Indroducing Emmy! With pics.

[momPaws]

Gee- that would be great if you can teach them to eat from their own dishes. Angel is teachable, too, to a degree (when I'm looking )
It sounds like you 3 are having a lot of fun...and will be happy for you when its the 4 of you. Emmy will get to meet her dad ! Soon, right?

[slvrwhispr]

Kinda. Not sure when he's coming home. End of October, beginning of November. I'm hoping before Halloween. I know it's not a religious holiday or anything but I still don't like to spend any holidays apart from him if I can help it.

I don't really have any belief that I'll be able to teach them to eat from their own dishes, but I DO want to stop any bullying over food right now before they get any bright ideas about it being okay.

[slvrwhispr]

Wow... it's been one serious night...

Turns out Emmy did have previous owners. They came pounding down the door all day long. A husband and wife and two kids. And me, being here by myself, the husband basically... intimidated me into giving the cat back. Said a bunch of garbage about meaning to get her vet treatment but not getting around to it. He was on the phone with the police. So I gave them to her. It killed me, but I did.

About twenty minutes later... they brought her back. The kids were too rough with her, especially after getting spayed, and I was getting her vet treatment when they weren't... so they let her stay with me.

I'm so completely shaken up, I don't know what to say or think or do... the wife requested I let the little boy come see Emmy from time to time, and I said after she's completely healed from the spay, sure, but we're moving in a couple of weeks.

But now I'm mad because they took her into their house with their other cat, and the smells are on Emmy, and Izzy's hissing again, so I have to start introduction all over... my head is pounding, I was crying my eyes out... I don't know what else to say.

[E's]

OH CRUM!! This is EXACTLY what I was talking about at the beginning. I was going to ask you if you had had any contact with the neighbors who seemed to have an interest in the kitten. These low class people can make your life hell!

You should not have admitted anything to them, except: you found an abandoned kitten in the parking lot; you took it in and had it treated and are caring for it. Do you have transportation? PM me and we will see what we can work out: you could bring your laptop, the cats and their gear and I could put you up until this blows over. DO NOT tell anyone else, though (except your DH if that is necessary.) Meanwhile, try not to feel intimidated: Just be firm, polite, but reserved. Don't let yourself be bullied. Keep your doors locked, try to stay calm/collected. I will give you my numbers etc. when I hear from you.

db
Austin

[slvrwhispr]

It's okay, E's... I appreciate your offer, but we're okay. I... really think I did the right thing. I gave her back... and they rewarded my good care of her by giving her back. The husband was just angry because his family was upset; he didn't seem to care about the cat one way or another. I don't think they'll be coming back. And if they do, I've got the legal upper hand right now. I get paid on Saturday; she's getting microchipped in my name, and they won't be able to do anything at that point. It's gonna be okay... it was just a scary time when she was gone.

But I didn't tell them anything other than what you said. That I took her in as a stray, she was in dire need of veterinary care, and I got her treated. I was calm, I spoke softly while they yelled... and when the husband called the cops... but I didn't know what else to do. I AM alone here, and if I closed the door in their face, it wouldn't have ended well. And let's face it, if the cops came, they would have made me give her back. They don't give a crap if I've cared for her or anything else. There were four of them saying they'd had the cat and one of me. It's not a battle I would have won. But like I said... I really think I did the right thing. If they hadn't brought her back, it was because they wanted her, regardless of how they were treating her, and to be fair, she was theirs. The fact that they brought her back means that they recognize that I was caring for her better than they were. And now she's mine for good.

When I handed her over to the other lady, Emmy bit her and struggled to be let down. When the lady gave her back, she snuggled in my arms under my chin. I think that pretty much says it all...

[momPaws]

Oh, SW, so sorry for all you went thru. Karma and God must have been on your side. I think you handled it so well and that probably went a long way to them bringing Emmy back.
E's is so wonderful with her offer of help. There are some of the best ppl on this board.

I will pray that you get a good sleep with little Emmy and that all will remain calm. God Bless, Mompaws

PS - maybe is the mom comes over with the little kid to visit Emmy have an informal piece of paper for her to sign that it is you cat...I wouldn't make a big deal out of it..you know...kinda nonchalant. Just a thought. You have to do what is right for you.

[slvrwhispr]

I was thinking that, momPaws. If she does come over, which I doubt she will (just a gut feeling), I'll quietly mention it to her. But I doubt they'll want to make any more of a scene after that.

And, yeah, we do have a very special group of caring people here on this board. I appreciate it so very much.

[E's]

Glad to hear the situation has leveled off and that these folks are being reasonable. I was not suggesting SW slam any doors in anyones face or barricade herself against authorities or anything like that. What I meant was that she should not give in to the idea of letting the kids run in and out of her apartment any time they felt like it - as in "sharing" ownership, or as in having the father's bullying continue.

It WAS unfair, aggressive, completely over-the-line for this man to call police about a kitten... but that's exactly the kind of thing that can happen these days in the tense "wartime" atmosphere* of a place like Killeen, and of course, as usual, it is the woman alone who is most likely to be mistreated or treated unfairly in any controversy.
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*BTW: Not that it has to do directly with my point, but just FYI: Fort Hood, Texas is the largest military installation in the world - a vital cog in war operations for both Iraq and Afghanistan... While we down here in Travis County are having music festivals and football games, Coryell and Bell Counties are more "The United States then being in a state of war" as the legalese of the Justice Dept puts it...
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db
Austin

[momPaws]

How are the 2 adjusting again?

[slvrwhispr]

They're doing just fine.