As you might know, Darlene and I occasionally head down to feed the feral cats on the southern beaches. It’s dry, dusty and filled with thorns sharp and long enough to penetrate your shoe and up into your foot. Most of the cat colonies there are pretty wild and seem to do pretty good on their own but there was this one cat who was obviously an outsider. She was just as interested in our affection as she was the food and she lived in a different part of the woods, separate from the main colony.

We have wanted to take this cat for months but couldn’t due to the no pets clause in our lease. It was hard to leave her there on the beach but there wasn’t much we could do. Our landlord is a big animal lover and when she heard about our trips to the beach she came with a couple times and got to meet Miso. When we were there with her a couple nights ago, out of the blue she says “if you promise to keep her as an outdoor cat you can bring her home.” As much as we want Miso to be indoors with us we knew this was a great option for her!

The next day we went to the pet store and bought all the necessary things, including a big cage for her to spend the first couple weeks in. It’s going to be a slow process but we need to make sure she knows this is her home. I don’t think it will be a problem though, she is already very bonded to us, especially Darlene.

So anyway, we headed over to the beach that night, excited and nervous about bringing her home. Well, it wasn’t an issue because after waiting until dark Miso never showed up. We were so prepared for this moment and now it wasn’t going to happen. So the next night we headed back hoping for the best but I was feeling very pessimistic about it. Just as I said to Darlene “I don’t think we are ever going to see her again,” Miso comes trotting across the road, excited to see us.

She like to eat directly from the bag of food so we took a chance and placed it inside the carrier. The next thing we know, she has walked right in and the door was closed. A huge weight was lifted and Darlene finally had the cat she wanted so badly. I wanted a cat very badly too, but this was a really big moment for Darlene because she had already forged this incredible bond with Miso.

Last night, after gobbling up some canned food, she slept on the lanai in her giant cage right next to the sliding door. We both crammed ourselves onto the couch and slept for about an hour at a time, getting up to check on Miso any time she would meow at us. She handled the whole thing really well and has spent most of the day on Darlene’s lap. Friday we go to the vet and hope for the best.

Welcome home Miso!