Raleigh Up Close

Meet Raleigh – up close this time. I didn’t think I’d catch him. I used sardines as bait, and they must have been irresistible. As well, the man who feeds the feral colony delayed dinner-time for everyone, and I suspect hunger overcame caution.

I am relieved to report that Raleigh doesn’t look as bad near at hand than he did farther away. He is still rough, his coat is coarse. He may not be as old as I had estimated, and the runny eye looks to be the sort that is chronic with feline herpes; my Josie has the same thing: it runs in thick, sometimes dark goop and can stain the fur about the eyes.

He is polydactyl. As you can see, his feet are as big as scones.

My guest is currently in the bathroom. After an initial interest, which included hissing from some, my beasts have dismissed the newcomer behind the closed door. Clearly, if he were of any interest, he would be out and trying to meet the residents.

Raliegh will spend the night where he is, in his cage, and go to the veterinary hospital first thing in the morning for his surgery. I will collect him after work tomorrow. He is quite calm, and does not look even wary, just puzzled and sad. He ate the sardines that I had placed for him; perhaps he finished off his meal before he realised the door had closed on him. There are bits of fur stuck on the cage’s interior, so he probably panicked at first. But he seems to be a fatalist, waiting for whatever those in power will do to him.

Fortunately, our plans are benign. There are other cats in the colony who keep their distance because of Raleigh and another male. Perhaps he will feel less combative after his neutering. I suspect he will feel better over-all. He just doesn’t know it yet.