How Did Your Cat Find You?

[adventuregirl]

I truly believe humans don’t find their cats... cats find their humans. Cats have a sixth sense to know who the right human will be. So with that what are your stories? I will start with the story of how I became Garfield’s human. My family always had cats. I am the youngest of three girls. My parents let both of my sisters get their own cats when they were 8 years old. When I was five my sister and her friend took me to a neighbor they knew that had free kittens. We were going there to play with the kittens. I picked up an orange kitten and held him the entire time. I told my sister I was going to have that kitten. My sister reminded I was to little and when I turned 8 I could get one, just like she did. I went home and told my mom all about that kitten. I was only five and this was over 35 years ago so I don’t remember everything but my mom says I was relentless about this kitten. I talked about him pretty much non stop for two weeks. Both of my parents flat out said no every time I brought it up. My mom finally decided to take me over there so I would stop. She figured enough time had passed that they were all gone. We went over and my beautiful orange kitten came walking to me. I squeeled in delight and scooped him up. I remember saying “look Mama he’s the one I wanted!” The neighbor lady came and talked to us then she said they had actually given up on ever giving him away because all his litter mates were already taken. They had decided to keep him on as an extra mouser, but if we wanted him we could have him. Then my mom said the words I will never forget. “ well what are you going to name that cat?” I grinned and said “Garfield” I think after Garfield met me that first day he hid from everybody looking waiting for me to bring him home. My mom told me many years later that she had to swallow back tears that day as she saw me holding him. She knew it was meant to be. Then she had the task of explaining to my dad how we had gotten yet another cat when it was supposed to be to get me to stop asking for one. Garfield lived a great life. He lived to be 20 years old. He was my constant companion and my best friend. To this day everyone in my family compares every cat to Garfield. Although my parents didn’t want him at first we all agree he was the best cat.

 

[tinydestroyer]

What a sweet story! I love how clear your memory is of this moment, even though you were so young! Garfield must've really left an impression on your life.
I agree that cats find their humans! I've never had cats before until recently, when I was "found" by two stray kittens. I have a large Siberian Husky who is 10, and never considered a cat until my fur babies decided they wanted to live here. First, there was Toulouse (Lucy for short.) We found her under the house, abandoned, at only 4 or 5 weeks old. We had to bottle feed her, and she really bonded with us. She mewed at us until I found her under there and brought her in. We cleaned all the spiderwebs off her and fed her, and since that first night she sleeps with me every night!
We told our landlord about Lucy, and during a visit to the property, she threw another cat in our house thinking it was ours! As I said, we also have a dog, so we rushed home, worried that we'd come home to a bunch of broken stuff, or worse. Everyone was fine, but the cat was so friendly and obviously not feral that we figured he must belong to someone else. No collar, and no takers when we brought him around to the neighbors, but we didn't want to steal someone's cat or expose our new kitten to anything in the early days of her vaccine regimen.
He just wouldn't leave us though! He kept trying to go back in the house, and kept peeking in our windows. He watched our dog in the backyard by hanging out in a tree, and watched us sleep by perching on the fence post. I kid you not: he stared into the windows, hanging by his paws, watching me do the dishes. He would rub up our our legs as we walked to our cars in the morning. Even though we know its crazy to take in another cat so soon, we can't help it. A couple days after Lucy's vaccinations are done, we saw a mountain lion on a hike, and decide that we can't risk leaving this friendly cat to the elements if nobody is taking care of him. We name him Mog, and he and Lucy get along great! They love grooming and playing together. Even though they were both outside before, neither of them has even tried going back out so far (knock on wood,) so we are happy about that. They seem to have picked right where they want to be!

 

[Summercats]

I was looking in a shelter that had free roam enclosures. A pretty black cat came towards me with his tail up and I asked one of the volunteers if I could pick him up. It was my first day visiting, the shelter. He began to purr as soon as he was picked up. Then a bit later I sat on the floor and he came over and layed on my lap.

 

[Merlin77]

Our 'original kitty' Snake was a survivor from the very beginning when we found her and her littermates dying of hypothermia in the shed at our place. She was the liveliest, the most willful. She wanted to live.

In the end, she was the only one to survive. After that, her mother moved her somewhere else and we though she was gone... until I followed Raini (the mom) to the new den. There was Snake in a little nest of leaves. She saw me and started meowing so loudly it was as if she was calling every beast in the forest to her. I shushed her (unsuccessfully) and went to go get some food. She was so tiny... so cross-eyed and wobbly on her feet. She even tried to climb up my pants...

Fast forward three months later, and Snake vanished. So did Raini. They were gone. We assumed Snake had been eaten by a fox and Raini had simply left.

Boy were we wrong.

Another 3 months later, and we heard some meowing from the distance. We followed it, and saw this young queen underneath the deck of the cabin.

It was a much less cross-eyed and wobbly Snake, but Snake it still was.

We picked her up and brought her to the house. She was full of purring and so friendly. Soon after, she ventured in the house.

She has gone missing a few times after that but always comes back. She has chosen us.

 

[catmomma627]

Probably my best story goes to my childhood cat who lives with my mom still.

The summer between 8th and 9th grade, my best friend Emily, and I discovered a litter of kittens in her barn. She had several barn cats, all of which were fixed so she knew they did not belong to them. We kept an on on the little guys from the hayloft and for several hours, no momma cat came back. We were afraid Emily's dogs would get to them, before their momma, so we scooped the kittens up, took them inside and begged her mom to go to walmart and get us kitten formula to save thier little hungry bodies.

We proceeded to live in Emily's room playing Mom to these kittens for the next several weeks, bottle feeding etc. Each and every one survived. There were five: A brown tabby boy, a white with brown tabby boy, a white with orange tabby boy, a calico girl, and a tortie girl. I feel in love with the Brown Tabby and immediately named him Tanner.

When the kittens were big and on solid food, the tortie was given to a friend of ours, and named Luna. I believe she still has her. Emily decided to keep the calico (Daisy) and the white/tabby boys (Alex and Luke) and I begged my parents for Tanner. They said no.

So one day when they were gone I just brought him home. I knew they would never make me get rid of him. He's thriving today- 17lbs. Not fat, just super big and long, we call him a mountain lion. And lives with my Mom.

 

[Mer.kitten]

i was driving downtown and. pulled over to make a call by an alley.. and i saw a fluffy black thing and realized it was acat. Debated a fewminutes-mind my bizness or go check? But downtown SF no one lets their cats roam outside (unless theyre assholes), its just not safe. The edges of the city yes, not downtown. So i knew it wasmost likely a stray, maybe starving... and just like that, i talked myself into checking.

She was a little black kitty, shy but swert and friendly, and rail thin. I couldnt leave her, so long story short (detailed rescue story is in the new cat forum), i brought her home. Took her to the vet, no chip, but she was malnourished & had an infection. Fed her and gave her meds.. and now i have a shiny black house panther, who annoys the hell out of me with her 5 am trilling sometimes, but loves to sit on my lap andgives me kisses everytimeI i put my face near hers.

i wanted a cool badass name formy black haus panther, bug she was so sweet i started calling her Honeybun, which morphed into Honeybunny after i rewatched Pulp Fiction for the 30th time.

Meet Honeybunny =^..^=

 

[lalagimp]

I was pretty naive about cats. I hadn't grown up with any and we had taken in this very young pair of pointed siblings for about four months and then gave them to a friend. It was a year later and my boyfriend had told me we were going to end up with a blue cat one day. What's a blue cat?
I ended up going to work one Saturday to put in 2 hours of OT, but I stopped by Petco on the way, just to see the kitties. Usually the cats you meet are either completely depressed and won't talk to you or move, or they claw out for you, or they don't shut up as they plead with you. I noticed a blue cat, sitting up on the shelf, chasing his tail. He fell off. He hopped back up again. He made eye contact for 2 seconds. "Sup." and went back to chasing his tail and tumbling over again.
Ok dude... you are different. I wonder if it's you?
I asked to see his paperwork. He was picked up as a stray and was neutered 2 days before, and he definitely wasn't even upset by that at all.
Wow. I bet it's you.
I made an arrangement to come back after my OT, just as the rep for the county was going to leave, and I took my kitten home in a box. He was really bored in that box in the car and wanted to see what was going on, so I barely opened a little part of the box for him to see, and the next thing I know while I'm driving is that box gives birth to this cat in my car. Oh. Crap.
But he's cool and independent and isn't interested in bugging me while I'm driving. He just wants to check out the car. We get home and I snatch him up and take him inside.
My other cat is home waiting and when she had first moved in with me, she spent three days hiding in the closet. Next thing she knows is there is this new guy in the house. She's hissing and getting pissed off at him, and he's just actively shuffling around the entire apartment, checking out EVERYTHING, like he was born there. He didn't care that I picked him up. He didn't care that the other cat kept yelling at him. He was just taking all these experiences and living with them in the moment, sucking life out of everything.

He was the guy. People probably didn't notice him before, because he didn't need anybody. Sometimes people are very "pay attention to me!". And less than a week after I had brought him home, he blew up with a kitty cold. They would have euthanized him at the shelter. He had less to find the right person.

 

[Opi-the-furry-conductor]

It's true the kitties do find you not you finding them. I have many since I grew up with them but one of my favorites which I think is where fate is seen more clearly in. some of you may know Opi already and his story but those of you who don't I'll let you in on the story. Me and my hubby were coming home from shopping and we walked past the towns Opera's house and heard this very loud sad unhealthy meow. I look down into the Opera house's garden and see peeking through the bars is a cute little orange tabby about 3 months old. He sounded so hungry screaming to be fed so I couldn't just walk by I had to give him something. I gave him a little piece of bread and he gobbled it up like it was a 5 star gourmet meal. I felt so bad for the little guy who was obviously starving. I begged my hubby to go buy him some luncheon meat or something. After my hubby came back with it and I fed the little guy he purred and sat in my lap. I was so surprised because the only cats i saw in that town were feral but this little guy was so affectionate and sweet. So the minute he sat in my lap my heart went into overdrive and i fell in love with him. I begged the hubby to take him home and we did. He let me carry him all the way home with out any issue. we gave him a bath to and he was so good the most well behaved cat I ever gave a bath to. When we got him he was filthy, his fur was a little rough, he was skin and bones. Now he's clean,has soft fur and is healthy plump. The hubby and I never found his mom or any siblings and no one claimed him. We have never seen a cat anywhere near the opera house. The cats hate that area because of all the people and cars. Me and the hubby both agreed That Opi found us not the other way around. It's true to because he is always scared of strangers but never to us. We named him Opi because we found him near the Opera house and because of his fur color.

 

[vyger]

It's a lot of reading but most people have enjoyed it, the story of my feral collection.
Homer's Odyssey, the Tale of a Cat and How to Get Too Many Kittens Without Trying, Really Fast.

 

[MeganLLB]

I think I was in kindergarten when we got Freddy. We got him at a dairy farm and I picked him out of the litter because he was the cleanest (not so covered in straw and manure and fleas). I wanted to name him Barney and thought that appropriate because he was born in a barn but my parents wouldnt let me name him that. So I wanted to name him after the funny guy on Full House whose name is Joey but I thought it was Freddy. He was the best cat ever and every cat since then is always compared to Freddy. He was really my best friend growing up. I got him when I was 5 and he died when I was in college.

Pansey we got as a companion for Freddy. They were like soul mates and best buds.

Luna I got on the spur of the moment as a companion for my dog (he likes cats) I picked her up at a gas station in the middle of a thunderstorm. She was nuts and super hyper. It took a long time for us to bond. But I love her now and she is great and is a good friend for Bosco my dog.

Artemis I got I guess because I just wanted another cat. Also picked him up at a gas station. His previous owner couldn't care for him anymore because she was sick. It was amazing how he fit right into the family and everyone got along right away. It was like he was always meant to be here.

I also temporarily had my mom's cat. She was a bitch. Kitty is more than pleased to be back with my mom.

I think thats all of them!

 

[dustydiamond1]

We first saw a little grey and white stray cat in the spring of 2016 jumping out of the apartment buildings dumpster and running away. I would talk to her (although at the time we didn't know she was a she) & eventually she would stop at a distance and look back before running away. Mid summer we spotted her looking terrible, mangy & sick, then she disappeared for a few months. Early Oct she reappeared looking well. We live on the second story in a quiet neighborhood with huge old trees & houses. Our back door faces an alley and we feed the squirrels & birds there. She was eating their bread one day so we started throwing down hot dogs (all beef) & cooked chicken to her, finally buying a bag of cat food and feeding her on the stairs. We had food and water on our porch at the top of the stairs where, over time, she would let us sit & pet her. She acted like she wanted to come inside so we put some food and water just inside the door, leaving it open so she wouldn't panic, until one day as I was going out, Mr possum was just outside the door at the empty food bowl ready to come in too! We shut the door but let her out when she wanted to go. I got a litter pan and she took to it immediately. I gave her an anti-flea treatment. and took her to the vet to get a check up, vet said she was 1 or 2 yrs old. APL had at some point trapped, spayed, clipped her ear & turned her loose again.The weather was turning colder and she started staying inside more, sleeping overnight in a bed we got her and dropping in during the day. We don't have loose dogs or mean folks in the area so we were still letting her out in the morning or whenever she wanted. She would come when we whistled and called, until one day in January 2017 when she came in limping on her right back paw. She hasn't been out solo since that day. Vet said it was a healed over puncture wound, didn't know what caused it. She was hanging out in a nasty, run down, junky, hole-in the-roof garage next door. When the weather warmed up she really wanted to go out so we got a harness for her and go out with her. Photos of our excursions are in one of my albums. She is so sweet and smart and beautiful. She lets us pet her everywhere, from her nose to her toes to her tail. She doesn't bite (except for love bites that don't break skin) or scratch or jump on counters or bother the house plants. Love her lots. She has us wrapped around her little paw. It took quite awhile but she finally let us know her name, Gypsy
Our little goofball

 

[vyger]

We first saw a little grey and white stray cat in the spring of 2016 jumping out of the apartment buildings dumpster and running away. I would talk to her (although at the time we didn't know she was a she) & eventually she would stop at a distance and look back before running away. Mid summer we spotted her looking terrible, mangy & sick, then she disappeared for a few months. Early Oct she reappeared looking well. We live on the second story in a quiet neighborhood with huge old trees & houses. Our back door faces an alley and we feed the squirrels & birds there. She was eating their bread one day so we started throwing down hot dogs (all beef) & cooked chicken to her, finally buying a bag of cat food and feeding her on the stairs. We had food and water on our porch at the top of the stairs where, over time, she would let us sit & pet her. She acted like she wanted to come inside so we put some food and water just inside the door, leaving it open so she wouldn't panic, until one day as I was going out, Mr possum was just outside the door at the empty food bowl ready to come in too! We shut the door but let her out when she wanted to go. I got a litter pan and she took to it immediately. I gave her an anti-flea treatment. and took her to the vet to get a check up, vet said she was 1 or 2 yrs old. APL had at some point trapped, spayed, clipped her ear & turned her loose again.The weather was turning colder and she started staying inside more, sleeping overnight in a bed we got her and dropping in during the day. We don't have loose dogs or mean folks in the area so we were still letting her out in the morning or whenever she wanted. She would come when we whistled and called, until one day in January 2017 when she came in limping on her right back paw. She hasn't been out solo since that day. Vet said it was a healed over puncture wound, didn't know what caused it. She was hanging out in a nasty, run down, junky, hole-in the-roof garage next door. When the weather warmed up she really wanted to go out so we got a harness for her and go out with her. Photos of our excursions are in one of my albums. She is so sweet and smart and beautiful. She lets us pet her everywhere, from her nose to her toes to her tail. She doesn't bite (except for love bites that don't break skin) or scratch or jump on counters or bother the house plants. Love her lots. She has us wrapped around her little paw. It took quite awhile but she finally let us know her name, Gypsy
Our little goofball

It takes a longer and I know most people don't have the circumstances but I think friendly persuasion is the best way. When it's their idea to be there to start with they aren't in a hurry to escape and leave. It's their home because they chose it.

 

[dustydiamond1]

It takes a longer and I know most people don't have the circumstances but I think friendly persuasion is the best way. When it's their idea to be there to start with they aren't in a hurry to escape and leave. It's their home because they chose it.

Oh so true

 

[Sonatine]

I'm lucky enough to have a cat cafe in my city, and I visit from time to time. I'd wanted a cat for pretty much my entire life, but was never in a position to adopt (family always had dogs) until recently, when I moved out, and had to make the sad decision to bring my dog back to my mother's house after she failed to adjust to urban life.

I was SO excited for the day I got to pick out my cat. The cafe had a live kitty cam of all the adoptable cats, and I'd been watching it to see which one I might want, and picked out a few favorites. I went in and told the staff what I was looking for in a cat (young adult, friendly cat who wouldn't mind cuddling). They didn't even hesitate before showing me the litter room, which I hadn't been able to see on the cameras, and two sweet cats that liked to hide out in there. Neither one was a cat that I had been considering, but I figured I'd at least visit with them.

When I first tried to pet Amelia, I pulled my hand away because I thought she'd hissed at me. But I tried again later, and realized it hadn't been a hiss, but a silent meow! And once I started rubbing her ears, she purred like a cat four times her size. She was just so trusting and sweet, and reached a paw out to me while I petted her. When I left the litter room to visit with the other cats a while longer, she gathered up her courage and ventured out of her safe little space and into the rest of the cafe! She didn't quite make it to me before losing her nerve and going back to her little hiding spot, but she tried! I know that logically it probably wasn't because of me that she ventured out, but I was smitten nonetheless. And even when I spent time with the other cats, I always came back to her.

Now that she's in my little apartment, she's nothing like the timid cat that was hiding in a basket at the cafe. She's confident, smart, vocal, and demanding. She gets into everything but doesn't break anything, loves to play, follows me around, and always greets me at the door when I get home. I've only had her for a little under a month and I love her so much already it's astounding.