her ears are real itchy to her. Also, she hasn't eaten anything since I've brought her home. So, I'll have her checked out and tested for the usual diseases. Keep your fingers crossed she's clear of disease.

Way to go, Sylvia.

Sally

I just got back from the vet's, and she checked out disease free and worm free, but she has ear mites. The vet said she's lanky, but not too thin. I guess I'm used to, well, lets just say well fed cats. ;-) He thinks she's around 5 or 6 months, but not in heat. So, she's going to the free clinic, sponsered by KittiCo in Dallas, on Monday to be spayed, and get a rabies shot.

It's clear she hates other cats, which is too bad. I sure hope I can find a home for her quickly, but I'm not too optimistic.

Sally

My black cat, Kitty was also a stray when I took her in. I was working on a farm at the time and while working in the barn, we heard this little "mew mew" from somewhere in the shadowy corners (lighting wasn't great in the barn).. it took some searching but finally found this little scrawny thing made up of fur and bones.. My boss said "Don't you dare feed that cat or it'll never leave!" I said "Ok" and promptly went into the house to get some milk and kibble.. One thing led to another and now I have a(n approximately) 12 year old furry black companion. I also don't know exactly how old she was when I found her.. it was so hard to tell, but she did manage to have a litter of kittens about 6 months later.. that was about 10 years ago.. so I think she's somewhere around 12 now.

It's a shame I dont live near you.I love black cats and I'd take her in a heart beat!

I am the same way with dogs. However, I do know my limit (3). I refer to them as big, bigger and biggest.

Your situation sort of fit's my theory "if it don't fit, don't force it".

Good luck! You have a wonderful, caring heart!

SG

Thank you again, everyone.

Mokanee, sounds like that was one lucky kitty.

Thanks for the offer, Coolmama.

Spiritual Gardener, I'm hoping not to force it. Surely, there is the right home out there for this kitty.

Sally

glad to hear she's healthy.

My experience is that they *always* act like they hate each other at first.

She may calm down when she realizes that there's enough food & enough safe places even with other cats in the territory.

I agree with Sylvia. You have very compassionately taken in a kitten who is behaving perfectly normally under the circumstances. She's young and inexperienced, and all of her instincts tell her that she must protect herself from unknown animals. It isn't that she hates other cats. She's just scared, and her self-preservation instinct has kicked into overdrive. Once she realizes that the other animals in your home don't intend her any harm, she'll start to relax.

If you think you might have room in your home for another fortunate feline, just give that little girl time. She'll settle in and find a comfy spot in your family eventually.

Laurie

Y'all make a good point. I do plan to try to adopt her out, but I'm realistic about it, too. There are just sooooo many cats and dogs needing homes, and sooo many foster parents even more desperate for their charges to find new homes. I'm just one of thousands, or would it be millions?

Sally

Cats from the feed store, we are still giving kitties homes, the local shelter does not do cats they are destroyed upon arrival. There is no one else who will rehome or home them in the first place. Right now there are no kittens but I am sure they will come. We will only take one litter from a mother cat the owner is asked to spay the mom. We do take on feral trapped kittens, we keep them in a large dog crate in the store so they get used to people and we spend time cuddling them and giving them treats, love and food go a long way. We also wind up with tiney kittens who have to be cleaned and bottle fed, someone usally finds a baby left. Sally you are one, one kind person who is careing enough to take the cat in. I too love black cats. One day I was sitting in front of the feed store with two black cats on my lap and a crow who we rasied(another story) on my head, when a man stopped and accused me of being a witch. Started a rumor this was the devil's feed store, all we could do was laugh.

lmao Acorn!

What a silly, silly man. lol.

Sally

"One day I was sitting in front of the feed store with two black cats on my lap and a crow who we rasied(another story) on my head, when a man stopped and accused me of being a witch."

Oh, how I would have loved to have seen a picture of this.

I adore black cats. I didn't til I fell in love with mine at the shelter almost a year ago now. I went looking for a fluffy little multi coloured kitten, and fell in love with a short-haired, black kitten with a wide, squished in face and bug eyes. She looked like a little black alien. Not exactly what you think of when you think of cute, cuddly kittens. She's gorgeous now, but she was def. in that awkward stage. Now I would never ever turn down a black cat again. She's just the sweetest.

I'm glad you took the little one in, and I hope she gets comfy in your home!

There's potentially good news about Annie. (That's the name I decided to give her when I took her to the vet last week.) A rescue organization has decided to help out, and will provide her with a space each weekend at their adoption events. The lady in charge feels pretty certain she'll be adopted quickly, because they don't have any kittens....yet. There's a bunch on the way, since kitten season is rapidly approaching, but there's definately hope Annie will find a new, forever home soon. They are also paying for her to be spayed and vaccinated, so I don't have to take her to the grist-mill style clinic that does the ferals. Not that they're a bad place, but they will do as many as 150 cats in one day, which has to be stressful on the cats. It's necessary, but I'm glad she's not going to have to deal with scores of other cats around her. Anyway, I had said I was going to have her done this past Monday, but I put it off because she was having diarrhea. It's a good thing, since now she's going to a privet vet clinic instead. her first adoption event will be next Sunday.

Sally