***December Special- FREE CAT!!!!!***

My mechanic is a crackhead.

I took my Blazer in to get 4 new tires today. When I went back to pick it up my mechanic, Matt(who is a no-nonsense-republican-voting-conservative who believes that anything that isn’t useful and is organic can be stuffed into a crock pot and consumed as a tasty snack), is absent from the front counter. An open can of tuna is sitting in the middle of his desk.

When he comes in to meet us, my dad jokingly asks him where the cat is. Serious, Matt says, "Funny you should mention cats…"

In a cardboard box next to the counter, is a teeny ball of orange and white and dirt colored fur, less than half-a-pound of fluff and whiskers. It seems Matt has a feral momma cat and her daughter who keep having litters out of the back of his auto shop and storage area and the little ones keep getting smooshed on the road(he’s on a major highway). He told us he found this one next to the building this morning and didn’t want to see it get squished, so he took it into the shop in a box, and then didn’t know what to do with it.

I admit I volunteered at that point.

So on my receipt for the 4 new tires, he writes, "December Special- FREE CAT!!!!!" He then carries the box out to my car and sends us on our way. So much for his gruff facade. I now know the truth. Matt is a softie, and I will never let him live it down.

I think it’s cute how he’s getting in touch with his inner treehugger. I may celebrate.

I checked the little puffball over when we got home; dehydrated, starving, and filthy, but overall fine. No fleas, no mites, just very dirty and skinny, and much older than I thought, probably 7 weeks despite her small size. And most likely a girl. I got her settled in a big carrier kennel and ran off to the pet store, where I stocked up on milk replacer to build her nutrients, canned kitten food, and Iams kitten chow. And teeny cat bowls. My cats are cows, she needs something smaller to fit in her kennel and shallow enough she can reach it.

My husband has taken this all in stride, as he usually does whenever I bring in a stray. Thank God for stoic men who love animals too.

We’ve named her Shelby, as in the car. If she was a boy it would have been Hemi, but as a girl, Shelby it is. A suitable name for an auto garage cat.

I’m gonna go check on the little hairball and go to bed. It’s off to the vet tomorrow am to get FELV tested and checked out, and then off to work for me. Fun, fun.

Hug on your critturs, all. Have a good weekend.

-Rebecca