Meet Leroy!

Hello everyone, I am Leroy! I am approximately 2-3 years old and am proud to say I am one of the original Forget Me Not Cats! I was one of the 10 feral cats that were the first residents here at the Sanctuary, so I’ve seen it all around here.

My life before Forget Me Not is an interesting story. I was rescued from the pound by a lady with good intentions. She tried to care for me and a number of other feral cats. Sadly though, she really didn’t know that feral cats are “different” and wasn’t properly informed about what was involved in caring for me and my feral buddies. She was really afraid and intimidated by us, and as a result didn’t give us adequate care. Some of us were caged in filthy kennels and those of us who escaped from our cages crouched in dark, damp corners. There was one huge litter box, which was seldom clean so many of us chose to use the concrete floor as our bathroom instead. These were horrible living conditions for all of us!

When the wonderful folks at Forget Me Not stepped in to help us, they had quite the challenge on their hands. When they first found me, I had to be wrestled free from the rusty springs of a dirty old couch. At the time I had no idea who these people were, and what was going on, so I was very afraid. But then I arrived at the Main Cat Cottage at Forget Me Not. It seemed like a nice place, but I was very scared and immediately sought refuge underneath a skirted chair. I came out to eat and drink only when the humans disappeared. This was pretty much my routine for quite some time. And then as the months passed I began exploring more and more. I’d even see the humans peeking in on me from the windows while I was stretched out relaxing on a funny purple, blue and green couch. I really liked that couch – it was my first “real” favorite spot. And over time, I’d stay put on that nice couch even if a human walked into the room.

That all seems so long ago now, as I’ve come a long way from my feral beginnings. I am usually quite affectionate and quiet, but my temperament is still quite unpredictable. Sometimes I do lash out with scratches or bites without any notice. I don’t intend to be mean, but being a feral cat makes me nervous and still afraid sometimes. The humans here at the Sanctuary realized that I would not be suitable for most adoptive homes so I am quite content in living out my life here at Forget Me Not.

After living in the main cottage for a while, it became clear that I needed different accommodation. I would sometimes pick nasty fights with the other male residents and the people here felt it would be best to move me to a different location at the Sanctuary. So one day I was moved, complete with my favorite multi-colored couch, to a seperate smaller building. And the cool thing is this building is now known as “Leroy’s Place”! How lucky am I to have a building named after me?!

Shortly after I moved in, I had some other kitties join me. A female feral named Maizie became one of my new roommates along with a nice girl named Georgia and her son, Johnny. We have a great living arrangement and I get along well with them.

So as you can see, my sad story does have a happy ending! I love my new home and couldn’t be happier, surrounded by my new buddies and my favorite couch!

Meows,

Leroy