It was the fall of 2022 and I had been outside in my back yard picking up sticks to burn in my brush pile. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of brown and cream colored fur moving quickly through the wire fence line. Some sort of animal I thought. Living out in the country that was nothing new, spotting an animal moving around in the surrounding fields. A few minutes later I saw the same flash of fur running on the other side of the pond. A cat, no a kitten, maybe four or five months old. That too was nothing new as for some reason someone occasionally dropped off their pets out here in the country as if those of us that lived out here had a easy solution for pets with no homes.

When cats are stressed they will easily shed fur, releasing it into the air like confetti with fur on it. Their coat will puff up, making them look bigger, fatter. I saw this kitten a few more times before winter moved in and his fur always looked like that, as if he had stuck his paw in an electric socket. Then winter did move in and I no longer saw him, but I wondered if he would make it through the cold, wintry season.

Come spring, there he was, moving quietly outside, around my house, hiding in the bushes. He was bigger, less stressed as his coat was now long but smooth. I began to leave cat food out for him, and I noticed most mornings the bowl was empty. I had been feeding the barn cats down the road for a few years. I had learned how to catch them in a trap cage especially designed not to harm them. The goal was to trap them, take them to the cat advocates who neutered and spayed them for free, then bring them back to the barn. I had become quite good at cat trapping, and knew I needed to trap my new furry friend. Not only does it decrease the cat population but helps them stay safe. A male cat that is not neutered will travel a five mile radius looking for a female cat, not the safest way to live.

I named him Pan because at the time I had an indoor cat named Petey. I did eventually trap Pan, had him neutered, and he now roams all around the front and back yards of Our Treehouse, and has a cat door on my garage door so he can come and go as he pleases. As you can see from his photo he is quite the majestic cat and I am positive he believes he rules over the whole property. He climbs any tree he likes, jumps on the rocks, and demands his food from the front door.

Pan will jump in my lap now, and lets me stroke him and brush his long fur. He is a sweet little guy, full of fun and mischief. Like Reddogg, I think he found me, not the other way around. I am so glad, as he is one of my best friends, too.