Colton

  

When August rolls around, Colton will have lived here one year.  He appeared in my yard the night before the Anderson Reunion, the second weekend in August which also happens to be Hobo Day in Britt, the Anderson hometown.  Telly and Faye chased him up a tree and I was out in the grove at 11 p.m. coaxing him down.  I quickly put him in the Civil War building to keep him safe for the time being.  I was really quite disgusted that someone would “drop him off” for me to care for just because they knew I would. He was the hit of the reunion with the little kids who just loved him and one little girl named him Colton.  I searched for a home for Colton for quite some time until I simply gave up and decided he lived here.

A couple weeks ago I learned that the “new” neighbors to the west of us had run into a bit of bad luck.  The mom, Heather who was in her final months of a nursing program, fell and broke her leg and ankle so I decided I would take supper to them.  I delivered the crock pot and a cake pan of food and as I walked into their kitchen, I saw a fluffy gray tail to which I exclaimed, “Colton, how did YOU get here?”  And here comes the rest of the story – this cat was Colton’s brother and Colton had been their kitten last summer.  He wandered to my house probably just on an adventure – nobody dropped him off like I thought!  I just assumed he didn’t have a home and took him in – I never thought of asking the neighbors if they were missing a cat.   Holy Cow!!!   I immediately asked if they wanted him back and they said “no”, they had plenty of cats and I breathed a sigh of relief because of course now I love him and he’s mine.  

But here’s the strangest part of the story.  Guess what Colton’s brother’s name is — It’s Kohler!!!   Here is a picture of Cody holding Kohler.  Cody is in Becky’s 3rd grade class at school.   

 

Kohler is 6 months younger than Colton with the same parents so he hasn’t developed that fluffy flur around his neck yet and he doesn’t have quite as much white on his face but they are definitely brothers.  And the mystery is solved.

33 thoughts on “Colton

  1. Gloria

    Thanks for sharing this. It breaks my heart even thinking someone could be so cruel to abandon an animal. Clearly Colton sensed there was someone very special right next door that he just had to meet.

  2. Marian Stever

    Great story! I think you will have to write “Cats, dogs, quilts AND…

  3. Mary Says Sew!

    Colton decided you are his person, and so he adopted you! We’ve been adopted by lots of cats. Some make the transition into the house; some live in the garage. Everybody gets “brain surgery”; i.e., spayed or neutered.

    I’m glad to know Colton wasn’t dumped. Way too many kitties are.

    Is the older gray feral cat still living in your garage?

  4. Launa

    Mary, Your neighbor must think you are quite an angel to bring a home cooked meal in her time of need; I certainly do! And it solved Colton’s mystery when you saw Kohler and got to meet Cody. I’m thinking Colton’s Mystery is an excellent children’s book title………in your spare time!!!

  5. Julie

    That is just too funny! What beautiful cats!! By the way I got your book last week and purchased two more for gifts for my sister and a quilting buddy. We are all just loving every single page of it!! So many fun projects. Thanks so much! Hope there are more books in your future!

  6. Cynthia

    What a wonderful story! You are such a gem, Mary–I wish there were more people like you–there will be a special place in heaven for you!

  7. Linette Stewart

    Seems like this worked out the way it was meant to. You have such a wonderful giving heart.

  8. Rose Mikulski

    Great story with a happy ending–Colton gets to stay with you, officially he belongs to you now. I was so afraid that someone adopted him and we wouldn’t hear or see him anymore. Give him a hug for me!

  9. Angie Rowland

    They certainly look alike. What a great story. If you hadn’t been neighborly you might have never known. Pretty kitty.

  10. Ann Barlament

    So, Colton decided to go on “walk-about” and adopt YOU!! I love it!!!

  11. Heather Kehoe

    I was so happy to find out Toes as we called him had found a great home. We had a hawk around our property at that time and when he went missing we thought for sure the hawk had taken him. He was definitely loved here but we are all super happy to know he found another home that has taken him in and loved him as much as we did. Once my leg heals the boys and I want to come up and visit him.

  12. Bernadette Jackson

    This is a great story, Mary. The only thing that could make it better was if they have since had the momma cat spayed so she would have a happy ending, too. Colton obviously knew his way home but decided to live with you. Awesome. And how cute that their names are so similar!

  13. Brenda

    What a great story, Mary. Thanks for caring for your neighbors. As a nurse, I hope Heather will be able to finish her nursing program. BTW, love your new book. Just received it in the mail this week and am contemplating which pattern I want to make this weekend at an upcoming quilting retreat.

  14. Heather Kehoe

    We were all so happy to hear that “Toes” as we called him had found a home. The reason is not because we didn’t want him but because around the time he went missing we had a hawk around our place almost daily and we had quite a few kittens disappear and we thought this had become his fate. So when I found out that he was alive and doing great it made my heart melt. He was my baby till he disappeared. I have a soft spot for kittens that look like him; which is probably why I ended up bringing Kohler into our house to be an inside kitty. We are so happy that he has a place to live out the rest of his life getting spoiled! After my leg heals the boys and I plan on stopping by to visit him.
    Also to answer the question posted by Brenda I am still going to complete my nursing degree I just decided to take a little detour! I have come too far t give up now!

  15. Felicia Hamlin

    Oh Mary, love your Colton story. He is a beautiful cat. Take care. Felicia

  16. VA Mann

    Loved “the rest of the story”. Colton found his forever home! Thank you for sharing.

  17. Carole

    At our house, that fluffy white neck fur is called “Queen Elizabeth”. (Think back on the pictures of Queen Elizabeth I with her big white ruff in your European history books). However, Rudy has such a big QE that when he turns sideways he more looks like Jayne Mansfield!

  18. Louise

    Love happy endings…a few years back we had a sweet little kitty adopt us. We named her Naughty Nora!

  19. Carole

    Love the Colton/Kohler name coincidence. About 5 years ago, a new family moved in behind us. Two little adopted Oriental toddlers, 2 (very yappy) dogs and a big long-haired marmalade cat. We never met them (still haven’t) but the cat came over the fence regularly to visit. Such a sweetie! Having to give everything a name, I called him Brendan as most red cats are boys and red heads are usually Irish…made sense to me. Our friends next door would often talk about Brendan coming into their yard also and Brendan was his name to all of us. About a year later, their daughter was asked to babysit the kids and she found out Brendan’s given name and couldn’t believe what she heard. His name was “Bahndwahn” (or something like that). He got a Chinese name because of the children. No wonder he came when we called him Brendan!

    BTW Brendan is not happy that Rudy is here because he doesn’t have any more lovey time with his Uncle Larry.

  20. mary jane

    late last fall we had a visit from an adorable fluffy cat..he was hanging around for about a week..I fed him and gave him water but I could not ask him in the house because of our 2 other grown cats..they tolerated him outside, even brought him a mouse ( a real one) to play with !! He is an orange cat with a very fluffy tail, fox like..also a mane like around his neck..I looked him up and found out he is of a Siberian breed..in the meantime some friends came by and left for their home with the kitty in tow…they are ALL so happy together..he has a wonderful place to call home here in Wisconsin..were he came from, who knows, probably a drop off like so many others ..but he is sweet and such a charmer..his name is Sam…

  21. Bev Wood

    Love to hear happy ending stories when it comes to pets. Colton and Kohler are beautiful cats. I picked up your book in Pennsylvania. Love it and can’t wait to start a quilt.

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