Several months ago, we were feeding one of our established alley cat colonies (all the cats having been spayed/neutered), when this adolescent tom showed up. Undoubtedly, he was someone's pet, but a lengthy and diligent effort failed to locate his people. We concluded that he – like so many other young toms in the inner city – had been “put out”. He was elated to be outdoors and thrilled to be around other cats. It took him a few weeks to make his way to our yard, then another day to find the open window.
He decided to live with us, and our resident cats didn't like it one bit. After stumbling upon the catnip plants, his testosterone production skyrocketed. He relentlessly challenged even our most dominant cats, so we had him neutered and vaccinated. He still smelled like a tom cat, though, so for the next few weeks, he lived in a cage on our back porch. When summer came (late, but with a vengeance, blasting us with a week of searing heat) we brought the cage into our kitchen. Woody stayed confined – but not sequestered – which he accepted with only occasional complaints.
Once Woody's hormones adjusted, we started letting him out during the day. He mostly minds his manners and defers to the senior cats, who regard him with the usual tolerance adults hold for children. His welcome is wearing a bit thin, but Woody doesn't care, because Woody doesn't really want to be around cats – he prefers people. Our guess is that he was separated from his mother at an early age.
Woody has a sweet dispostion and is quite cuddlesome, allowing himself to be picked up and carried around (cradled like an infant, perch-style on your arms, or draped over your shoulder). He loves to “ride”. He is very playful, and will probably maintain his kittenish personality into adulthood.
Woody is a gray tabby (more dotted than striped) with white bib, legs, and belly. At approximately nine months, he's the size of a small adult, and probably destined to be just an average-sized cat. He seems well-balanced and has no known health problems. Along with his housemates, he currently eats homemade food (an economical choice we prepare using Sojos mix), but is not finicky.
We are eager to find Woody a permanent – or even a foster – home. If you have a place in your life for this spirited but affable young fellow, please .