She started showing up on the porch one day and pretty soon she was sleeping in one of the cushioned porch chairs every night. No collar, no tags (you really do have to tag your cat in Roanoke!) and she looked a little thin.

 So we adopted her.

But we really didn’t know what to do. Was she spayed? Did she have shots? Called Angels of Assisi and set up a budget “the works” package as we really didn’t want to invest in the cat until we knew she didn’t belong to anyone. So we got the first appointment which was more than a month away. No problem.

Then the rabies scare. My son comes home with reports that there was a rabit cat in the neighborhood that bit a dog and they had to put it down. Yikes! The cat didn’t LOOK like it had rabies. What to do!

By this time we decided that there wasn’t anyone looking out for the cat so we were going to name it and let it in the house. Olive the Cat….mostly because of her color but partially because of a really funny story a friend tells about high school gym class. Anyway, the cat is named but we feel certain an emergency trip to the vet is in order to get a rabies shot prior to the Angels of Assisi spa treatment.

So I picked a vet, took her for shots, found out she was already spayed and back home she comes almost $ 100 later. Really only planned on the $ 17 rabies shot but when I found out she didn’t need spaying…what the heck give her the works.

All was fine until later that week I’m out in the back yard chatting with Dana James, Roanoke’s premier stained glass artist (be sure to check her out on the Roanoke City Market) who happens to be my neighbor. Well, to make a long story short, Dana calls the cat by name……but not Olive….another name! As I inquired further, lo and behold Olive belongs to the “kitty corner” (pun intended :)) back door neighbor who we really don’t know very well.

CRAP! $ 100 down the drain not to mention that we really had taken a liking to Olive, and she to us….obviously.

Turns out that Olive is the cat child of a person who works at night and may not be home a lot. So THAT is why she adopted us. Plus the fact that we have a totally awesome front porch that anyone could enjoy….with or without refreshing adult beverages. But I digress. It turns out that Olive will really adopt anyone in the immediate area who takes her in. Apparently she has made her rounds.

So we pretty much kicked Olive out of the house. Shoo cat….go back home where you belong as your REAL owner surely misses you….sometime!

Well, Olive really refuses to abandon us so after a few weeks she has gradually squirmed her way back into having house priveleges. Which is ok by me…cause she really makes the place look homey. And she is an awesome cat. Beautiful colors and markings, friendly, and she goes outside! Bonus.

So this blog is dedicated to Olive the Cat. The cat whose home is wherever she lays her Cat Hat down. I think you really are OUR cat.