# How I betrayed a stray cat (sad w/happy end)



## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

During the harsh winter a couple years ago, I was given an ultimatum by the neighbors - I had to leave if I let another stray cat inside the building in the cold nights again. The camera in the lobby was watching my every move 24/7. It wouldn't help the strays if their feeder and 'mommy' was evicted, so I started slamming the door of the building in their faces each cold and rainy night, feeling awful about it. 

The worst was this little, very young, white cat that had been the first cat ever to befriend me, and who used to follow me around everywhere as I fed the other strays. I won't forget how one particularly cold night I left her outside, nose against the glass pane of the building door, I could still hear her terribly loud crying for me as I rode the elevator to my apt. I had adopted 2 strays from downstairs, and the landlord had reluctantly agreed to ONE, so I was hiding the second. I of course couldn't adopt a third.

The little white cat changed since that night. She became aloof towards me, and toughened up, when she'd been such an innocent sweety before. She was paranoid, didn't always come to eat at the feeding station, and attacked anything that moved near her, especially all the other strays, even the nicest ones who no other cat feared. My heart was broken. I remembered the times when I'd spend the cold nights sitting with her on the sofa in the lobby so neighbors wouldn't kick her out. Now she was a tough, hardened, muddy stray, but still so small and fragile underneath her pose. A vet saw her and said it was natural pigmentation, but I knew she was white like snow and it was all dirt accumulated by the grease from sleeping under cars.

About a year later, again a harsh winter night in January when it rained for 31 days, somehow she sneaked inside the building after me as I came back from feeding the strays, and I pretended to the cameras not to have noticed. But she tried to get into the elevator with me, so I had to push her out with my foot. End of story. 

Except she somehow managed to sneak back into the elevator. I wasn't worried because I knew the moment the elevator started moving she'd freak out and scream to be let out on the first floor. 

She didn't freak, however, and calmly descended with me on my floor. I wasn't worried because I knew she'd be desperate to climb the stairs back down and escape the strange territory. But somehow she went into the apt. with me, which didn't bother me at all because I knew Prince, being the aggressive territorial freak he is, would teach her a lesson in no time and she'd never dare again. Easy. End of story, and not my fault by Prince's.

Somehow Prince, who'd known her for years from eating together at the feeding station when he was a stray and later on during our strolls together to feed the strays, was unfazed. Oh-uh, that did create a small problem... 

She went straight to his bowls, ate his food and drank his water, then walked around the apt. leisurely, found a litter tray, did her business placidly, searched for a comfy place, found Prince's bed and slept in it happily all night. Prince did try to object once or twice, but she looked at him with this "what's the matter with you?" indifferent look in her eyes.

That was 7 months ago. She's lost about 60% of the paranoia already. Her name is Lady Nikita von Meouw, the youngest and smallest of our von Meow family. When the landlord pays a visit once a year, I take her downstairs to the public garden. People say I pamper her too much, but I tell them I still have years of spoiling her rotten to compensate for that cold night I left her crying outside.


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## ownedby4cats (Jan 23, 2012)

That's a great story with a very happy ending! I love her name too!


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Thank you, ownedby4cats! 

She and I have been very patiently stripping little by little the layers of defensiveness to find back the sweet, innocent baby that had to grow up suddenly and all alone among the dangers of the streets. To my delight, the baby was still there, intact. And it's been growing anew, this time with the love and care it deserved to have since birth.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Beautiful!


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Thank you, Arianwen!

I forgot to mention that her fur is back to snow-white, except when on strolls in the garden she rolls a bit in the grass. She's recently learned to ask vocally for the things she wants, and most important of all, she's learned that if something scares her, she's not alone in the world to defend herself, I'm right there with her to defend her. So she's calmed down a ton.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

What a happy ending. Good on you for listening to your heart.


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## Victoriax (Feb 25, 2012)

fantastic end to a great story, good on you for allowing her to stay in the apartment not that you would have done any different I am sure  xx


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Actually I didn't make a decision, because she never asked me.  Congrats to her on her decisiveness!

About 4 weeks later I had a small adoption ceremony where I told her she was officially adopted and read her her rights and duties as one of the von Meouws, but it was perfunctory only. Then we all celebrated with yummy cat food. 

She says adoption has its down side, it's proven detrimental for her figure, what with all the tempting food around all day and all the beauty sleep she needs to catch up on.


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