Miss Magoo

So I work in property management and a lot of times I see the best and worst of people. There are tenants that come in for no other reason than to see how I’m doing, let me pet their little puppy, or give me a snack to thank me for what I do. They always pay on time, keep their place tidy, and are always up front with me. I love these people! They actually make up the majority of the folks that I work for and they make my daily work worthwhile. The minority of people are why I get paid.

One of my tenants moved out last month and when I went to inspect to get ready to turn the unit, their cat Duchess was sitting in the breezeway outside. I opened the unit and saw that they had left…without her. I called the former tenants and they confirmed that the cat had run outside- but they figured it was for the best because the cat and her children didn’t get along. She had her small dog and that was working out better. I couldn’t take Duchess home until I got permission to re-home her and by then, she had left the breezeway. I returned the next day and looked around the complex, asking around, and combing the field around the complex for her. Turns out she got outside three weeks prior, wasn’t fixed, and had never been outside- she could have been anywhere by then. I didn’t even know what I was going to do if I caught her. I showed a picture to my mom, and to my surprise she responded, “Bring her home.”

 
(Actual picture of Duchess waiting by her old home)

I looked for hours and eventually, I gave up and said a little prayer- leaving her in God’s hands. I decided to take one more look around and as I neared a thicket of thorn bushes I heard a quiet little mew. I called for Duchess and she wiggled out of the thorns and under the fence behind the complex. I scooped her up and drove her to the vet to meet my mom. She was severely underweight and dehydrated from being on her own for so long. Mom got her fixed up and we ran down to the pet store to get everything she needed. One month later- Duchess is now “Miss Magoo” (she has VERY crossed eyes), is fixed, back up to a healthy weight, and VERY well loved. Because she lived with a small dog- she was perfectly fine with our dogs. She and Peanut have actually become very close friends.

Three years ago, we lost our 20 year old calico, Fatso. Mom wasn’t ready for another cat after losing her- it was like losing a child to her. Before that we had a beautiful silver tabby who lived to be 18. Both cats were rescues- Mama Kitty having been abandoned when her owners moved and Fat Cat was surrendered to the shelter. Mom specifically wanted a cat that needed to be rescued.

So yes- we have a new kitty cat. The dogs love her, my parents have finally filled a hole that was left raw for far too long, and an unwanted kitty left out in the cold is in a loving forever home.