Apparently this small cat feels right at home as our dashboard kitty. Although we've had him checked for a microchip and signs are posted, no one has claimed him yet. Who could not fall for this handsome little guy?

FOUND - ONE SMALL BLACK CAT

This is an unusual notice for this blog, but on the chance that the person who lost a small black male cat at Thousand Trails Verde Valley might be reading this (and I realize the chances are pretty slim), it's now safely in our care.

This little guy has been running around the park for more than a week and was reported to joyously run up and greet anyone walking a dog. He also sauntered up to our neighbors yellow lab and made friends, even though Dixie is many times his size. That's how we finally got possession of him after our neighbor fed him and made friends.

So this is what we know. He must have escaped from his owner's RV, and the owner must have also had one or more dogs. By the time we finally managed to get him into the motorhome, he was quite skinny but appeared otherwise healthy. He's very sweet, and after a few minutes of exploring the motorhome, he headed for the dash and settled in. That makes me think his owner might have driven a motorhome and he was probably a dashboard kitty.

One other thing I know is that he has been declawed. Imagine how scared he must have been as he wandered the park at night trying to stay out of reach of a gray fox, a coyote, and a band of skunks that have been roaming the park recently. He couldn't eat (if he could even find anything, since he obviously didn't have claws to catch his own prey), drink, potty or sleep without constantly watching over his bony little shoulder. He couldn't have defended himself from any type of predator and he couldn't escape up a tree. However, he was healthy looking, his hair was shiny and clean, and other than being a little skittish at sudden noises or movement, he soon settled down to normal.

It's apparent that someone dearly loved this kitty and took great care of him, and somewhere, his family and at least one pooch companion are probably missing him terribly. So if you hear of anyone who has lost a small black cat at the Verde Valley Thousand Trails, please tell them to contact me at portable.writer@yahoo.com and identify the cat's special appearance. Although he has won our hearts, I would love to see him back with his owners again if they want him. And how could they not?