GrayC
- Lyllian
- Nov 10
- 5 min read
I still remember the exact moment GrayC entered our lives. It was June of 2018 and I was looking out our front window and saw her at the end of our driveway. My first thought was "oh no, not another cat" and my second thought was "great it's a female so it's either pregnant or has kittens". Living in a rural area, I had been dealing with a constant stream of dumped cats and I really didn't want to deal with another one but I help who I encounter that needs it and this girl needed help.
So I got a can of food and a bowl and went outside. Sometimes I'm lucky and I can easily assess them by giving them food. GrayC approached me but she was hissing and growling and when I put the food down, she lunged at me. Let me tell you, there is not much as scary as a terrified and defensive cat. I told her that wasn't a good way to thank me and left her to the food. She was starving. There wasn't much to do but to keep feeding her and hope she would bring her kittens to us. I knew she was coming from across the road and it was hard to think about her getting hit. We lived on a rural road and people often go too fast and lots of cats, dogs and wildlife are killed.
I continued to feed GrayC twice a day. She was always there, waiting for her food and continued to growl, hiss and lunge at me. In July, she brought her two kittens over. They were older by that time, probably at least 10 weeks. I knew I needed to catch them sooner than later so I could socialize them. I also worried about them crossing the road.
I put a wire dog crate in the driveway and started feeding them in it. A few days later, I tied a string to the door and gave it to Dave through our front window. When the kittens were in, he pulled the door closed and I quickly covered the crate with a sheet. GrayC was so upset she lunged at my leg, and I got a bit of a scratch, but she didn't do near the damage she could have. Although I know it is necessary, I hate trapping kittens and taking them from their mom. I brought the kittens in and started a socialization program with them. They were terrified and had probably never seen a human. They both made good progress though and found a home together with a wonderful couple.
I started feeding GrayC in a trap and as soon as she had some time to dry up from lactating, I trapped her and brought her to our local spay and neuter clinic. She was described as "ferocious". That seemed appropriate. A friend of mine agreed to allow her to recover at her house as I was dealing with her kittens. Normally we keep females in for 5 nights but GrayC was so upset, I picked her back up after 3 days. She was lunging at my friend and we were afraid she was going to hurt herself. I brought her home, opened the trap and told her to "have a good life". She ran off and I really didn't think I'd see much of her after that.
Well, I was wrong. She was back the next morning coming into the garage for her food. Still hissing and growling. So we took care of her. Slowly over the next two years she started to trust us. I still remember having my back to her and she rubbed my ankle for the first time. I held my breath waiting to feel her teeth tear into my Achilles tendon. When she didn't, I was relieved but still didn't move until she moved away. Progress was slow but consistent. The next summer, I would sit on the front porch and she would sit near me. The next summer, she would sit next to me on the porch. By 2020, I was able to pet her. She was starting to play. I started working with her going after treats into the cat crate and then with closing the door. I was able to get her to the vet for her vaccinations. She didn't try to attack, she just cried. It became really apparent to me the hissing and growling and lunging was all an act so I wouldn't know that she was absolutely terrified.
She started watching us through the front window and coming into the utility room. She started playing which was huge. Once a cat will play, you know that they are not feeling like they are in danger anymore. I started to think that maybe GrayC did want to be our cat.
In September of 2020, we had to evacuate due to the Holiday Farm Fire. At the time, I had our 5 indoor cats, our dog Emmi, and 3 foster kittens and GrayC. Two were still quite feisty and one was really sick. Dave is a volunteer firefighter so he was needed to help protect structures from the fire, so it was up to me to get the animals and get out. The same friend that recovered GrayC generously offered to take us all in. GrayC was nowhere to be found that morning so I got everyone else to my friend's house and headed back for GrayC. I called and called her and she finally came from across the road. I threw a treat in her crate and held my breath. She went in and I closed the door. She was safe. I took her to my friend's house and set her up in a large dog crate. GrayC did great! By the time we were able to head home almost 2 weeks later (we were so fortunate the fire never reached our home), I decided to not let her out again and put her in one of our bedrooms. It was a long process but about 6 months later she was fully integrated with our other cats, dog and being indoors. We built a catio for her and she loved it. She loved rolling in the gravel on the driveway, so I made her a gravel box. It was a hit.
Sadly, we lost all but one of our initial five cats over the next 2 years. With each loss, GrayC seemed to step up to help us. She started cuddling with me on the couch like Abby did, hanging out with me when I was on the computer like Kodi did and sleeping on the bed with us like Cooper did.
It has been a challenge bringing Stitch in and that was one of the reasons I was so resistant to taking him on as another member of our cat tribe. Initially GrayC was aggressive towards him. We have just been taking it slow and while they may never be besties, they are able to hang out together now. GrayC loved Emmi and does seem to really like Izzy although she is wary of her when she is really playful. There has been a lot of change in our household the last 2 years.
I look back and think how I really did not want another cat. Had she been friendlier at the beginning, I would have found her a home. She taught me what fear does to a cat and inspired me to take on several other very fearful cats. I am thankful every day that she made it clear she was supposed to be with us. Can't imagine life now without her.
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