The beautiful, young calico cat who showed up outside my apartment friday evening...I don't know if she is lost, a stray or was abandoned. I wish I could bring her inside but my cat is 14, not used to other animals and I am fairly certain things would not go well at all. Also I have no idea as to her health.
But this poor creature just broke my heart yesterday, especially since we have some really, really cold weather approaching. She was outside my windows meowing and climbing my screens. After some thought I decided to provide her with food, water and shelter. I fixed up a box, covering the exterior bottom to keep out moisture, closed 3/4 of the open side to hold in heat but also to allow a little entrance and put one of my old fluffy sweaters in there for her. I took an empty Clementine crate and placed dry food and water dishes in it. Then I set everything up under the stairs outside my apartment. It's protected from the wind and rain - two of my neighbors are storing things there: a grill and a bicycle - so she is more or less out of the weather and out of sight of hawks and owls.
When I put out the food, she fell on it so I added some more. She seemed to calm down a bit after that and stopped the meowing and climbing. I did pet her and talk with her after she ate. She is very sweet and not at all feral.
Before going out I refilled her bowl and when I came home she had eaten most of it. I presume she was in her little house because she was nowhere to be seen. I didn't top off the food last night because the raccoons, opossums or other wilidlife would likely eat it.
I haven't seen her yet this morning and I will go outside in a little while to give her some more food and change out her water.
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