For the Love of Cheese

It's been a bad year+ for me and my cats. Last spring I lost my two beloved fifteen-year-olds to age and disease, another last fall to a cruel attack by persons unknown and now, apparently, another as a result of a dog attack.

His name was Cheese. He and his brother, Scar, arrived at my feeding station as half-grown, half-starved kittens about ten years ago. I promptly had them both neutered and set them free but they decided to stick around, which was fine with me. Cheese was not the brightest kitten in the clowder but he was certainly the most adorable, with big round eyes in his big round noggin. He was always ready to play and always ready for a scratch and a chat. (He got a lot of "I know's" in reply.)

It was clear something was amiss when he didn't show for breakfast on the morning of the 13th. After some initial investigation I found a neighbor who reported seeing two large dogs chasing a black cat earlier that morning. I've since spent the last eight days combing the neighborhood, knocking on doors, putting up signs, and setting out my humane trap every night in nearby alleys. I've had a few good leads and caught a few stray animals but it seems that there are more homeless black cats in my 'hood than I ever suspected, none of whom were Cheese.

Another unfortunate aspect to the loss of Cheese is his brother, Scar, because they were truly inseparable. Of the hundreds of pictures of my cats I have only two of Cheese alone yet I have dozens of him and his brother curled up together. (That's Cheese using his brother as a pillow) I've been told this is highly unusual behavior for adult male cats. Scar is creating closer ties with my other outdoor cat but you can tell it's just not the same.

You may well ask why I didn't keep both Cheese and Scar inside my house, safe from predators and cars, and the answer is: Scar. Though neutered at an early age the big guy has an intense desire to mark everything in his path, plus the infuriating audacity to smile proudly at you while he does it. I couldn't possibly break the pair up so outside they've lived in brotherly bliss. They've stayed in the yard and never strayed, because they knew a good thing when they saw it.

Today, I'm officially giving up the chase for Cheese. I'm just going to to hope he's alive and being cared for by some local cat lover, that he's getting wet food three times a day and gets to sleep on piles of fresh laundry every night. At least until I have proof otherwise.

However, I will continue to look for him on my daily neighborhood walks, with the hope that someday we'll cross paths but, for now, the memory of this sweet little guy will have to do. Thanks for sharing Cheese with me.

=Lefty=