Savannah's Paw Tracks

Part One: Gigi’s Journey—A rags to riches tail

HIYA!!   SAVANNAH HERE!!!

I promised you last week that I would have the back story on Gigi, from our angel pal Spitty’s home. You see, I asked to have Gigi brought here, to my castle, after Mom L and Dad P saw that she was injured. Gigi has lived most of her seven years as an abandoned cat, left by a human to fend for herself outside. Fortunately she found her way to a city parks’ maintenance facility where kind employees have fed her. Her home has been a storage trailer for years. We often found her on the roof watching us. We suspect she lived under it.

Here is Gigi, and her home, back in 2018, when we first met her as we trapped out her little colony of six cats.

In December of 2020, we learned that no one was feeding this colony on weekend, city holidays and when their one feeder employee was on vacation. They were left to go without food and water during those times. Of course I told Mom L to get over there and feed those kitties when the employee was not around and she and Dad P have been feeding there ever since. The purrty long haired gal in one photo is Baby. More about her later…

In early February, we saw that Gigi had clearly been injured. Look at the left side of her neck/chin and you can see a large patch of fur torn away.

Out came the traps. Yes, I said “trapS”. You see it seems Miss Gigi was very knowledgeable about regular cat trap and she wasn’t going anywhere near that thing!! She just casually watched and then just walked on by it!!

Then we got our drop trap and bam!! Mom L caught her first try! Gig indeed had a very bad couple of puncture wounds that had abscessed pawfully! So off for a week of treatment and recovery she went to our county animal services. It was a tough week for Gigi because she was hurt, in a very scary noisy place. So’s I told Mom L to make sure a bring her back to my castle for some R&R (Rest and Relaxation).

Now secretly I was hoping that Gigi was gonna like bein’ warm and well fed and that she would pour on the charm for Mom L and Dad P. Gigi did not disappoint!!! Her first day in Mom L’s office, in a 36 inch cage, she began to work her charms. I posted about our Ambassador Katie’s part in making Gigi feel at home.

The above photos are taken from the first two days Gigi lived with us. Can you see her cute paw in that photo of her lying down, making air biscuits!! As long as Mom L talked baby talk to her, she made enough air biscuits to feed a city!!! MOL!!!

Gigi was comfortable having pets right from the start BUT she let Mom L and Dad P know when she didn’t want anymore—she has a mean left hook with claws out!! Typical calico I hear. Gigi also was delighted when Katie visited to welcome her. As for me, well I did step in once to check her out. I gave her my best hisssssssss from the doorway and casually strolled back to my master bedroom, never to visit her again. You see we left the door open to Mom L’s office when Gigi was living fulltime in the cages. After a month she graduated to a larger 42 inch cage. That’s when we started to learn that she sure does like to play!

Here is a short 54 second video of Gigi accepting pets from Dad P on her first day inside with us and then the next day she shows Katie that she really wants to be friends.

Come on back next week and I will share Gigi’s socialization process so’s you can appreciate how far she has come when you see her over at her own blog, Gigi’s Calico Corner.  Stay tuned for Part Two: Gigi’s Journey—A rags to riches tail

PAW PATS, SAVANNAH