prayers for Dead

[Tambrey]

Yeah, that really is his name. But I fear he has lived up to it this time

Last week hubby and I walked back in the pasture to visit horses. Dead and Sable followed us. Dead has been recovering from a hurt foot (thorn) and had been getting along well. Sable had never been around horses and got scared. I ended up carrying him back, thinking hubby was keeping an eye on Dead. He thought I was.
We got to the main yard and Dead was not with us, so we went back out. Could not find him .... Waist high prairie grasses, trees etc on 2 acres. We called. We searched where we had last seen him with the horses. We have been out there daily searching and let the owner of the horses know as well.

I still cannot find him and he has not come back up front.

I know he is one of the outside cats and I know I cannot save them all, but it still hurts my heart when I feel like we failed him because we neither one paid attention to his walk back thinking that the other one was watching out for.him.

[Traci]

How far away from his usual grounds was he?

Is he neutered?

Prayers that he is just fine and out roaming.

[Tambrey]

Our yard is 1 acre wide and 3 deep, with the back 2 being pasture....so he is not too far...if he is still on our land...

I am hoping that he did not go down and cross the little mostly dry creek to the pasture on the other side...but he may have....

or he may have gone through the fence into the bean field next door...

He is not neutered...he was next in line for the males...along with Marmalade...

When I went out today....I had 6 females follow me out....6 followed me back...I kept turning to count....one of them did stop and sniff where we had last seen Dead...and proceeded to chirp at me...run ahead then stop for me to wait...kind of zig zagging and stopping to sniff...I was hoping she would lead me to him....but no such luck

There are field mice and birds etc that he could catch if hungry...and moisture enough for water...but it is getting cold at night....

I am hoping he is somewhere safe and warm and finds his way home soon...

This is the part I really hate about taking care of semi-ferals and strays and those who have decided to stay on our land and call it home...

[Tambrey]

Dead is home! Hungry but looking good!

[Tina B and crew]

Yay!! Glad he is home!

Now I have to ask, how did the name come about?

[Tambrey]

I knew that question would come up!

When he was just a couple of days old, I went out one morning on the way to work and he had managed to squirm half in and half out of the box his mom had them in..I am assuming that from a lack of blood flow to lower extremities....pressure on his abdomen...he was fairly cold and lifeless....

I spent a few minutes rubbing his body and puffing in his face....until he squirmed and cried out some...Mom was there nursing at the time, so I quickly pulled the biggest one from a nipple and stuck him up to it...knowing that it would be easier for him to latch on to and milk would already be flowing...and there I left him since I had to get to work....saying a prayer that he would make it okay

He did make it..and my husband decided that since he came back from being near dead...that would be his name...and so it is...

[Traci]

I suggest you change his name. Seriously.

Glad to hear he is safe at home now, who knows what he was up to, maybe just exploring. As long as he's not neutered, he may roam at any time and may not come back. Please, get him neutered.

[k9Karen]

Glad he's "home". Sounds like his name should be "Lucky" or maybe "Charmed" - "Charm"? I'm with Traci - "Dead" sounds too negative for me.

[Tambrey]

just to let you know....we are working on converting to Ned...

he is doing well...walking fine on all 4s once again and looking fit and healthy

[Traci]

Great to hear he's doing well, thanks for the update.

Don't have to work on the name, just start calling him Ned. That's what I did with my Mecchi, after his name was Maggie - a bit of a phonetic change, but he didn't know the difference!