Well golly. Looks like we've been adopted (cats and pics inside).

No silent meow. I think he was too out of it to care what happened.

He’s back! Antibiotics 2x daily, pain killers 1x day until gone. We’ve got to keep the drainage site damp, so that it doesn’t scab over and make it more difficult to remove on Wednesday. It looks awful (warning - icky blood and head tube picture).

But he’s so happy to be here. He’s in the spare bedroom right now, and last we looked, was lying on the bed, making himself at home. The minute we walked in, he started purring and flopping around, wiggling and meowing. I think he knows he’s got it made now.

Never having had an unfixed (or until recently unfixed) cat before, I wasn’t ready for the Studly Male Cat Musk Smell. Nasty. The vet said that’ll go away in the next few months. In the meantime, I think the windows will be open quite often.

The other two cats are spending a large amount of time outside the room, trying to figure out where the hell those smells and sounds are coming from. Calvin hissed at me when I tried to talk to him after. Baby steps. He did the same thing when Lily came home.

But he’s home, and he’s settling in quite well. No distrust at all, as you can tell from the other pictures here, here, and here.

I’m awful glad we did this.

My god you weren’t kidding: that first picture is totally gross. Can you imagine, if you hadn’t come across him he’d be living outside like that. Blech times 10.

My neutered-as-an-adult male (a sweet boy who had been dumped into an alley) only had Manly Cat Smell for a few days. And he is by far the most cuddly cat I’ve ever come across and I’ve seen hundreds. Maybe thousands. He LOVES me so much. I think he’s happy to be indoors with good food and a happy cat family. I hope Bruce brings you as much happiness.

>^.^<

Oh good. 'Cause it’s pretty foul.

Lesson #1 in adopting a stray: Cats who’ve spent most of their lives outdoors will probably be used to a nocturnal lifestyle. As such, when shut in a room by themselves for the first time, they will spend most of the evening meowing and yeowling. Potential adopters should be aware of this and prepare accordingly. Earplugs will help.

I’m currently operating on about 1.5 hours sleep. Ugh.