Monty by Geri, Monty’s Feeder / Geri

When people refer to a “stray”,it sounds so casual, meaningless & without dignity. Monty was a stray – a stray, though, with a name, a presence and a personality. Monty would often roll around on the ground so playfully – but generally stopped short of allowing himself to be pet – although I was able at times, to sneak in a quick pat on his back or head.

Monty was a big, orange fellow who lived on the grounds where I work. He was approximately 3 years old. He would come to eat on & off – not on a schedule regular enough for me to plan a time for trapping him to get him neutered. Maybe that was HIS plan – to keep me on my toes & never let me catch him in a routine schedule, thus preventing me from fixing him! Monty enjoyed chasing around an older female cat on the grounds, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and he also was able to co-exist with my “main” grounds cat,
old Harold Zimmerman.

Time passed, perhaps a year, & I always talked about getting Monty fixed – one time, actually got to see him when I had the chance to try to trap him but he was too smart for me! He went partially into the trap, got the food, & took off! Sneaky he was but such a handsome fellow! Well, after about a year, I actually was able to secure a good home for him, at the house of an employee who had previously adopted another “grounds” cat from me. This certainly seemed like it was meant to be – this was FATE! Monty was scheduled to be neutered, tested & to receive shots on a mobile rescue van. I was able to “scruff” him & place him in a carrier one early morning & brought him to a rescue friend, who set him up in a large cage where he’d be until “neutering day”. After 2 days, it was discovered that the van was NOT going to be available & plans were left up in the air, while i had to decide how to proceed. I finally decided to take him to my own vet – yes, it would be much, much, MUCH more in terms of dollars & cents but hey, I couldn’t lose the chance of getting him into a good home!

After getting an appointment & getting Monty to my vet, I explained how he very well might not be easy at all to examine since he’s from the streets. He sure made a liar out of me! He was so well behaved that the vet said she wished all cats that came there were like him! He let the vet do anything & everything to him, no complaints from him at all! He immediately became quite popular there! Then, fate stepped in so cruelly – his initial test for Feline Leukemia was positive. It was downhill from there – we ordered another test to be sent to the lab and 24 hours later, his diagnosis was confirmed – and suddenly, I had to “let him go”. This experience was heart wrenching; however, it would have been more so if his disease had progressed, undiscovered, and he lay suffering somewhere, in a vulnerable state, on the grounds at my job.

Yes, Monty was a stray – but he was a stray who made a big impression on many, especially during the last week of his orange life.

 

"Didn't We Almost Have It All........""
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