Feral Cat Fridays: Limpy Larry Stumbles In
Limpy Larry hobbled out of the woods and into our clearing a few months after we last saw Larry. At first we thought Larry had returned from a long ramble, a little worse for wear. After some observation we realized that this limping guy was darker than Larry. But the reaction of Harley and the rest of the Davidsons clinched our decision that this was not prodigal Larry returning home. The members of the Davidson clan were not hostile to this new cat, but neither did they welcome him back into the fold. The Davidsons stuck together, and if Harley and her family didn’t welcome this guy back with tails raised high he wasn’t the Larry we’d known. This new cat was a Larry unto himself, and a Limpy Larry at that.
As you might guess, Limpy Larry got his name from the bad limp he exhibited when he first arrived. Time, reliable food, and a solitary but safe life on the periphery of the colony restored him to health and took most of the hitch out of his get-along, but he was always less agile than a cat should be. He knew he wasn’t fast on his feet so he was typically on alert for danger.
In contrast to The Ice Cream cats (who stayed for just a short time) and Spotty (who came and went), after Limpy Larrry arrived he stayed. We expect he realized he’d found a safe haven after the rough and tumble of life on the outside. A cushy yard filled with friends was wonderful, even if those friends were at a distance. At least they weren’t chasing him around the Texas hill country.
Eventually Limpy Larry became comfortable enough to relax. When his eponymous limp had mostly faded into memory we caught him celebrating with a little roll and a wave of all four feet.
That last photo’s a gem. There’s nothing more satisfying than watching a creature of any sort adjust to — and become comfortable in — new surroundings and new circumstances. I can’t help thinking of the Afghans who made it out of their country; I suspect there’s going to be a long period of adjustment for them, no matter their improved chances of survival. They may not limp as obviously as Larry, but the damage will be just as real.
He really was a handsome cat. I’m glad he found a place where he could fit in and enjoy life.
It’s easy to get caught up in the debate about how Afghanistan has been handled, whose fault it is, etc. and forget that there are many people who will need to start again from ground zero and build new lives in a strange, new world. It was probably easier for Limpy Larry because he knew how to be a cat in the hill country. San Antonio looks to be one of the destinations for Afghan refugees, and I hope they find a comfortable place here or wherever they settle.