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I have to break this blog entry into two cats, one about Sophie, a feral black cat, and one about Zoey, an animal shelter rescue. This is the one about Sophie.

 

Sophie was a stray black cat that came to visit us on Thanksgiving Day in 2006, so we fed her some
milk. After inhaling the milk, she left and didn’t return until Christmas Eve 2006. This time she stayed, and we named her Sophie.

 

We tried to convert Sophie into an indoor cat, but she just wasn’t happy being indoors for long periods of time. Sophie would show up at certain times of the day, meow very loudly to get inside to make sure her source of food was still here, and then take off for the wild outdoors again.



As the months passed by, we got her to stay inside for longer periods of time, but it was particularly difficult to get her to stay inside at night since that was her usual hunting time. We can’t count the number of gophers she caught, but her record was five in one 24-hour period. Lizards were another favorite, although she had more fun playing with them than making a meal out of them.

 

Sophie would follow us around when we were outside to make sure that we weren't going anywhere. The neighbors used to smile because we could go for a walk with this little black cat tagging along about twenty feet behind. If she lost track of us around a corner, though, she came a-gallopin' until we were again in her sight.

 

On September 19, 2007, Sophie was hit and killed by a car just a block away. We knew eventually that it would happen—a black cat at night on black asphalt, and outdoor cats don’t have near the life expectancy as indoor cats. A neighborhood woman was kind enough to take her ID tag off and call us, and she went back with some towels and wrapped Sophie up and placed her under some bushes on the curb for us. Sophie got a proper burial on Gopher Hill with a little memorial marker for her grave.

You can see my complete picture gallery of Sophie right here.

Coming up next: Zoey the cool cat, a rescue from the El Cajon animal shelter on September 20, 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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12 Comments on It's hard to believe Sophie's been gone a year.

SEP
23
2008
257,279 Points Outside Blog

Jim, It seems you gave Sophie a good life while you had her.  I love your photo gallery!  She was a beautifulcat!  I am looking forward to Zoey's story.
11:57pm • #1

Very cute. I am an animal lover also. Where I live in the country we have a lot of ferrel cats. We try to catch them as often as possible and take them to the rescue in Auburn where there is a fund set up to spay/neuter them. Then they can be adopted out or set free again.

I had a cat Dottie, who as the opposite of Sophie in color. She came to us with one spot or "dot" of black on her head. Eventually it faded away and she was completely white. She love to be inside for a little while and then back out to the outdoors. She ended up becoming food for the coyotes since we live near a wildlife reserve.

Now that I live on property, I have been known to rescue pets that have been left behind at vacant homes. "Bunnies, Cats, Chickens & and Turkey" believe it or not.

Thanks for posting something different and refreshing.
11:57pm • #2
SEP
24
2008
333,747 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog

Very cute kittie and will have to look at the links.  Too bad for Sophie.

Thanks

Tom Davis

World Class DE Realtor
12:00am • #3
2 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor

That is to bad for Sophie...she was so pretty.  I love black cats. 

 

 
12:00am • #4
225,809 Points 14 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Your efforts and kindness will not go unnoticed and will be rewarded later. You are doing great things for animals. Sorry to hear about Sophie and its good to see you are continuing to care for others.
12:13am • #5
2 Featured Posts

I too am an animal lover.  I am so sorry about Sophie.  She was a beauty.  Just for your info today I purchased a reflective cat collar.  May be good for black short haired cats who tend to roam.
12:29am • #6
594,090 Points 22 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Jim, Those are great pictures.  I also have cats that do not want to be inside all of the time.  In fact I have one outside right now that wants to come in but I am waiting for her to drop the mouse so I can let her come in!
4:19am • #7

Ahhhh Jim... What a sad story about Sophie! But as you said, it was inevitable. But it sounds like she loved you guys! And thank you for rescuing Zoey.
9:29am • #8
460,947 Points 29 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

HI Jim.  sorry about Sofie.  That is tough when something that you spent so much time loving & loved you back unconditionally is gone.  :(.  You have a spot in heaven for taking care of animals with such kindness.  Cats are so low maintenance & independent!  KM
10:49am • #9
SEP
27
2008

Sorry about Sophie.

I just got a rescue cat named Mariah (because she can be very verbal so this names is fitting).  I wrote a blog about her. Here is the link if you want to check it out:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/691315/Was-this-Cat-a
6:23pm • #10
MAY
27
2009
320,796 Points 2 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor
Hi Sophie: You look like a wonderful cat. If you ever re-incarnate near me - please look me up. :)
8:26pm • #11
1,057,134 Points 27 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Hey, Roberta – Hopefully you saw Zoey’s story.

Hey, Michelle – We have lots of feral cats and dogs in our neighborhood, as well as foxes and coyotes. Occasionally, we’ll be awoken in the middle of the night by a deadly screaming, and we know exactly what happened.

Hey, Tom – We knew if would happen if we couldn’t make Sophie into an indoor cat.

Hey, Chastity – Black cats have always been my favorite, but we couldn’t find a black cat at the shelter in mid-September. They seem to take black cats off the market in September and October due to Halloween. We also thought that getting a different cat would mean that we weren’t trying to specifically replace Sophie.

Hey, Mike – I’ve always been fond of cats and dogs, but my marketing guru has almost got me liking other critters, too, like birds and bees. Nope. Never mind. Can’t do bees.

Hey, Diane – I’m ashamed to say that I did not think about reflective collars.

Hey, Jane – You don’t like those little presents that our cats bring us? We never got a mouse, but dozens of gophers, lizards, and birds. I almost cried when she brought me one of our hummingbirds.

Hey, Sharon – Sophie had a forever home, but those darn instincts just could not be put to rest.

Hey, Kristin – Indoor cats, however, to require food, a place to sleep, love, and a pooper scooper. I’m not the pooper scooper.

Hey, Marlene – I’m on my way over to see your Mariah.

Hey, Matt – You have to get in line behind Russel and me.

 
9:49pm • #12


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