For the Love of Fancy
Fancy’s been gone for 8 days. The last time she disappeared she was gone for 8 years. Yes, 8 whole years.
I first met Fancy when she resided with a cat hoarder who had obvious mental health issues. I ended up eventually bringing many of her cats to my rescue because they needed to get to safety and the local shelters and rescues wouldn’t deal with the hoarder.
Fancy was a friendly girl — at least to me. While she loved constant human interaction, she was not a fan of other cat interaction. “Not a fan” is putting it mildly, since Fancy regularly swatted and growled at the other cats in the rescue.
After isolating Fancy in a large kitty condo for 3 weeks as I do all my new rescues, I tried to introduce her into the free roaming cat buildings at the rescue. She wasn’t having it, even though I started her out in that large 2 level kitty condo inside a building to acclimate her to the other cats and them to her. Fancy began growling, hissing and swatting at the other cats through the cage screaming at any cat that came “too close”.
I then tried to bring her in the house to settle her into one of the bedrooms we didn’t use. She howled constantly day and night and even tried to claw her way out by tearing the wallpaper off the walls leaving deep scratch marks on them. Fancy also wouldn’t eat or drink when she was “imprisoned” in the house.
It was summertime when I brought Fancy to the rescue, and so I finally decided to try and get her to accept the barn I’d set up for the feral cats that refused to live in any of the cat buildings. This barn has constant fresh water and food along with cat abodes for individual cats that my husband made. In the winter, this barn also has heat lights, heated water bowls and cat houses. It’s also the barn where I store hay which makes the barn even cozier.
At first Fancy decided she liked this set up and stayed, greeting me every morning as she rubbed against my legs. But, as soon as another cat came close to her, she became a wild banshee flying at the other cat as she screamed. It was a sight to behold and hear — her screams upsetting the usual peaceful tranquility of the rescue farm and everyone who lived there.
I felt sad that Fancy didn’t fit in, she seemed completely miserable and on edge just being in the same proximity as the other cats. I spoke with other rescuers, desperate for any help or advice. But no one had any ideas of what I could do. Some even suggested euthanizing Fancy which would not happen on our no-kill farm.
As summer turned to fall, I noticed Fancy would be gone for a few days at a time then return out of nowhere, running towards me as she greeted me, rubbing against my legs as if she’d never been gone. She looked well fed and cared for and I suspected she had a 2nd home elsewhere — likely a place that didn’t have any or very few cats.
I always welcomed her back, stopping whatever I was doing to give her my undivided attention. She would sit for about a half hour then be on her way, disappearing for a few more days. Until she didn’t come back, and days turned into weeks then into years with no sign of Fancy. I often wondered where she’d gone but always had a gut feeling she was safe.
Then Fancy appeared out of nowhere this past fall — 8 years after she’d left — just as the temperature was getting colder and it was obvious winter would soon arrive. She ran towards me greeting me, rubbing against my legs. She was more cautious of me than she had been and was a bit dirty but in good overall condition for which I was thankful. She did have an open wound she allowed me to care for, but Fancy wouldn’t let me put her in a carrier to take her to the vet. In fact, she scratched and attempted to bite me when I tried to pick her up or scoot her into a carrier.
This winter Fancy stayed at the rescue, curling up in one of the heated cat abodes in the hay barn. She seemed content to be home, one of her homes any ways, greeting me each morning as she had 8 years ago.
Until 8 days ago. When Fancy vanished again. The last time she disappeared she was gone for 8 years. Yes, 8 whole years. And I pray that my Fancy comes back to me again. No matter how long it takes.
copyright 2024 jackie deems
