If the generous kitties of rpca could spare a few more purrs, I would
like to ask for some for a newcomer - my DH has apparently had his cat
magnet on again.

Late last night, DH told me that a stray cat had turned up at the
office, skinny and yelling and holding up one paw.  As TED was closed
and there are no 24-hour vet clinics here, there was nothing to be
done but feed him and see if he was still around tomorrow.

This afternoon he was still there, and I went to help DH see what we
could do.  The kitty was still holding up one paw and his leg was a
little swollen, though he could put weight on it.  He *wanted* to be
friendly, and would headbutt my legs and purr, though he wasn't quite
sure he wanted to be touched otherwise.  And he was *positive* he
didn't want to get in that carrier I had brought.  Nevertheless, after
about an hour of sitting beside him, talking to him, and letting him
have one bite of the bowl of stinky canned food and then pushing it a
little farther back in the carrier, he went far enough in that he had
only one back leg out of the carrier, and I could scoot him in with a
hand on his butt and close the door.  I was wearing gardening gloves
(better than nothing) but he didn't even try to bite or scratch,
though was quite upset to find himself in the cage after all.  And off
we went to TED, for paw repair, neutering, and the works.

He was a beautiful boy, very skinny but otherwise healthy-looking,
with bright yellow eyes and sleek, shiny tabby fur.  He's quite a
talker - he murped and chirped and yelled the entire time I was with
him.  He has an *enormous* head and quite an impressive set of b*lls,
which will be gone very shortly.  ;-)

Oz and Tiger seemed a little disconcerted but not upset by the
loudmouthed new guy, and if he cares to hang around after we get him
back from TED, it looks like we will have *another* office kitty.  He
looks an awful lot like a Henry to me, but time will tell.

In any event, the odd purr that everything goes okay for newkitty
during his stay at TED's office would be appreciated, by him and by
us.  It's so heartrending when you can see that a stray *wants* to
make friends, but finds it soooo hard to trust a human.  I really hope
this little guy can let himself be happy with us; on just an hour's
acquaintance, I was utterly smitten.

------
Krista