by Lupe Gore

Feral Paws Rescue Group in Fresno shares with us some of their animal rescue adventures every month. Check out KRL’s article about Feral Paws to learn more about them. Lupe Gore is a FPRG volunteer.

This month I am going back in time seven years when my relationship with Feral Paws Rescue began, in February 2012. The first cat I got from the Rescue was a beautiful calico named Caleigh, and it went on from there. Each time Feral Paws Rescue would post on Facebook a black cat in need of saving from a kill-shelter, I inquired to see if they could pull him or her. In May 2012, one such post really got my attention. The picture was of a gorgeous, big, medium-haired tuxedo named Samson. Samson was at least three years old and had been picked up as a stray and taken to the Los Angeles County shelter in Lancaster. When asked if I wanted any of the cats currently listed, I remember telling Paula (CEO of Feral Paws Rescue) “there is always Samson!” And so she arranged to pull him; he spent a few days in foster care in Southern California before being transported to Fresno. The foster couldn’t believe it when she opened the carrier and she said “he just kept coming out” referring to his size and length.

Samson, or Sam as I call him, settled in very quickly with the other cats in my three-bedroom, two-story home. He would follow me around the house and especially into the kitchen when I was fixing something to eat. He also liked to lounge on the top of the hutch on the computer desk. On one of the first nights with me, he got onto the bed and, as I was lying there petting him, I noticed something when I touched his front feet: Sam had been declawed! So that meant at one time he had belonged to someone. Being declawed, what had Sam being doing outdoors for Animal Control to pick him up? I would soon find out.

My house had a sliding glass door off the dining room, which I often kept open during warm weather, but with the screen door shut. I had never had a problem with this door, but one of my new kitties figured out how to pop the door off the track, and there went Sam, outside into the back yard. During his escape, three other black kitties who had been rescued that spring also got out and it was a task to get them all back indoors, even though the yard was fenced. I looked all over for Sam and there he was, on the top of the fence! I was amazed that he could climb a six foot fence without any claws, but his long body propelled him up there. One time he actually got over the fence and I had to go around the neighborhood looking for him. Thankfully, it’s a safe area, but I wasn’t sure if he’d remember which house he came from. He did, though, once he came back to the front door. But, I couldn’t let his adventures continue, and from then on kept the glass door closed. I didn’t want any of my cats outdoors.

In the spring of 2013 I had to move and found an upstairs loft where I could keep all the kitties. Sam and his friends settled in to their new home and Sam figured out that he couldn’t escape from here, although I had to be careful when going in and out the front door, as he would sit by it when I left. Nearby is a Mexican restaurant ,and Sam knew that on the weekends I’d go over there, pick up food, and bring it back home to eat. In fact he knew so well, that by noon he’d be sitting by the door as if to tell me it was time for my food, even though the cats had already had their wet cat food and always had kibble available for them. Since I was sharing the food with him (and a few of my other kitties), I had to get “kitty friendly” food without the spicy hot sauce or onions, so it was usually a chicken tostada with all the food inside of a large shell.

There are more stories about Sam I could tell. So many cats at the shelters need homes, and it usually takes a while to find one. Even with Sam’s regal pose for his shelter photo, his time had been up, and thankfully Feral Paws Rescue was able to save his life, since no one had adopted him. Many cats Feral Paws Rescue has saved from kill-shelters are friendly and loving like Sam, and they all just want a forever home. Please adopt from the Rescue and make room for them to save another life like Sam’s! You can learn more on the Feral Paws website.

Feral Paws Adoption event: Saturday, April 20, 11a ~ 4p, at Tractor Supply Co in Clovis (1630 Herndon Avenue).

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Feral Paws every other month, and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Feral Paws.