So we have  "...Rita" for about two weeks now.  Just a few days shy of New Years.  Jessalyn stayed at a friends house and came home with her.  We were warned she might be bringing home something with a heartbeat.   Her story was a heartbreaker, naturally. 

This little girl was sitting out in the cold wet snow.  The friends family that she was staying with were just going to leave her outside in the big, wild country outdoors.  Or let the dog play with her.   She was tiny, thin, snotty, and wheezy.  No runny eyes though.   They agreed to put her in a box in the garage until Jessalyn could take her home the next day. 

As I said, we were warned.  But when Tom went to pick her up....well, there you go.  Jess had her in her room at first, but then brought in one of the wire dog cages and set up a covered litter box in it.  She labored breathing through that respiratory  infection she has while eating and drinking.   Shaking her head probably due to the pressure in her ears.  So we get out the meds.   Cleaning her ears. They aren't that bad surprisingly.  She still eats wildly like a feral cat, maybe due to her congestion.  We are slowly getting her to get use to human contact, but it is hard as she can't hear us and movement still startles her.  She is more apt to let you pet her when she is out and scouting.  She jumped up and was sitting on Tom's lap the other night.  I think if you try and hold her close it restricts her breathing.  Her nose doesn't run like it did, and she is now in the cage out here with the wood stove.  That will help in drying her nose up I hope.

She is living a safe life in the cage, observing her new surroundings  but also out getting exercise when we can watch her closely.  You see, we have come to the conclusion she is DEAF.   Yes, deaf.  That means never being an outside cat.  EVER    <sigh>

and as Paul McCartney sings

Oblah di, Oblah da...Life goes on.....