Last Spring a scrawny little gray and white cat adopted us. When he showed up on our porch he was skin and bones and pretty shaggy looking. I began feeding and watering him on our porch. One day I was working outside and came into the house for something and he acted like he wanted to go in with me so I let him – well that was it. He was officially our cat. After we were sure he really wanted to be with us we took him to the vet for his shots and an exam. Did the usual things for a cat and our journey began. First a name. Hmmmm, Tom felt since he just appeared seemingly out of no where he was like a little ghost, let's call him Casper.

Right away he decided I was his person. He liked Tom but was leary of any male. He became a very social and lovable little guy (many pounds heavier too). He loves to get up on my chest while I'm trying to type on the pc. He feels he needs to be petted and loved on much of the time he is awake. He doesn't meow very loudly so we wonder if he has been injured too. He doesn't play like other cats. Once in awhile he will chase around the house or chase something dragging across the floor, but he seems too somber for play. When little children come here, he seems to think they are his personal play toys. Chases after their little legs like most cats do toys. Well of course that gets him in trouble so he seeks out his favorite hidey hole and stays there til they find him or leave. He doesn't mind their petting him as long as it's not too much. Our 11 year old grandson that comes here every other week-end is “his boy”!

He is such a family guy that when we are in the kitchen having a meal he often joins us. He gets on one of the other chairs and quickly learned putting nose, head or paws on table was unacceptable behavior. So now he settles in while we eat and clean up. If we are outside, he wants to be near where we are. I've never seen a cat that required as much love and attention as he does. We have been able to guess at his past here in the neighborhood. He was abandoned by the family he grew up with and we believe he was raised with a dog. We think he was mistreated by the male in the household.

We decided to take a trip. Planned it with many other Eon friends to go to Niagara Falls in September. Our neighbor friend volunteered to come down and feed and water him every day while we were gone so we wouldn't have to board him. The big departure day came and we rushed to get all our baggage out the door and onto the porch while he ate his breakfast. When the last was going out he came to the door and began to meow loudly at us. We assured him he would be alright. Danielle came down every day and fed him and loved on him. My daughter and children came over on the middle day of our vacation to scoop the cat box (oh yes there is a story about the cat box too!) and spent almost an hour here with him with lots of hugs and loving from them all.

When we returned he was so happy to see us but even more happy to be permitted to go outside. He spent lots of time on me the first day back. The second day back we needed to run some errands. He followed us outside, saw we were getting in the car, came running over to the car and got under our car. I started the car thinking that would make him get back in the yard, he didn't budge. We called to him to get him out, didn't work. Finally I got out of the car and grabbed the windshield protector to slide under the car towards him and that got him out. He was afraid we would be gone a long time like before. Our trip away pretty much traumatized him. When we returned home he was so happy to see us, he needed up on me immediately and I groomed him for a long time til he went to sleep and I could put him beside me on the couch while I got on the computer.

Our next errand trip away from the house, he stayed in the house. He had decided we'd be back this time too. Our sensitive little guy didn't want to lose this family like he did before. Who says cats are aloof and unloving???? Our little guy sure isn't.