One More Cat...

   Around a month ago now I was puttering around out back one Sunday when a vehicle pulled in the yard. I figured for sure I was going to be directing someone to the hot spring, giving them gas or fixing their flat tires, and reluctantly walked over. 

"Are you missing a cat?" the young man asked.

I had just seen my two lazy over fed guard-cats asleep in the house.

"Nope...but thanks for asking, have a nice trip out." I said.

"We found it while out hiking," his girlfriend adds, "She ran up to us on the trail and wouldn't leave us alone. She's very friendly!" 

"And watch out for sharp rocks." I said.

   He explained they were cat-people, but already had two at home and just couldn't take another one on.

"Well join the club." I told him.

By now a starving grey kitty had climbed out of the vehicle and began to rub on my leg seeking attention, and a food source no doubt.

"She's a really nice cat, its not very old." his girlfriend says.

"And keep a look-out for the grader." I said, "It might be working down along the lake."
"Well if you don't want her," her boyfriend states, "...we'll take her with us and drop her off at a no-kill shelter in the city."

"Well... I... uhm," I heard myself mutter, then offer to take the cat, figuring I'll find the owner or someone who is looking for a nice cat. 

   I don't know what brought this cat to become lost out here, or how long it tried to fend for it's self. Probably dumped-off at the campsite, it has happened a few times over the years, or else someone brought their cat camping and it ran off into the wilds.
That has happened a few times over the years also.

Well the girl was right, she was a nice little cat. I took it over to the shop to fatten it up until I found a home for it, in the process making it my BFF.
   A week later I took it to a vet in Whistler for a check-up and any shots it needed. That was almost $200 plus fuel and wear and tear on the vehicle and my nerves and we made an appointment the next week for spaying. So another days driving and $350 plus wear and tear and fuel. Then the veterinarian's office sent several reminders to bring her in again to make sure she was healed up alright. I would have sent an e-mail back telling them that everything was just fine, but she had started scratching at her ears which I figured we better get looked at, again
.

So today I fired her in the back-seat of the truck, where she dosn't stay long, and headed for town once more.

   They started work this week on the road not far away, a rough narrow stretch there along the river. The logging outfit closes the road to traffic to do their work, but smooth it out and open it every 2 hours to let the traffic through and have a coffee break. It is only a couple minutes down the road from here, and we got there just before the ten o'clock opening.

This will be a big improvement to have this section along the river smoothed out and widened, there were often rock-slides and avalanches along this stretch.

Further on down the road along the lake we had just had time to make our 12 o'clock appointment in Whistler.

Good kitty.

Once I hit the pavement I usually quit taking pictures and pay more attention to the road.

   Out of boredom I took one in the vet's room, they had taken the cat somewhere to flush-out her ears or something and I sat there for 45 minutes twiddling my thumbs.
At least in my doctor's room there is posters of people's innards and things to look at while your waiting. So after another $280 on my debit card off we go, cat and I.
But we have a few more stops before heading home.
   I'm always afraid of the cat getting out and running off as they are prone to do, and every time I get out of the truck I'm reaching down and making sure its not trying to slither out the door from behind the seat or someplace. The grocery store stop went pretty good, I managed to stuff her back in the hole she was trying to squirt out of, and at the gas station I got in and out without her waking up. Over at the building supply place I paid for some items up front and drove around back to load up. The lot-man there helps me with most of what I'm after but was short a bale of insulation, and we talked over the matter while I climbed back in my truck.

"Looks like they sold you something we don't have." he tells me there at the open door,

"You'll have to go back up front and get a credit, we should have some more R24 insulation in by this time next week and...hey look, your cats getting out!"

I looked down and reached in time to catch her in mid-flight. I could just see chasing her around downtown Pemberton, and a building supply yard would have been a good start to the adventure. That was close.

It felt good to back on the gravel road headed home, and such a beautiful day too.

I was feeling bad for poor kitty, going all this time without a bathroom break but I didn't want to risk letting her out, but against my better judgment I stopped at this campsite along the lake.
The cat wanders around a bit before doing its business.
"OK well lets go now, we gotta hit that road opening." I told it.
Cat looks at me over her shoulder, then walks purposefully off towards the bush.
"Oh you bastard!" I exclaimed then began to walk after it, which only quickened it's pace.
I tried stopping to see what cat would do...it kept walking of course getting even more distance between us. Now I realized how the cat probably went missing in the first place. Pretty soon I'm climbing over logs and breaking branches and making a hell of a racket which is not helping.
Soon it gets too dense and I worked my way over to the road.
   Out of curiosity the cat re-appears at road-side, walking along but staying just out of reach. I'd get up close enough to make a grab for it and she would just leap ahead a little. By now I had quite a bit of money invested in this cat and it was worth chasing it around a bit. This little walk/grab/jump game went on for quite awhile and we probably walked several hundred yards up the road and the whole time I was half expecting a fully loaded 18-wheel logging truck to come barreling down the road and pancake my $600 cat into the dust. Eventually, I got lucky on a grab, catching it's tail and working my way up as it clawed at the ground. Holding the captured cat firmly I walked all the way back to the truck and fired her in and got on our way once again. I could picture her running off and me having to spend several nights at the campsite with an open can of cat food set out, and who knows what kinds of beasts that might attract.

   Minutes from home we arrived at the road closure and had to wait 10 or 15 minutes for it to open.
I wound the window down and chatted with the flag-girl for a bit. There were only three of us waiting at this end, this time of day most of the traffic would be headed out, waiting at the other side of the construction zone.
"Ya there's two logging trucks and seven vehicles at the other end." she told me.
   I took a picture of the work-site from inside the vehicle, and not thinking, decided to open the door and stand-up on the jamb to get a better one. Sitting back down I put the camera on the seat and leaned over to close the door when I see a slithery grey form bolting from the vehicle. Somehow I reacted fast enough to reach down and catch it in mid-air once again. Another close call, I could just picture it leaping out just as the road opened and all that traffic and logging trucks that cat would have took for the hills for sure.
   We made it home, back to the lodge shortly after. I pulled in the yard and parked then got out and left the door open. The cat just sat there looking at me and I had to coax the idiot out, it probably thought I was going to grab it again.
But it was good to be home, and I don't know who was more wore-out, me, or the cat.
   I've got quite a bit invested in this little bugger, it is kind of cute most of the time, and I'm not trying very hard to give it away so I think I may just keep her around.
What the hells another 89 cent can of cat-food a day.
So far she has been called Annie, as in Little Orphan Annie, but somehow the name has never stuck. I'll have to come up with another, better name for the new addition.