Monthly Archives: August 2017

Sweet Cat Looking for a Home

In the wake of storm Harvey, I’ve seen a profusion of animals either not common here – frigate birds and chimney swifts – or animals resident here but now active in larger numbers – cormorants, pelicans, fireflies and mosquito hawks.

Just before the storm began arriving last Friday, I heard a cat calling from my carport.  There I found an adult neutered male who must have seen my cats behind the cat fence and heard me calling to them.  He was hiding under my truck, mewing loudly.  I coaxed him out with fresh food.  After eating his fill he cautiously came to where I was sitting on the concrete.  He finally let me touch him; once he found I was friendly he just melted.  He clearly craved affection and comfort, and in moments he had no fear or apprehension at all – he just wanted human company.

I petted him for many minutes; he is clearly very accustomed to people and must have had a good home at one time.  He is neutered and bears the ear-tip usually associated with a TNR program.

I cared for him throughout the storm.  Now he waits for me each morning and evening, bounding up to me when he sees me.  Here is a the first of three videos:

There are few subjects I know much about, but I know cats.  I’ve lived with many of them, volunteer at a shelter for them, and have a library of cat books third only to my Lincoln and polar exploration libraries.  This boy is as wonderful a cat as anyone will ever come across.  Another video:

He is a remarkably handsome boy cat: charcoal/gray/brown tabby, ticked pattern; medium hair soft as silk, with a bushy tail; green eyes; small white spots on chin and chest.  I guess him to be about 5-6 years old, perhaps 12 pounds.  He seems very healthy, his coat and eyes clean and bright

He has no petting threshold.  He is eager for as much affection as I have time to give.  He even likes his chest rubbed, and holds my hand in his paws when I pet him.  He has his claws but has never unsheathed them on me, even when he’s playful (another sign he once had good human companionship).

He needs a home.  He is much too sweet a cat to allow into a kill shelter, and all other shelters are full now.  I would rather care for him outside until I can find someone who will take him home.  As Seabrook’s infamous crazy cat guy, I can promise that he will make a marvelous companion for someone, and I’m certain he will be safe and comfortable inside.

He even seems very good with other cats.  He often stands outside my cat fence, in clear view of my cats, but he has never paid them any mind – no hissing, no aggression, scarcely caring they are there.  More than that, he has become something of a foster dad to two stray kittens (see photo below); they follow him everywhere and he is very gentle with them; he only hisses lightly if they stick a nose into his food bowl before he is finished.

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For a good, qualified adopter, I will pay half of his first vet checkup and vaccinations.  I don’t recommend cats often, but this guy is too special to abandon to animal control or to leave on his own.  If you are interested, please leave a comment on this post. I live in Seabrook, Texas.

Now Didn’t It Rain, Children…

Since Friday, we in Seabrook, like most of the greater Houston area, have been subject to quite extraordinary wind, rain and flooding – all from the wandering hurricane (now tropical storm) Harvey.  In the last two days we’ve received between 27and 30 inches of rain.  Todville Road, where I live, has flooded, and some overnight squalls have been extreme.  More is expected in the days to come; indeed, more are approaching as I write.

I’ve taken videos and photos since Friday night, including an enjoyable kayak tour of old Seabrook with neighbor Steve during a rare lull in the storm early this afternoon. I’ll share a few in this and subsequent posts.

This was taken Friday evening from my front porch, when the first rains and street flooding were beginning; the lightning and thunder add a realistic touch.  The squalls continued all night, easing somewhat on Saturday, before becoming quite more violent in the last hours of Saturday and the first hours of Sunday morning.

This was taken early this morning, after a night of the fiercest weather I have experienced since going through Hurricane Gilbert (Cat 5) on a cargo ship in Jamaica many years ago (1988?).  Weather today was comparatively mild, with only a few inches of rain falling.

This is neighbor Steve, stopping to check his mailbox, at the beginning of our kayak tour early this afternoon.

As we started our paddling tour, we visited with neighbors Randy and Holly, out doing a bit of cleaning during a rare lull in the squalls.

Paddling north on Todville.  Galveston Bay is to our right, the lagoons to our left.  The water level of street, bay and lagoons was equal, and we could paddle from one to another without hindrance – and we did!

More from our tour north on Todville.

South on lower Todville Road:

In places, the water wasn’t very deep over the road.  At one point Steve and I got out and walked.  This shows the rush of flood water into the bay right next to my house (the blue one):

One wonderful surprise from the storm: a flock of frigate birds – I’ve counted 8 – blew in and have soared along the shoreline all weekend.  They are lovely birds, not commonly seen here.  I hope they choose to stay.

It is now 11 p.m. Sunday, August 27, as I finish this.  Tremendous lightning and thunder are approaching again from the southwest, from where the storms of the last two nights have approached.  I pray for the safety of friends, family and strangers everywhere.