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Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Petfinder Post: Drudge Is a Credit to His Late Parents

Drudge, the last of last spring's kittens staying here, was the son of a small, fluffy orange stray I called Borowiec, who died shortly after begetting him, and Serena's daughter Pastel, who died last winter.

Who knows whether somewhere their spirits, reunited, may be finding comfort in the thought that Pastel's early demise helped rally the neighborhood against the Bad Neighbor who has done all of us so much harm for so long.

Anyway, Drudge is now a year-old cat, still growing. Serena is a large female cat, ten or twelve pounds of solid bone and muscle; Pastel had a slimmer frame, looked more American rather than British, but she was also longer and taller than most American Shorthairs. Drudge, being male, might eventually be bigger than Serena but currently he's still smaller and thinner. 

Last spring he apparently considered doing what tomcats normally do--wandering off and getting lost, never a thought for his human or his family, who normally think "good riddance to rubbish"--and thought better of it. Since then he's proceeded to demonstrate that he's not a normal cat at all. 

He is gentle and protective with his little uncle, Serena's new kitten. They curl up together on my lap, morning and evening, when I sit on the steps and check in with them.

He hunts efficiently. Most male felines just aren't as good hunters as females; even lions do a lot of scavenging and stealing prey from other predators, when lionesses aren't feeding them. Drudge caught a big gray squirrel last Saturday. 

He is a patient, gentle, cuddly pet. He's always had an extraordinary ability to tolerate being tickled; where a normal cat invites people to tickle its ribs in order to grab their hands, Drudge always could just lie flat and purr, enjoying the attention. (So could Dilbert and Diego, his brothers. Presumably they got this trait from their father because it certainly did not run in their mother's family.) He has never intentionally scratched or bitten a human.

But since the tiny kitten has joined him on the porch, although he didn't start play-fighting when tickled, Drudge stopped purring.

"Have you lost your purr-box?" I said to him. "I miss your purr."

I had not been thinking of him as a Listening Cat. Like many cats, he responds to my voice so consistently that it's hard to tell whether he recognizes his name. 

But he understood some part of "I miss your purr," because, after jumping off my lap, he came back and sat on my lap upright, not rolling onto his back. I stroked down his back, then around his ears. He purred extravagantly.

Cats are notorious for the trait zoologists call "neoteny"--adult animals retaining juvenile or infantile behavior. The whole pet cat behavior repertoire of romping and snuggling with a human can be classified as neoteny. Sometimes when kittens join the family adult cats will tone down this behavior. Being around a juvenile of their species seems to remind them to model adult behavior for the young.

Drudge nonverbally "reported" that he has accepted the responsibility of being a good father-figure for his little uncle.

Normal cats, of course, grow up completely devoid of father-figures. Most tomcats ignore kittens. A few even try to chase them away or kill them, in the hope that the mother cat will then want to start some more--a behavior mother cats are famous for punishing. (Serena has, in fact, driven her kitten's father away, though it would be typical cat behavior if she let him come back after weaning her kitten.) Some social tomcats ignore kittens, too. 

Yet Drudge's six-greats-granduncle Mackerel was the son of a father who visited regularly and brought food to Mac's mother, and grew up to be that sort of father himself. When tomcats stray the traditional saying is "He'll come back when he's hungry enough." Mac went feral after being told that rabies vaccinations were the price of being a pet; he came back to visit his nieces and me, every few weeks, and every time I offered him food, and never once did he eat it. He was proud to say that he'd brought us food, if anyone wanted it. Rabbit, anyone? 

Drudge's great-grandfather Burr was another basically feral barn cat who had no use for humans, but did spend quality time with his mate, and, if he did eat while visiting his family, shared food nicely with kittens. 

Drudge may be another cat who follows the code of behavior for a Virginia gentleman better than some humans who were born into that position.

The animals shown below are probably normal cats and dogs, but they have "blue"-gray coats like Drudge's.

Zipcode 10101: Tamar from New York 


A lightweight (healthy weight at age three, just seven pounds) with a kittenish look, Tamar's big talking point, according to her web page, is a low adoption fee. She's been in the shelter long enough. They want her adopted soonest! She is known to get along well with other cats.

Zipcode 20202: Iggy & Pop from St Thomas island, via Alexandria 


Iggy is the one whose left eye has been diagnosed with corneal scarring. He's not completely blind and his vision seems to be improving, but the eye may always look "different." The brothers are close, and, since neutering is obligatory, will probably want to stay close all their lives. 

Zipcode 30303: Vanna from Fayetteville 


She is said to be a sweet, lovable three-year-old who gets along well with everyone. She has run up a substantial vet bill, which is reflected in her adoption fee. 

Zipcode 10101: Fiona from Austin via Rye 


Fiona is just a baby, only four months old. At the time of posting she weighed 7 pounds. She is expected to weigh 20 or 25 pounds when full grown. She could easily live another fifteen years, so the family should be prepared to make a long-term commitment.

Fiona is described as almost the perfect pet, cute, clever, agreeable, cuddle-tolerant, inclined to follow at someone's heel even when not on a leash. There are some issues. Baby gets anxious when left alone, and may cry and annoy neighbors. Baby gets overexcited around unfamiliar dogs, and may create social problems for her human at a dog park. She may outgrow those tendencies, though, and she does well with other dogs, cats, and children. They recommend her to families that have an older, friendly, well trained dog to be a role model. 

Her adoption fee adds up to $830. Of this, $230 is for transportation from Austin to New York. If you're closer to Austin, or will be, you can substract that amount. $200 is to pre-pay your vet to have her spayed when she's old enough. That leaves $400, which still seems a bit steep, but she is an especially pretty poodle.

Zipcode 20202: Frankie from DC 


At one year old, he weighs 48 pounds and likes to walk or run with humans. He is crate trained and house trained. "Guaranteed to keep you active," he'll be quiet and even snuggly after a good exercise session. He is described as friendly and funny, but I'd guess that anyone who messes with his human will be sorry. Terriers are tough, stubborn dogs and, though large for a terrier, Frankie is thought to have some pit bull ancestry. But the breed personality is affectionate and loyal when they're treated well.

Zipcode 30303: Anabella from Houston via Atlanta 


This 48-pound mutt has had an adventurous life already. Two years old, she was found abandoned in a cage with puppies. Puppies were adopted, mother dog spayed. She's comfortable with other dogs and has been crate and leash trained. She likes humans and seems to want to be someone's pet. Her adoption fee includes a vet bill. It does not include transportation from Houston to Atlanta, nor do her current caretakers want to take a road trip. If you want to visit Houston, you can shave more than half off the total cost of adopting this cute dog.

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