More on Louie - Part One

After reading Just Jinny's comment, I felt compelled to give a Louie update.

Tonight I stayed late at work, late enough to cab it to Mark's place in Greenpoint. As usual, I had the cabbie stop a few houses away so I could check on Louie, the orange cat. Louie recognized my voice and crawled out of his cardboard box, meowing loudly.

I've mistaken the excited meowing for just saying 'hi'. I've dumped cans of food on the sidewalk, only to have Louie walk around in circles, continuing to meow. Hm. Tonight, he was truly hungry. He crouched in the cold and lapped up the juices first, before digging in.

Several of us on the street have been caring for Louie. He's the last cat remaining outside, after two cats and two kittens were rescued this fall. Before it grew cold, Louie lived in a dreadful wood pile. It was hideous - a huge pile of rough wood chucked on the sidewalk, with a dead pigeon and empty cat food cans at the bottom.

This weekend, Mark and I renovated the cardboard box house we'd made for Louie a month ago. We found a slightly bigger cardboard box, taped up the edges, and wrapped it with layers of Saran Wrap.

While Louie chowed down (Friskies, Whitefish Dinner), we tossed the old house, which was soggy and lopsided. I shook out the blankets, one a fashionable Burberry plaid, while Mark set the new box up on thin strips of wood. We wanted to lift the box off the ground, so it wouldn't get soaked in the rain.

Later that afternoon, I came back to check on the house. Someone had draped an additional plastic tarp on top, and left a container of kibble. As I got closer, I could see Louie through the opening. Two, orange, furry hind legs were stretched out, relaxing in the bit of sunshine streaming through the door.

I didn't wake him, of course.


For earlier posts on Louie and the cat posse, click here and here

Photo of one of the rescued kittens, who has already been adopted, taken by his foster mom. Grey cat and Louie are most likely his parents.