Clyde Finds a Home

This cat was loitering around the back steps of Eric and Charlie's apartment in South Shore one weekday morning in December. He was purring loudly and rubbing against everything, and Charlie had to distract him so that Eric could leave for work without being tailed. Nearly 10 hours later when Eric returned, Charlie had left town on a business trip, but Clyde was still on the back steps, so he came inside to enjoy warmth and a bowl of tuna -- the closest thing to cat food in the apartment.

Not sure what to do, Eric reached out to Hyde Park Cats for advice. We walked Eric through what would need to happen in the coming days - supplies to be purchased, a trip to the vet, decisions to be made. Allergies were a concern, as was the possibility that Clyde might simply have run away. The vet gave him a clean bill of health, but explained that he was almost certainly a stray: he had fleas, was not microchipped, and had not been neutered.

After about a week, Eric and Charlie decided that they would be able -- and happy -- to keep Clyde permanently. That's when he got the name -- chosen by looking at a map of nearby street names (editor's note: scroll through these posts to read about the Clyde Colony. By that time, he had adjusted nicely to life indoors, with the rambunctiousness of a 9-month-old kitten, but also very affectionate and glad for human attention.

It's only been a bit over a month, but Clyde has made himself quite at home. He curls up in the bathroom sink even though it's wet, hides under the kitchen cabinets when he's startled, and has finally learned how to avoid slipping and crashing into things when he runs around the wood-floored apartment. He likes to play fetch with plastic bottle caps. And he's currently learning, with the aid of a training kit, how to use the toilet!

You can see shots of Clyde as a stray and as a housecat, and even a video of a present taken at Clyde's cat shower (yes you read that right) here.

To Eric and Charlie, who say they look forward to watching Clyde grow up, I say thank you for giving Clyde the chance to do so in a warm and loving environment, and thank you for not turning your backs when a cold hungry creature came to your doorstep.

Happy life, CLYDE!