Warning: This is a longish tale, and not a particularly happy one. So,
know that if you read on, but it has been bothering me and I feel the
need to get it off my chest.

A really cool cat showed up in my backyard a couple weeks ago. She's
very beautiful, quite friendly, and soon "adopted" me, seemingly, as
her new owner. She took up residence in my yard behind some shrubs. She
had been around on rare occasions in the past, and had always left
after a day or two. It was obvious to me that she was somebody's indoor
cat who had managed to escape for an adventure for a while, and then
came back home after a while. This time, however, she wasn't leaving,
so I picked her up and walked her around the neighborhood asking people
if they knew who her owner might be.

I was told by several people that the owner was a neighboor of mine who
wasn't home at the time. Later that evening I noticed lights on in
their house, so I went over to ask about the cat, who by this time was
out prowling around. I found a housesitter over there, a Hispanic woman
who spoke no English and who was generally uneasy about my presence at
the door. I gathered the homeowners were away on vacation, so I left a
note and went home.

On the third day it was clear that the cat was growing thin and she was
very hungry. I had resisted the idea of feeding her for various
reasons, but I felt I had to do something until her owners came home,
so I began to leave food and water out for her. I'm a smoker who
doesn't smoke in the house, as well, and I have a habit of going
outside and sitting on my swing for a smoke. She would always come over
to visit me on these occasions, and prove very affectionate. These are
the ways how she and I became very good friends over the course of a
week.

Yesterday I was away from home until late at night, and she was very
animated when I went outside to see her. She was very eager for me to
put out more food, and I thought that was the source of her anxiety.
But, after I gave her some fresh food, she continued in an anxious
fashion, pleading me with her meows. So I gave her a thorough look
over, and to my shock I discovered an enormous, fresh open wound in the
area above her anus extending upwards at least an inch, maybe two,
along her tail. It was deep, too. I was horrified and gravely
concerned, panicked really, not knowing what to do with this cat at
1:30 AM on a Monday morning. I did my best to assure her and calm her.

It turned out the people who I thought owned the cat were not the
actual owners. Another neighbor told me that they happen to have one
that looks just like my mystery cat, but they aren't the same. He
pointed out the real owner's house and said, "They threw it out. It was
peeing on the place, so they just threw it out." I resolved to get that
cat to a vet and assume ownership if that was the case, but the
original owners' real intent had to be understood, so I went over there
and asked them the situation. They claimed they did not throw the cat
out, that they wanted her back. I told them of the bad situation
requiring immediate medical attention. I also told them where the cat
has been living for the past while, and gave them full permission to
come onto my property and get her. While I could not find her this
morning when I went out to check on her, she wasn't far and undoubtedly
would return to a certain shady spot where she would sleep during the
hot part of the day. Their kids, who are out of school for the summer
with little to do all day, were to retrieve the cat, because I had to
go to work.

That little cat was on my mind all day at work. A colleague at work who
is a cat lover told me one of his cats had a similar problem, although
not so severe. In his case, one of his cat's anal sac had become
infected and abscessed, bursting open in a bloody mess. I'd like to
think this sort of thing happened rather than some violence, but I must
say my mystery cat's injury seemed so vast in my mind. That had to be
one mighty abscess. In any case, the cat had a massive wound and I
feared more of complications and further infections with every tick of
the clock. Eventually I raced home from work to check on the situation.
I'd hoped to go over to the neighbors and be assured everything was
okay. They were not at home. I thought they must still be at the vet's,
and went home where I found the cat sitting there waiting for me.
Stunned, I immediately started calling around looking for a vet who
could see her right away. While I was in this processes the neighbor's
boy arrived to collect the cat.

So, I guess everything has gone about as badly as it could have, and I
must have made every misunderstanding and every miscommunication
possible. What a bungled, messed up scenario I've helped cook up, with
a little cat's welfare in the balance. I've felt so melancholy tonight
as I've gone outside, thinking about my little friend and hoping she'll
be okay.

Let's hope she will.