“Well, she’s not actually a stray, she was more than likely ‘dropped off,’” said Noreen Hanson of Amity. “There have been many cats dropped off in our area; the stories of whole litters being put out, as well as one cat at a time.”
Hanson’s saga begins in 2009 when she discovered a distinctly marked black and white female cat — “Miss Kitty.”
“Miss Kitty” came “loudly meowing” for Hanson’s attention. After checking with the neighbor, Hanson discovered this cat was a stray that had been seen over a two-week period.
“She had ear mites, fleas and had to be wormed, as well,” Hanson recalled. “It cost me over $200 to get her spayed and vaccinated.”
A free cat is not really free.
“It is hard for people when they get a kitten and then afterwards, they become aware of all the bill and expenses of keeping a cat,” Hanson added.
It was a year later when another cat was found abandoned. That one was black with a white bib.
“My neighbor adopted her,” said Hanson.
This year, an all-black cat has appeared on the scene again.
Hanson has attempted to call the all-black cat to herself, but the more she called, the faster it ran away.
“She has gone wild,” said Hanson. “She will not return to being a friendly household cat until she is caught, fed and held again. At this point, she doesn’t trust anyone.”
“Miss Kitty was nothing but skin and bones when I found her,” she recounted. “Who knows? Maybe the black cat with the white bib (2013); the all-black cat (2014) and Miss Kitty (2009), are all sisters.”
Five months later and the all-black cat has been identified as male. He still travels alongside the roadway, fields and woods as he hunts for mice.
“Since winter started, I have not seen him,” Hanson noted. “He has either learned to be a good hunter — since there were wild turkey poults and partridge — or someone is feeding him.”
January dropped to below freezing temperatures, with deep snow falling later in the season.
“I guess that will tell the truth,” Hanson said. “If he shows up in the spring and he does not have an owner, he will be thin and scraggly.”
If the all-black visitor cannot be live trapped, he is then a target for coyotes, fox or even another barred owl. An all-black cat on white snow is perfect prey for a barred owl to swoop in for a meal.
“I hope he is curled up for a nap in front of someone’s woodstove,” Hanson wishfully said.
Well, it has been seven months since that all-black cat was dumped in Amity. Hanson did discover the cat had sought shelter under a heated building. However, the building’s owners have left the property, so there is no more heat.
“He had a hole he came in and out of under the building,” said Hanson. “And he had a water supply from the livestock’s drinking containers.”
But, since the farm has been shut down, this wanderer has not been seen.
“People who lived nearby had put dry cat food under the building for him,” said Hanson. “He’s had a rough winter. But, he is still alive. He may have moved to under one of the animal stalls or made his bed amongst the large rolls of hay.”
February rolled in and Hanson surely expected more company to run freely through the countryside.
“That is the time of year when the whole kitten cycle begins again,” she noted.
February touted more frigid “below normal” temperatures.
“The seven-day forecast had many nights below zero and single-digit days,” Hanson explained.
She wondered over the winter how this cat would brave the weather.
“I am calling him ‘Mercy,’ and I hope he is not the only cat in Maine that is out there like this,” she added.
Though the vagrant was corralled once before, he was let go in case he was actually did have an owner. This dark drifter is still out there. So until there is more news to share, this once domestic cat — held, loved and fed — learned of the harsh reality of being turned away to live a lonely existence.
No cat should have to suffer like “Mercy” has had to suffer.
“Last night’s temperature was down to 17 degrees below zero. The weatherman said this may go down as a record for the coldest February in 75 years,” said Hanson from her journal Feb. 24. “There is still no word yet on the all-black cat’s whereabouts.”
