"He's an extra cat, and he's orange."
Red Carpet Ready: Extra Orange Poses for the camera.
*About three months ago, we saw the above photo of a cat named Extra Orange. He is a marmalade ginger cat with bulls eye markings on his sides. We want him! Emilie was keeping Orange outdoors in her yard. He came to her about a year ago when he was only a six month old kitten. Emilie had no room for Orange. Orange was patient and obedient. He wanted to come in! Oliver, another of Emilie's cats, did not want Orange in "his" house! Emilie fed Orange outdoors and made a bed for him. But Orange began to wander and vanish for longer and longer time periods. When he finally returned, Orange was scratched, limping, and very thin. What a surprise, when Emilie took Orange to the vet, he easily got into the carrier himself! The staff were all amazed at Orange's gentleness and cooperation.
Orange needs a new home.
What to do?
"We'll take him!"
Phoenix Arizona is a long way from Michigan! My husband went to visit Emilie, our daughter. He helped her with house repairs and prepared to take Orange home with him. Orange is very tame and likes to be picked up and carried. Strong bonds formed easily.
Travel day dawned!
Orange met his airline carrier. He got in it himself! He smiled! He knew traveling manners from his former home? He loves to be photographed and poses readily for the camera.
At the airport, security asked Paul to remove Orange from his carrier and hand carry him through while luggage and carrier were scanned. "Oh, Boy, this is it! Will he struggle, scratch, or leap away and run?"
Orange remained totally placid while being carried and replaced himself in his "in cabin" carrier. The security crew smiled. They knew cats!
Taking Off
On the long plane ride into Chicago and follow up shuttle bus, Orange was silent and docile as can be. "Imagine!"
"At Home"
Meanwhile I had taken some time to rethink "new young cat" in each room and clear anything out of Orange's way, paintings, glassware, jars on counters and more for a safe cat zone. Thinking "cat" I looked "up" and remembered to clear books, pairs of glasses, ledges on mantel and more in case Orange was a "leaper."
I remembered our Tom leaped high and wide when he came into our home in 2003. So much so, that I had to take down the "wall of Collie" paintings in our living room. Young and wild Tom came down from the high ledge one day and touched a glass framed pastel painting with his front paws. *I took down the Collies and packed them away.
Then, also in advance, I took Orange's portrait photo from the fridge and, individually, showed it to each of our four cats. I told them his name, and that he was headed for arrival! "He is very tame. Help to make him feel welcome."
In came Orange and skittered out of his carrier! "He's small!" Tom and Sancat are much bigger. Sasha, dark tabby, hissed only once. Sancat slunk a bit and crept very slowly. Mrs. Harris pranced in to greet Orange. Tom was vocal.
Orange ran around, ate voraciously, then settled down and sat with me resting his head on my knee!
A Cat of a Different Color
Now, recovered and rested, Orange is gaining strength and energy. "He's neon color!" Orange is a bright dark orange and cannery yellow blend, like a marble cake! He looks like he has been colored with crayons! Orange has patterns of "art wok" drawn down his back that look like Native American designs. He has white hairs in his tail rings which are near the tail tip. Not all the rings are the same width. He is very well mannered and responds to soft commands like a well trained dog. Orange is lightening quick, like a young lithe Cheetah.
Orange's pleasant quiet manner is a great example for our "fab four" cats as they all become a more blended harmonic cat family. Also, our home setting has become more organized and and easier to manage with fewer items on display.
What is Orange's story? We can only guess his history from well mannered early training to living on the streets?
Extra Orange has become Extraordinary Orange!
XO XOO!
"I'm Home!"
Related Posts:
* Being is Believing (Dec 2013)
Reigning Cats and Dogs and The Little Chessie that Could (Sept 2012)
Fully Present and Mrs. Harris is a Sand Cat (May 2012)
Intuitive Teachers (Jan 2012)
** Out of Box Experience (Aug 2011) Collie Paintings come Out of their Box.
Welcoming Mrs. Harris and "I am Your Angel" (July 2011) How did our orange kitten, Mrs. Harris, find us? No one knows!
Catching Up (Apr 2011), achieve your goals!
Escape Artists (Feb 2011), Tom and Sasha tell all.
What Kind of Animal Are You? (Jan 2011)
Resources:
Albert Payson Terhune, author of Lad a Dog, Grey Dawn and more, journalist and mystic
James Herriot's Cat Stories and many more books
Dahlis Roy, Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photos by Emilie
Extra Orange
Happy Cat, heading home
Taking Off
