I’ve been on a cat kick these days. Not exactly a surprise since they occupy a good part of my day. But each story is unique and in this tale, the life of OC (Orange Cat) is exactly that. I promise next week my post won’t include anything containing fur or with four legs.

Many years ago, OC showed up in a small colony of ferals living behind a movie theater. We trapped him, scanned his microchip, and returned him to his registered guardian who had 20-something ferals. Seems OC isn’t a social butterfly, so he hightailed it back to his preferred stomping grounds.

Over the years, our dedicated group of volunteers fed the cats their daily meal. As time passed and colony cats died, OC was like the Energizer Bunny who just keeps on going. So eventually, he lived out there alone.

One of our volunteers, Gina, formed a bond with OC over the years. She’s a bit of a cat whisperer (and camera shy) but felines definitely take a liking to her. But then the worst happened — the theater manager told us OC had to leave. Apparently my powers of persuasion didn’t change his mind, so we had to trap OC again.

Let me just say, trapping a cat who has already been trapped at least twice, is no easy feat. So with my cohort, Michael, we teamed with Gina to plan how to catch an incredibly smart and suspicious cat — two traits that proved to make our lives difficult for weeks.

Well, it turns out Michael is a bit of a genius when it comes to making contraptions like remote control drop traps, or essentially anything concerning technology. Me? Suffice it to say I’m a pathetic ignoramus with that stuff.

Now don’t get me wrong; at first we tried a walk-in trap but OC practically laughed in our faces. We covered it, then uncovered it. Still nothing. So Michael rigged the drop trap with a plywood bottom and because OC is very perceptive, Michael lined it with cardboard to disguise the steel frame.

Night after night, we monitored him with our motion sensor camera inside the trap. And then the nightmare happened. One night, OC cautiously walked into the trap, heading right for the tuna in oil. (But that’s not the nightmare.) We waited until he was busy eating and, with my heart racing, I triggered the trap door. We got him! Except just then, right in front of us, OC sprinted across the parking lot. I thought to myself:

The answer is yes. Seems I’d released the trigger too soon. Can you believe it?! (Don’t answer that.) All that trap-training and we were back to square one. It took another month before we finally caught OC again. And this time Michael pulled the trigger.

Marin Humane examined and vaccinated OC and thankfully, Gina insisted on adopting this wild boy. She took him home, gave him his own room, and then crossed her fingers and toes. Fortunately, she’s patient because he hid for 6 months under a desk before she could scratch behind his ears.

She spent many hours talking sweetly to him, assuring him he was home. And guess what?

At about 8 months, OC came out from hiding, climbed onto Gina’s lap, and demanded full body pets. Gina’s cat, Lulu, also visited with him in his room and after about a year, OC headed downstairs to be with her. Lulu is blind so OC helps her on the stairs and leads her to her food dishes. Yep, he’s smitten with her.

It’s been two years since Gina adopted OC and what a transformation. When he’s not curled up on her lap, he’s claimed residence on her ottoman or trying to snuggle with Lulu. No more sleeping in the cold and rain, or hiding from coyotes. Been there, done that.

Thanks to Gina, OC finally felt safe showing her his true self. And what a loving, domestic cat he is now. She says you’d never know he was anything but a house cat. Her advice? “Be patient and let them decide when they’re ready. Once they pick you, they’re yours forever.”

The End.