The CDS (Cat Distribution System) doesn’t always get it right. Sadly.

The tuxedo cat we named Mouse, is not a stray after all. After months of her coming around and hanging out, buying her a heated cat house, putting a tag on her collar asking to let me know if she had a home and getting no response, we decided to take her in.

She’s spent the last few nights in our house. She’s made friends with our dog, Maddie, and came to a truce with our cat, Miss Fuzzy Pants. She wormed her way into my and my husband’s hearts.

I was in the yard about an hour ago with Maddie and Miss Fuzzy Pants. A car pulled up and the driver asked if we could talk. I went out front. The young woman said that her sister worked with someone living with the people in the house across the street and that her sister was told that we might have their cat.

The young woman did know the color of the collar Mouse/Iris was wearing. But when I mentioned the tag I put on it, which was still on it, seemed totally unaware of the tag. Still, I got her phone number and said I would call when Mouse/Iris came around again.

It was only a few minutes later that Mouse/Iris arrived. I brought her in the house and called the young woman. When she arrived, she showed me photos on her phone of Iris and I saw that it was indeed the cat we had been taking care of for several months.

I told the young woman that she was going to have to keep Iris indoors all the time or Iris would just be right back here. Earlier today, Mouse/Iris had a nice nap on our bed and played in the backyard with Maddie. She likes a good game of chase the treat. She isn’t too fond of fishy flavored canned cat food. But she definitely likes sharp cheddar cheese.

I’m sad to see her go. So is my husband. Miss Fuzzy Pants will probably rejoice once she figures out that Mouse/Iris is really gone.

I worry about her a little. It feels to me like they don’t really take very good care of Iris. According to the young woman, they have a lot of cats. Even so, how did they not miss her several nights in a row when she slept in our house?

I think there is a good chance we have not seen the last of Mouse/Iris. What will I do in that event? I have no idea.

I’ve written about Mouse in two other articles: “Stray Cats” and “Mouse.”

But not always. 😦 Photo courtesy of Lemon8.