(Notice the fancy English spelling of Gray...)
Fred is our youngest cat, having just turned 5. He is also our most problematic pet, even outdoing Molly. The reason we call him the Grey Ghost is because very few people have actually seen him.
I hearn him meowing as a very small but adorable kitten underneath some scrub brush at the old house. I, of course, set out to catch him and keep him, even though this meant I was getting dangerously close to becoming the Crazy Cat Lady on the Corner. He was very wily, even as a tiny kitten, and would silently but quickly run to another scrub brush every time I got close. One day Stanley was out in the yard, and for some reason Fred decided to be friends with him, and that's how I caught him. Stanley is one of the few dogs that seems inviting to cats.
Unfortunately, I was going through a bit of a "hermit" period just after I caught Fred and brought him inside. I didn't have many people coming over, and he didn't get used to people at all during his very important imprinting time. I was the only person to hold him, and he doesn't even like me to if it's my idea. In true cat style, any contact has to be on his terms. He seems to be afraid of everything and everybody. He still runs away from Jav most of the time.
Fred also ended up having alot of health problems, which adds to his already skittish nature. He's had one urinary tract infection due to lack of water, and his gums are almost constantly infected. He's better about drinking water as long as his gums are healthy. He has to have a cortizone shot every 6 - 8 weeks for his gums. If he is going through one of his bad gum periods he waits until Gabriel is asleep and Jav and I are finished with dinner before he'll come out and finally try to eat. The other cats seem to pick on him because he is the youngest, and also the runt. This drives me crazy, so I get mad at them and they get even more resentful.
Despite all of this, Fred has very lovable qualities, even though they may only be apparent to me. Once he decides he wants to curl up in your lap, he will stay until you kick him off. He is truly the best hunter in the house, tracking down and killing any bug he happens to see. I think if he was allowed outside he would probably take down all kinds of critters. He is a beautiful cat, with blue-green eyes and silvery fur. I constantly go back and forth about whether or not I should have let him be an outside cat. He either would have thrived, or he wouldn't have made it near this long. I'm just not sure.
Fred is our youngest cat, having just turned 5. He is also our most problematic pet, even outdoing Molly. The reason we call him the Grey Ghost is because very few people have actually seen him.
I hearn him meowing as a very small but adorable kitten underneath some scrub brush at the old house. I, of course, set out to catch him and keep him, even though this meant I was getting dangerously close to becoming the Crazy Cat Lady on the Corner. He was very wily, even as a tiny kitten, and would silently but quickly run to another scrub brush every time I got close. One day Stanley was out in the yard, and for some reason Fred decided to be friends with him, and that's how I caught him. Stanley is one of the few dogs that seems inviting to cats.
Unfortunately, I was going through a bit of a "hermit" period just after I caught Fred and brought him inside. I didn't have many people coming over, and he didn't get used to people at all during his very important imprinting time. I was the only person to hold him, and he doesn't even like me to if it's my idea. In true cat style, any contact has to be on his terms. He seems to be afraid of everything and everybody. He still runs away from Jav most of the time.
Fred also ended up having alot of health problems, which adds to his already skittish nature. He's had one urinary tract infection due to lack of water, and his gums are almost constantly infected. He's better about drinking water as long as his gums are healthy. He has to have a cortizone shot every 6 - 8 weeks for his gums. If he is going through one of his bad gum periods he waits until Gabriel is asleep and Jav and I are finished with dinner before he'll come out and finally try to eat. The other cats seem to pick on him because he is the youngest, and also the runt. This drives me crazy, so I get mad at them and they get even more resentful.
Despite all of this, Fred has very lovable qualities, even though they may only be apparent to me. Once he decides he wants to curl up in your lap, he will stay until you kick him off. He is truly the best hunter in the house, tracking down and killing any bug he happens to see. I think if he was allowed outside he would probably take down all kinds of critters. He is a beautiful cat, with blue-green eyes and silvery fur. I constantly go back and forth about whether or not I should have let him be an outside cat. He either would have thrived, or he wouldn't have made it near this long. I'm just not sure.
We leave for Monterrey today, and because Fred doesn't do well with breaks in routine we need to board him while we're gone. He apparantly has figured this out and has gone into hiding. I will go on doing what I can to help Fred be a happier cat, since I feel guilty that part of the reason he is the way he is is my fault.
I must now leave you to continue my quest for the capture of the elusive Grey Ghost.
6/21/07 addendum: I successfully found Fred before our trip, boarded him, and the vet not only cleaned his teeth, but ended up pulling 4 of his molars (two on each side, where he was having the most problems with his gums). The vet told me this is the first time he's ever done anything this drastic to solve a cat's gums problems, but he really thinks this will help Fred to be a happier guy from now on. It's still too early to tell yet, but I hope he's right.
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