Guest Cats: The Story of How Seven and Lemony Came Home
Back in August, I shared some photos of our “guest cats”, Seven and Lemony. They live with my cousin Jenny in Philadelphia and it’s always so fun to hear about their antics and see what they've been up to!
Some of you have asked when they will be back and what they are up to and so today I’m excited to share not only some new photos of them but also the story of how they got their home with my cousin. I love this story she put together for us and I hope you enjoy it too!
How Seven and Lemony Came Home
By Jennifer Huber
The first sign of Seven was a noise in the dark.
I was sitting in the living room one night when I heard something jump off the chair in front of me. I couldn’t see a thing, but I told my dad the next morning, “I swear we have a very large mouse.”
A few days later, Dad announced that he’d found the mouse.
“Really?”
“It’s a cat.”
“Where?”
“In the living room.”
There he was: a skinny tuxedo cat, staring back at me as though I was the unexpected visitor.
The apartments in our building have openings in the ceilings of their AC closets, and cats have been known to use them as passageways. Seven had apparently made an entire social life out of it. Dad met his owner in the hallway and learned that her cat kept disappearing. He also heard stories from other neighbors, including one about Seven falling through somebody’s kitchen ceiling.
Seven began visiting us almost every day. I fed him lunch meat because he was starving, and Dad bought cat treats. One night, Seven tore open an enormous bag and ate the whole thing while we slept. Then he learned to open treat containers by dragging them around until the lids came off. It was time to buy him actual cat food.
After about a month, he peed on my laundry. That was unusual for him, and by then he was barely going home. I told Dad we needed a litter box. Once we bought one, Seven never went back.
I sent his owner a greeting card. “We have your very lovely and distinguished tuxedo cat in our apartment,” I wrote. “We hope you don’t mind that he visits. We adore him!”
Her reply was simple: “Keep him.”
Seven came with a tapeworm and a few things to learn about living with people. Over the next few years, he got healthy, settled in, and eventually became bored with the company of two old retired people. I thought he might like a cat friend.
I found Lemony on the website of a rescue that cares for colony cats in West Philadelphia. His photograph was on the first page, if I remember right. There wasn’t any information about him, but he caught my eye immediately. I looked through the whole site and kept coming back to him.
When I went to meet him, he was living in a cage in a basement without natural light. He’d been there for six or seven months, with little human contact beyond feeding time. I learned he’d been labeled “aggressive” and had already been adopted and returned once.
After I adopted him, the rescue sent his medical records for the vet. That was when I learned his jaw had been broken and he’d lost many of his teeth. I don’t know what happened to him before we met. He’s had more dental care since then and has only a few teeth left. He eats just fine, though. He loves dry food and treats, and we chop his wet food into little pieces.
As for “aggressive,” I’m still waiting to meet that cat.
The Lemony I know is a toasted marshmallow: sweet, extraordinarily polite, and devoted to cuddling. Every night he herds me into bed so he can curl up with me. He doesn’t want to go to sleep until I’m there.
Seven arrived through the ceiling and chose our apartment for himself. Lemony came with a history we may never fully know. Somehow, both of them ended up exactly where they belong.
Awww, isn't that sweet?!? I am so glad they are living happily with Jenny where I know they are being loved and cared for!
Do you have an interesting story about how you got one of your pets? Share it in the comments section below!
