When you move into a new house, you normally expect it to be empty. So imagine how surprised a family was when they walked into their new home to find a handwritten note by the previous owner with a request.
Miranda and her family had just moved into their new home in July 2018 and found they had something extra waiting for them that wasn’t in the contract.
Upon entering the house, the previous owner had left a note with an unusual request. The handwritten note detailed that there was a special cat living out in the back; it was born there and had never left.
“Welcome to our beloved home!” the note read. “We hope you enjoy it as much as we have! There’s one favor we ask of you, you do not have to do it, but we would appreciate it if you did.
“In the backyard there is an old orange kitty who lives there. He is feral and was born in our backyard 12 years ago. He has an injured paw and will not let you go near him. We feed him (every day) twice a day and we have for years now,” it continued.
After reading the note, Miranda went to see if it was true, and sure enough she saw the kitty in question.
The minute the family saw the cat, they couldn’t help but laugh out loud at how fortuitous this was.
“We started laughing because we currently have five cats, all but one have been rescued,” Miranda shared. “The house we lived in previously, people used to drop off their cats there and we took them in.”
So Miranda called the cat Raz, and she set about in gaining his trust. Over the course of a few weeks, Raz started to warm up to the family, but still remained cautious.
“He used to hide anytime we came to the door. Now we can sit outside with him,” she said. “He will come up and eat now when the screen door is open, which he wouldn’t do before.”
Miranda hopes that eventually Raz will trust her enough so she may take him to see a vet for his injured paw. Until that day comes, she is more than happy to feed him.
Dog Tied to a Lamppost Rescued
Not just cats, dogs too, can be tagged with a note.However, instead of being attached to a house, poor Sasha was tied to a lamppost and abandoned by its previous owner in Clayton, North Carolina.
The note that was tucked in Sasha’s collar asked to give the 8-year-old animal a “loving home.” Written from Sasha’s perspective, the note said that “I love other animals and children” and repeated three times that Sasha loves steaks.
However, the note didn’t explain why Sasha was left near a medical complex, but it asked for “a loving home where I can get lots of attention and the care I need.”
Fortunately, Sasha was found by someone from the medical complex and Joy Frannicola, founder of Ruf Creek Ranch Animal Rescue, was later informed of Sasha’s situation.
Working with Graham Price, an animal shelter supervisor, Frannicola got Sasha checked out, which revealed the poor animal was underweight, and had a flea allergy, which caused hair loss. With the assistance of Willowrun Veterinary Hospital, the poor animal later recovered from the hair loss and was neutered.
Pet surrender has been increasing in North Carolina, according to Frannicola, who also highlighted the possibility of pets getting euthanized due to spacing issues in the shelters. The experienced animal rescuer suggested that pet owners should try contacting local rescues and no-kill shelters if they want assurances of the fate of their surrendered pets.