RICHARD

Meet Richard aka Ticker Too. No one knows where Richard started life but before he ended up with me he lived for many years as part of a feral colony in an industrial site. He was a semi-feral - likely a domestic dumped that learned to fend for himself. Kind people filled feeders and waterers at the feral site every day. Rubbermaid bins filled with straw were there for cats to get out of the wind and rain. Richard really wanted a home and always tried to climb into the truck when the food was being delivered. I agreed to try Richard with my two formerly feral cats in my barn. I kept him in a pen for several weeks first so he learned this is where food would be. He settled in quickly. He soon realized my old cat, Magellan, was no threat since he was over 20 and had a hard time even walking.

He likes girls so Ellie Mae was no problem. Soon Richard began hunting in the fields and we noticed he would bring his fresh catch up to Magellan to eat. What a guy! He and Ellie also made a "Magellan sandwich" at night, sleeping one on either side of him to keep him warm. Even though we put a heater in the barn, it still gets pretty cold. We switched to a heat lamp over the cat bed and they'd all snuggle together under it. We lost Magellan last year and so my husband built a raised bed with the heat lamp over it, and Richard and Ellie Mae snuggle there in the cold weather. Richard has become much tamer, loves to walk through the house and visit with our cats and dogs, and adores being petted. He will allow himself to be picked up but would rather not though he doesn't scratch or bite. Please consider adding a feral cat to your household. They make excellent company for a solitary cat, and ask only for food, water, warmth and a little love.