Mom cat had given birth on our neighbor's side of the wood fence in their woodpile, and the three kittens would come to our side through a hole the fence for sunshine and food. Mom was "Polly" (she was poly-dactyl; 22 toe-beans), Smitten for his mittens and Tortitude-yeah, she was a tortie. Then there was this little tabby boy--I told him he had his choice of names: Sneaker, because he would sneak through the fence first for food, or sneak right next to "Polly" for food. Or Glutton, for the same reasons!
My plan was to catch the kittens as soon as I knew they were weaned and take them to the shelter, then spay and release Polly as she seemed stray/semi feral. One night, about 2 a.m. I heard a wallering outside my window. Polly was there, but when she saw me she ran away. This happened about 2 more times, until I went outside - she ran, I followed... down to the in-ground pool. "Oh no," I thought, as I looked around with my flashlight and only saw 2 other sets of glowing eyes. I looked in the pool, didn't see the water moving and thought the worst. Then I heard a faint, gurgled meow. The tabby kitten was on a little ledge of the skimmer. I reached in, pulled him out, yelled up to my brother to bring me a towel and said "NOW what am I going to do with you?" I woke my mom up; she sat in a recliner rocking "Sneaker", wrapped in a towel. I knew he wasn't going anywhere! He was an unexpected 9th addition to our clowder.
Within the next couple of days I caught Smitten and Tortitude, and took them to the shelter (I didn't dare let my mom do anything but LOOK at them, or we would have had #'s 10 and 11!), and they were adopted within days. I caught and TNR'd Polly (now Molly-that's a whole other story!)
Eleven years later, a few medical problems, a little grumpier than glutton-y, and Sneaker (also a poly - 24 toebeans) is my Bud. I can't imagine my life without him.
MOUNT VERNON, WA
