Stories about cats from the people who love them.

Read our newest story submitted by Ruthann Booher

Hello! My name is Red. At least, that’s what it is now. I don’t remember the name I had before. I think it was Scram, or Scat, or something like that. Red has been my name for almost 3 years and I go to my “Mom” whenever she calls it. There just might be food waiting for me. This is my story.

I was living in the great outdoors, eating whatever I could find and sleeping wherever I could. I spent my time looking for women and fighting whoever got in my way. It wasn’t a bad existence, but it wasn’t perfect, either. Sometimes I would have to go hungry and sometimes I was cold, but I survived. Then one night I was wandering around looking for food and I thought I smelled something that might be good. It was on someone’s porch. I remember thinking to myself, should I take a chance and get that close to people? I was pretty hungry, so I decided I would take that chance. I could always run away at the first sign of danger. Well, guess what! There was some dry cat food in a little dish. It looked like it was put there just for me. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, I slowly climbed the steps. Just as I got to the top, a light came on! I ran. I turned around to see who was there, but there was no one. I slowly climbed up the steps and began eating. Then the light went out. I ate my fill and drank some of the water that was there. I walked slowly down the walkway and back into the woods.

I kept going back to the porch after that. The dish was always there and so was the water. I got used to the light coming on and it didn’t bother me. Each night I was getting braver. Then one night, I saw someone inside the house. They were looking at me! I ran, without eating. I would come back another night. One night I went to the porch and there was no food, or water. I wondered what happened. I left deciding to go back the next night. For several nights there was no food on the porch. I would see people come and go, but no food was put out. I was getting pretty hungry, so I had to start looking elsewhere to satisfy my hunger.

I finally got really brave and went up to the door of the house and looked inside. It was the door to a room with lots of windows and you could see through the door, because it was glass all the way to the bottom. Again, the light came on. As I was looking inside I saw other cats. Then I saw a lady looking at me. Pretty soon, she came to the door and opened it. I ran, but only down to the bottom of the steps. She put a dish of food and a dish of water on the porch and went back inside. I climbed up the steps once more and ate the food and drank some water. As I was leaving, the door opened. I turned to look and the lady walked out on the porch. She called to me. That was the first time I heard the word that was to become my name, Red. Hesitant, at first, I walked toward her. She sat down on the steps. I got closer. She had such a nice voice and she did, after all, feed me. I got even closer. She reached out her hand and touched my nose. I got closer and rubbed my head on her hand. Getting my ears scratched, felt good! I stayed quite awhile. I don’t remember how long, but finally the lady got up and went back inside the house. I walked back down the walkway and out the gate. Later, she came back outside and I saw her. I thought she might have some more food, but she just came out and sat down on the steps, again. It looked to me as if this lady wanted to be friends and I felt that I could certainly use a friend, about now. I was beginning to feel real comfortable around this person. Then, she got back up and went back inside the house once more. This time I walked down the walkway and out the gate. I decided I would come back tomorrow night.

The next night, the food and water was there. As I climbed the steps the lady came outside. I didn’t run. She reached down and scratched my ears as I ate. When I was finished, she opened the door and allowed me to go into the room with all the windows. There were a lot of different smells in there. I started to explore the room a little and the next thing I knew, there was a big black dog coming into the room. He came in very slowly, but I wasn’t afraid. He laid down on the floor and the human was next to him. I walked slowly up to him and sniffed his nose and he sniffed mine. I think I knew then that we would be friends. I stayed in for a long time, but finally decided it was time for me to leave. I went back to the door and the human opened it. I walked down the steps, down the walkway and back out the gate.

I went back the next night. I ate my food and drank some water. The lady came outside and sat down on the steps, again. It was nice to have a friend. As I was sitting there, a car came down the driveway, but it disappeared into another building. Then I saw a man standing in the doorway of the house. This lady made me feel so comfortable that I knew she wouldn’t let anyone hurt me, so I stayed. He came out on the porch and reached down to scratch my ears. My goodness! This was heaven. How did I get so lucky? The lady got up and she and the man went into the house, leaving the door open for me to go in, too. I don’t know why, but it seemed that it was natural for me to go into the house with them. After that night, I didn’t go outside anymore. I made friends with the other 4 cats and the other dog. It was late October and the weather was turning colder, but I was nice and warm, safe and well fed inside this house with lots and lots of new friends. I have never been happier, or felt more loved!