Mikey the Stray Cat

This is a true story about a stray cat and his two-year journey recovering from his time in the wild. He was starved, sick, injured, on three legs, and generally in dreadful condition--mentally as well as physically. His poor, starved, and filthy little body was full of matts, dirt, scars, raw wounds, abscesses, and infections.

As hungry and sick as he was, he wanted to be loved and petted as much as he wanted to eat. He was desperate to find a home and to have someone to love and care for him. This was obvious from the very first night he showed up.

But rehabilitating him had its problems. Mainly, he wanted to fight every cat he saw, and I already had six cats. But that was not surprising because he had to fight and win in the wild to eat and stay alive.

He lived in my extra bathroom for most of six months while he was physically and emotionally healing. He was quite content in there. It was safe and warm, and nothing was going to harm him. He had plenty to eat, and his favorite bed was the sink.

This is more than a story about the recovery of a stray cat. It is also the inspirational story of one person who saw the need and had the empathy and heart to take on such a challenge and a neighborhood that was so welcoming and kind to this stray cat from the very beginning. These neighbors are the spirit and essence of all that makes a good neighborhood.