The Café Cat
By - Jeanne Lesko
Email: mskittymeow3@juno.com

he was born in the yard behind the collector's old house. As she grew the other cats turned on her and so she moved into the woods behind the Mexican Café to live a solitary life. Her only contact with others of her kind were the males that came to visit and give her the kittens that she carefully cared for, she was a good mother; protective and loving.

hen the lady in the yellow car started coming to help the collector feed, the cat would tentatively come to the edge of the woods where a bowl of food was placed; she ate her share of the goodies. The lady, whose name was Jeanne, named her "Castaway". The name fit her status in the social order of the group because that is just what she was, a castaway. Jeanne worked hard to gain the little cat's trust but Castaway walked by herself and kept her own counsel.

he property was eventually sold and the old lady evicted but Jeanne and two others, Ray and Joan continued to feed the cats and started the trapping and sterilization process. One day in January, Jeanne noticed two kittens feeding at the edge of the woods, one calico and one orange tiger. Castaway lingered nearby and Jeanne knew that they had to be her kittens. She was able to grab the calico, getting a nasty bite in the process but the tabby continued to elude her. Castaway was finally trapped as well, spayed and released back into the woods. Just in time; a snowstorm blew in and put all trapping on hold. After the caretakers dug the feeding station out of the drifts, Jeanne saw a small orange shape lying in the snow; it was the orange kitten that had frozen to death. Freedom always has a price and the little boy had paid it.

he new property owners said the cats had to go and so a great effort, involving many diverse animal organizations, was made to trap and relocate the colony. Castaway hid out in the woods and would not be trapped and so she stayed behind when the others went to their new home. Gradually, Castaway moved around to the front of the Café and became the mascot, where she was fed, ate handouts from the customers and kept down the rodent population. She slept in a covered cat bed on the ledge outside the Café door, which gave her some protection from the elements. It was not an easy life. Over time Castaway, who holds no grudges, became a very tame kitty.

ll was well for about two years but the bureaucrats stepped in once again and the Health Dept. said that the little cat could not stay or the Café would be shut down. Jeanne and Joan put Castaway in a carrier and took her to the Cats R Us shelter. Her former life finished; the future, and a forever home awaits.