Meet Scrapper.
I don't know his real name, but the right ear, suggesingt he was once a tough stray, just makes the name fitting. He's what I call the neighborhood cat. My landlords own a block worth of property in JP, so I'm often going from my building to another across the street, where the laundry machines are. In my going to and from work and laundry duty, I'd see Scrapper often, just chilling either by the laundry building or the on steps of my own. He always enjoyed a good pet and scratch, and he had the collar and a metal tag usually reserved for dogs, so I figured he had to be someone's in the neighborhood, a stray who had become very friendly.
I met his owner one morning when I tried to stop Scrapper from coming into the laundry room building, where I left some clothes overnight. A man stopped me and said it's ok, that's where he lives. Apparently, Scrapper waits outside every night for his owner (obviously working third shift) to come home, and I was just stumbling on their daily reunion. The man seems to work a lot, as I see Scrapper more and more outside.
One recent night, he was right on my building's steps, laying on some free newspapers. I said what the heck and went in to get him some pieces of chicken. Without me saying anything, he followed me in. So unbelievably trusting, he went right into my apartment and started sniffing my stuff, getting a feel for the place. I carried him out, afraid he'd get too comfortable at a time when I'm barely able to take care of myself.
One pet by association is enough for now. I keep telling people I'm waiting for the opportunity to get two ferrets that will travel around in my backpack.
Still, you never know. Winter's coming, and I don't want to see Scrapper suffer.
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