Presley

The single-wide trailer has an assortment of cats that lurk on top of the cages or behind furniture on the deck, and choose not to interact much with volunteers and visitors.  One of these wary individuals is a striking Siamese who goes by the name of Presley.

Presley is definitely not human-oriented.  He is happy enough to be around when plates of food are being offered to the general population, but he doesn’t much care for individual attention, even when accompanied by bribery.

Clyde (L) & Bonnie Boy (R)

I was surprised to learn that Presley is apparently the brother of friendly Bonnie Boy and his sister Clyde – not much family resemblance there, except perhaps around the eyes. They all came in to us in the fall of 2006, trapped by Carol Reichart.  It’s a reminder to us all that unspayed female cats may mate with more than one male, and a litter of kittens may come from several toms.  It would be interesting to know what Bonnie Boy, Clyde and Presley’s mother looked like.

Having had little luck in getting to know Presley, I turned to Phaedra. Phaedra is one of the staff that is working first thing in the morning – she’s a real early bird! – and she’s a true cat-whisperer. She knows the cats on an individual basis and is frequently the source of information on a cat with whom  nobody else has been able to interact.

 

Phaedra says, “Presley is one of the first cats to greet me in the wee hours of the morning, rubbing up against my legs and begging for pets with plaintive meows. As soon as I put my kneepads on and start picking up dishes he heads for higher ground. I think he's one of those early morning kitties that don't like too much activity around them. I enjoy the morning time he allows me as he's such a soft handsome boy. He was very fearful when he first came in and has been caged a lot for various reasons, so that didn't help.”

She points out that the volunteers who can pet Presley are very quiet and gentle. This is obviously a boy who needs a lot of patience and love, and is likely always going to be wary about new people.

 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Michele Wright