Where There’s Smoke, There’s Cat

Smokey’s Story

Facebook Messages.

Monica: Help, please!

Mark: What do you need Ma’am

Monica: I have some cats that need to be caught and re-homed.

Mark: Call me 270-***-****

And as they say, “the rest is history”. With that call, Dorothy and Mark are on their way to Meade County to check out the situation where a family just up and moved out. They left more than a dozen cats, like the neighbor who found them thought, trapped inside a double-wide trailer with no food or water. The no food or water was correct, so the neighbor who called Monica Webb put that out for cats, but they found a way in and out through the laundry room. Mrs. Webb had contacted one team who caught the friendlier cats who took to human contact, but that left six they were unable to catch. That’s when the call came into Crazy Cat Sanctuary and Black Cat Rescue. Mark and Dorothy, AKA Daddy and Sister by the cats, jumped into action. They got wet food, treats, water, the big transport cage, and the rescue traps into the van and rolled to the address in Meade County they were given. They met with the neighbor, who contacted Mrs. Webb and was taken up to the property where the mobile home is located. Day two of the catch, but day one for daddy and sister. After looking over the situation and talking to the cats, Daddy sets out a little food and some treats and sits down on the deck to talk to the nervous cats. As he calms them down, a couple come to him and talk to him. They never get close enough for him to catch them, but he does get to scratch a couple of heads before they back off. The leader, though, just sits back and watches with a nervous eye, keeping a close watch on what is happening.

That afternoon, the rescue traps are set out on the steps to the deck with food in them. One has a can of Friskies, the other a can of tuna. Before they call it a day, they have four of these beauties in the travel cage and rescue traps and head home to the Sanctuary. Then there were two.

Then there were two??? That’s what they thought. They had the leader and one other catch when they left. However, when they return the next day the count one… two… three. And that third one is BIG. Someone had dumped overnight, but the leader did not run her off. He took her in. On the second day at the property, Mark and Dorothy started calling this big gray Tomcat Smokey because he looked like the color of beautiful smoke moving around. He still wanted to be friendly, but was too nervous to get close. He also stayed away from the rescue traps. The other two were secure by midday, but he was still a tricky one. He triggered the doors a couple of times, and they had to be reset. Daddy and sister think more like a cat and set out one unit with some salmon flavored treats going in the door and some tuna inside of the trigger point. After a nerve-racking two more hours, Smokey finally takes the bait and was on his way to his new home. The leader of this pride joins back up with the other five and the new big girl.

Once home, he is introduced to the other residents of the Sanctuary from inside the travel cage and after they get to relax a few hours, the last three are let out to join the others in getting used to being back inside with other cats.

For a couple of days, no one is allowed to go outside so the seven new cats can get used to them and the surroundings, but after that everyone gets to go in and out again as they please. Three of the new kids decide they are off to the feral colony back in the woods, but the other live the pampered life. Smokey being the good leader, he insists on overseeing all his colony he has left, so he spends time both at home and at the colony, making sure all his are doing well. He becomes what is called a “tame feral” or a feral who feels you are good enough to be worthy of his time, and a part of his pride. We have two other tame feral at the Sanctuary, Ms. Grace and her daughter, Ms. Anne.

Come to find out he loves to watch action movies with Daddy, especially John Wayne Movies. “McClintock” being one of his favorites. He sits on the cat tree or on top of Daddy’s work station while they watch the movie, then he will either curl up and go to sleep or go and love on Daddy asking for another movie, then go to sleep.

He also loves the camera and poses for his sister whenever she pulls it out. This is one of his favorite poses on the cat tree or looking down from the workstations. Sometimes you find him on one corner and the King Jules Verne on the other end watching over their combined pride. This last year, they decided to run the pride together, whatever one or the other said, that became law. And who says “cats are just dumb animals.” These kids are very wise, very smart. There are times when the cats are outside, and Smokey would strike some poses for her and just make him look GOOD. 

Unfortunately, age catches up to all of us, and we just lost this gentle giant on December 11, 2018, when he went over the Rainbow Bridge. He will be missed, but he will forever be in our hearts, and we will cherish these memories. Goodbye, John Smokey Wayne. Gone, but never forgotten, our big boy.